Employment

Collage of Forest Service employees in uniform

Welcome to the great outdoors! We offer a variety of job opportunities that range from student intern programs to seasonal employment to full-time employment for individuals with skills in many fields. Forest Service careers provide exciting and challenging opportunities to be involved in the management and protection of the nation's natural resources. All current Forest Service job vacancies are posted on USAJOBS. The web-based applications of USAJOBS provide an opportunity for job candidates to create a profile, search for jobs, sign-up for vacancy announcements, apply for jobs, and check the status of jobs for which they have applied.

Search for Jobs with the USDA Forest Service:

Temporary/Seasonal Job Opportunities

Every year from October through March, the Forest Service hires thousands of temporary (mostly summer) employees for a variety of jobs, most of them in the field. Temporary employees have a very special place within the Forest Service. Most Forest Service career employees started out in temporary positions, including as trail crew, fire lookouts, seasonal biologists, and many more.

The Southern Region hires temporary positions across 16 national forests located in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Lousiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia each year. Check here for job opportunities in the region.

Career Opportunities

The Forest Service has a wide range of career fields available, appealing to both outdoor and indoor enthusiasts alike. Below are some of the many career areas available within the Forest Service:

Fire Management

Engineering

Forestry

Land Surveying

Recreation

Wilderness and Trails

Visitor Information

Heritage Resources

Wildlife Biology

Fisheries

Rangeland Management

Geographic Information Science

Administrative Support

Lands and Minerals

Budget and Finance

Hydrology

Information Technology

Public Affairs

Law Enforcement

The Job You Want to Apply For Isn't Open Yet? Get a Head Start!

Before job announcements are posted in USAJOBS.gov, most job opportunities can be found in the US Forest Service Outreach Database giving interested applicants an opportunity to learn more about the job requirements, duties, and duty station before the opening date of the vacancy announcement.

What can you do in advance to prepare?

  1. Get familiar with USAJobs by reviewing: How to Apply for a Job on USAJobs.
  2. Create an account on USAJOBS website.
  3. Use the USAJobs tool to create a profile and resume.
  4. Post all relevant documents to your USAJob account, i.e. resume, current transcripts, letters of recommendations, and veterans preference documentation.
  5. Sign-up for e-mail notifications for Forest Service job postings using the “save search” function in your USAJobs profile.

All permanent jobs are advertised through the USAJOBS website. You can search the openings by agency, location, salary range, or "series" (a system for identifying the type of work). Some positions are only open to current Federal Employees; only the jobs open to everyone will be shown in the search results.

Our Washington Office site includes additional information on How to Apply, Salary & Benefits, Student Programs, as well as Volunteering.

Additional Information

View USDA Non-Discrimination Statement.