How To Get A Government Job

Government work still offers things that are hard to find elsewhere: pensions, Public Service Loan Forgiveness eligibility and steady hours. Federal hiring got much harder in 2025, though, so it pays to know where the openings are.

Where Are Government Jobs Posted?

Most government jobs are posted on an official site run by that level of government. Paid listing services that charge you to see government jobs aren't needed.

Source: OPM, UK Civil Service, Public Service Commission of Canada, Australian Public Service Commission. Cult of Money.

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What Changed In Federal Hiring?

Federal hiring has been tightly controlled since January 20, 2025, when a government-wide hiring freeze began. An October 15, 2025 executive order, Executive Order 14356, followed the freeze with a rule that a vacant position can be filled only with approval from an agency strategic hiring committee and in line with an annual staffing plan, with exceptions for areas such as immigration enforcement, national security and public safety. The order has no end date.

Applications changed too. OPM's Merit Hiring Plan, released on May 29, 2025, added four short essay questions of up to 200 words each to job announcements at GS-5 and above, and pushed agencies toward skills tests and subject matter expert reviews. The plan also replaced the long-form federal resume with a two-page limit.

Federal employment fell by about 232,000 jobs in the year to September 2026, to about 2.68 million, after buyouts, deferred resignations and layoffs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. State and local governments, which employed about 20.6 million people in September 2026, more than seven times the federal total, weren't part of any of this. If federal openings in your field are scarce, a state, county or city job is the faster way in.

Route 1: Start In Any Government Job And Move Over

The easiest government job to get is your second one. Governments like to hire people who already know how public budgets, procurement rules and legislative calendars work, so a year inside any agency makes you a stronger candidate everywhere else.

That opens a deliberate path. Say you want to be a project manager for a city but don't get an interview. You could take a project coordinator job at the county, move up to project manager there after a year or two, then apply to the city job as a fully qualified candidate. City, county, state and federal agencies cross-hire constantly, so the employer you start with doesn't have to be the one you end with.

The federal system builds this in. Many USAJOBS postings are "merit promotion" announcements open only to current and former competitive-service federal employees, called status candidates, and those postings draw far fewer applicants than ones open to the public. Many states run internal postings the same way.

Route 2: Use Your Network The Right Way

A contact inside government can't hand you a job, but they can tell you what's coming, how the team works and which skills the hiring manager cares about. Government hiring runs on merit rules: federal law bars officials from appointing or promoting relatives, and most states have similar rules.

That's why the useful favor is information, not a phone call to HR. Ask people in your network (former classmates, coworkers, relatives, people you meet at public meetings) for a 20-minute informational interview. Ask what the agency is funded to do next year and which job titles do that work.

Political appointments are the exception where campaign work counts openly. Federal political jobs are listed in the "Plum Book" that Congress publishes after each presidential election, and governors and mayors fill their own appointed roles. Those jobs end when the administration does.

Veterans get a formal boost. Under federal veterans' preference, eligible veterans receive 5 or 10 extra points or are placed at the top of the candidate list, according to OPM's veterans' preference rules. Many states have their own versions.

Route 3: Match The Posting, And Read The Budget

The most common way to get hired is to show, in the posting's own words, that you meet every listed qualification. Government screeners compare your resume against the requirements and the "specialized experience" section, so a general resume gets screened out even when you're qualified.

Write a new resume for each posting. Go through every requirement and point to the job, dates and result that prove it. Use the agency's vocabulary: if the posting says "stakeholder engagement" and "general fund," say that instead of "client relations" and "budget." On USAJOBS, keep it within two pages and answer the self-assessment questionnaire fully but honestly, because subject matter experts may check your answers against your resume.

Read The Budget To See What's Coming

Government budgets tell you what jobs are coming months before they're posted. Each budget lists, line by line, what's been funded, including a capital projects list that shows new systems, buildings and programs. Some states budget on a two-year cycle, so check whether your state's next budget covers one year or two.

If a city funds a new permitting software system, it'll need someone to write the request for proposals, consultants to build it and staff to run it. New projects rarely have in-house experts, so learning the skill before the posting goes up can make you the obvious hire. City council and county commission budget documents are public and posted online.

What Benefits Do Government Jobs Offer?

Most government jobs still come with a pension, a retirement savings plan and Public Service Loan Forgiveness eligibility. The details differ by level.

Source: OPM, Federal Student Aid, IRS. Cult of Money.

Federal pay follows the General Schedule plus a locality adjustment for your city. General Schedule employees received a 1% across-the-board raise in January 2026, according to OPM's 2026 pay table.

If You Own Crypto: Know The Ethics Rules

Federal employees can generally own crypto, but it counts as a financial interest under conflict-of-interest law. The Office of Government Ethics said in a 2022 legal advisory that cryptocurrencies and stablecoins are financial interests under 18 U.S.C. § 208, which bars you from working on government matters that could affect what you hold.

That has practical effects. If your job touches crypto policy, payments or financial regulation, you may need to sell or step away from certain work. Some financial regulators have their own rules that restrict employees' holdings. Employees who file financial disclosure reports must list crypto held for investment worth more than $1,000. State employees fall under their state's ethics law instead.

What To Watch Out For

• Job scams. Real government agencies don't charge application fees, and the FTC warns that offers asking you to pay for a government job or test materials are scams.
• Slow timelines. Federal hiring can take months from posting to start date, including background checks and hiring committee approval. Keep your current income until you have a firm offer.
• Shutdown risk. Federal employees went without paychecks during the 43-day shutdown from October 1 to November 12, 2025. Back pay is guaranteed by law, but an emergency fund covers the wait.
• Probation. New federal employees serve a probationary period, usually one year, with fewer job protections.

FAQ

Is It Hard To Get A Government Job?

Federal jobs are harder to get than they were before 2025 because of hiring controls and workforce cuts. State and local governments hire far more people and weren't affected by those federal changes.

How Long Does It Take To Get Hired By The Government?

Federal hiring can take several months, including security checks and, under the 2025 hiring rules, approval from the agency's strategic hiring committee. State and local timelines vary, and jobs that require a civil service exam can take longer.

Do Government Jobs Still Come With Pensions?

Yes. Federal employees earn a FERS pension, and most state and local employees are covered by a defined-benefit plan. Benefit formulas and employee contributions vary by plan.

Do Government Jobs Qualify For Public Service Loan Forgiveness?

Yes. Full-time work for a federal, state, local or tribal government counts toward PSLF, which forgives remaining federal Direct Loans after 120 qualifying payments.

Can Federal Employees Own Crypto?

Generally yes, but crypto counts as a financial interest under federal ethics law. You may be barred from work that affects your holdings, and some financial regulators restrict holdings outright.