Whether you are an established NRCS employee looking for career path information or you are browsing potential careers with NRCS for the first time, this web page will provide the information you are seeking.
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Welcome to My NRCS Career!
Whether you are an established NRCS employee looking for career path information or you are browsing potential careers with NRCS for the first time, this website will provide the information you are seeking. You can:
- Join: Learn about life at NRCS Federal employment, or current job openings with NRCS
- Plan: Plan your career using career maps and career guide information for NRCS occupations.
- Learn: Learn about our current employment programs for students and recent graduates
Come Join Us
Do you want a career that can make a difference? We’re looking for highly motivated and skilled individuals interested in meeting the challenges of the dynamic and innovative field of agriculture.
To get a better idea of what a career with NRCS would be like, check out these videos: NRCS Careers and Recruiting
Who We Are and What We Do
NRCS directly serves America's farmers, ranchers, and forest managers by providing them with financial and technical assistance, or advice, for their land. Our goal is to give our customers free, personalized advice and information, based on the latest science and research, to help them make informed conservation decisions.
Many of our staff work one-on-one with agricultural producers to provide them the knowledge and tools they need to conserve, maintain, and restore the natural resources on their lands and improve the health of their operations for the future.
Student and Recent Graduate Programs
Welcome to the NRCS Students and Recent Graduates information center! This is your one-stop site for information about student and recent graduate opportunities at NRCS. We offer internships for high school students and degree-seeking undergraduate and graduate students studying agricultural and natural resources-related fields such as plant pathology, agronomy, range science, soil science, forestry, ecology, botany, biology, civil and agricultural engineering. We also offer programs for recent graduates from qualifying institutions. Please find information regarding your eligibility below.
Pathways Programs
The Pathways Programs offer clear paths to opportunities with NRCS for students from high school through post-graduate school. The Pathways Programs consist of the Internship Program, the Recent Graduates Program, and the Presidential Management Fellows (PMF) Program.
Internship Program
This program is targeted at current students and individuals accepted for enrollment in a qualifying educational program. This program provides students enrolled in a variety of educational institutions, with paid opportunities to work in agencies and explore Federal careers while still in school.
The Recent Graduate program targets individuals who have recently graduated from qualifying educational institutions or programs. Eligible applicants must have applied within two years of degree or certificate completion. Successful applicants will be placed in a dynamic, one-year career development program.
Presidential Management Fellows Program
The PMF program is the Federal Government's premier leadership development program for advanced degree candidates. This program is aligned with academic calendars, allowing those who have received a qualifying advanced degree within the preceding two years to participate. The PMF experience is the most robust and substantive option available to student participants.
Higher Education Partnerships
USDA works to establish opportunities that ensure equitable participation in USDA programs, services, and resources for rural, tribal, and historically underserved students. These partnerships support capacity building initiatives that bolster education and career opportunities for students and faculty and help develop a strong pipeline of talent for USDA.
1890 Land-Grant Institutions National Program
The 1890 National Scholars Program is available to high school seniors entering their freshman year of college, and college sophomores. The program provides full tuition, fees, books, and room and board to students at 1890 Land-Grant Universities pursuing degrees in agriculture, food, natural resource sciences, or related academic disciplines. When the student has completed the academic and summer work requirements of the scholarship, USDA may convert the student to a permanent employee without further competition.
The USDA 1994 Tribal Scholars Program seeks to increase the number of American Indian and Alaska Native students studying agriculture, food, natural resource sciences, and related disciplines. The program provides full tuition, fees, books, and room and board to students pursuing a bachelor’s degree in agriculture, food science, natural resource science, or a related academic discipline at one of 35 federally recognized tribal colleges and universities. When the student has completed the program, USDA may convert the student to a permanent employee without further competition.
National Resource Career Development Program (NRCDP)
The objective of the NRCDP program is to promote NRCS as an employer of choice for diverse populations. This program will help foster and cultivate undergraduate and graduate students as future leaders interested in agricultural careers in public service. Educational workshops and activities will offer diverse students’ developmental techniques and tools in reasoning ability, self-confidence, goal setting, leadership development and agricultural knowledge in conservation management and technology trends. Specific workshops will assist students in understanding the Pathways program, learning how to apply through USAJOBS, and how to build a competitive application to better compete for NRCS internships and permanent jobs.