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Federal jobs for veterans

Find the federal series your military experience already qualifies you for. Every one of the 351 General Schedule and Wage Grade series has a page here with its OPM qualification standard, its pay, and the military codes that map to it.

Veterans in federal service: 621,94628.1% of the executive branch, FY 2023. OPM
Job series: 351238 General Schedule, 113 Wage Grade.
Preference points: 5 or 10Added to a passing score where the agency rates and ranks numerically.
Cost: FreeEvery series page, and the crosswalk search.

Where veterans usually land

The series that come up most often on the way out, each with the standard that governs it.

GS-0080Security Administration

Performs security administration work including personnel security, physical security, and security program management.

Administrative · GS-5/7/9/11/12/13

GS-0201Human Resources Management

Positions that advise on, administer, supervise, or perform work in the various human resources management functional areas including recruitment, classification, employee relations, labor relations, benefits, and workforce development.

Administrative · two-grade

GS-0301Miscellaneous Administration and Program

Federal administrative position performing general program and administrative work including planning, coordination, and management support not covered by other specialized series.

Administrative · GS-5/7/9/11/12/13

GS-0343Management and Program Analyst

Analyzes, evaluates, and improves organizational efficiency, productivity, and effectiveness of management operations and programs.

Administrative · GS-5/7/9/11/12/13/14

GS-0510Accounting

Performs professional accounting work including financial reporting, auditing, and accounting systems management.

Professional · GS-5/7/9/11/12/13/14

GS-1102Contracting

Performs contract specialist work including acquisition planning, contract negotiation, and contract administration.

Administrative · GS-5/7/9/11/12/13/14/15

GS-1811Criminal Investigator

Federal special agent position conducting criminal investigations of alleged violations of federal laws at agencies including FBI, DEA, ATF, Secret Service, HSI, and other federal law enforcement.

Administrative · GS-5/7/9/11/12/13/14

GS-2210Information Technology Management

Performs IT management work including systems administration, network management, cybersecurity, and IT project management.

Administrative · GS-5/7/9/11/12/13/14/15

General Schedule groups

Professional, administrative, technical and clerical work, GS-1 through GS-15. 23 groups holding 238 series.

Federal Wage System groups

Skilled trades, maintenance and labor, paid off local prevailing wage surveys rather than the GS table. 35 groups holding 113 series.

2500

Wire Communications Equipment Installation and Maintenance. Installation, maintenance, and repair of wire communications equipment including telephone, telegraph, and data transmission systems.

2600

Electronic Equipment Installation and Maintenance. Installation, maintenance, and repair of electronic equipment including radar, sonar, and navigation systems.

2800

Electrical Installation and Maintenance. Installation, maintenance, and repair of electrical systems, wiring, and power distribution equipment.

3100

Fabric and Leather Work. Cutting, sewing, and repair of fabric and leather products including upholstery, tents, and protective equipment.

3300

Instrument Work. Repair, calibration, and maintenance of precision instruments and measuring devices.

3400

Machine Tool Work. Operation and maintenance of machine tools including lathes, milling machines, and grinders.

3500

General Services and Support Work. General maintenance, custodial services, and facility support operations.

3600

Structural and Finishing Work. Construction, repair, and finishing of building structures including carpentry, masonry, and plastering.

3700

Metal Processing. Heat treating, plating, and other metal processing operations.

3800

Metal Work. Fabrication, welding, and sheet metal work.

3900

Motion Picture, Radio, Television, and Sound Equipment Operation. Operation and maintenance of audiovisual and broadcast equipment.

4100

Painting and Paperhanging. Application of paints, coatings, and wall coverings.

4200

Plumbing and Pipefitting. Installation and repair of plumbing systems, pipes, and fixtures.

4300

Pliable Materials Work. Working with rubber, plastic, and other pliable materials.

4400

Printing. Printing, lithography, and related reproduction operations.

4600

Wood Work. Carpentry, cabinetmaking, and woodworking operations.

4700

General Maintenance and Operations Work. Multi-trade maintenance and building operations.

4800

General Equipment Maintenance. Maintenance and repair of various types of equipment.

5000

Plant and Animal Work. Agricultural, horticultural, and animal care operations.

5200

Miscellaneous Occupations. Various trade and labor occupations not classified elsewhere.

5300

Industrial Equipment Maintenance. Maintenance of industrial machinery and HVAC systems.

5400

Industrial Equipment Operation. Operation of industrial machinery, boilers, and power plants.

5700

Transportation/Mobile Equipment Operation. Operation of motor vehicles, forklifts, and mobile equipment.

5800

Transportation/Mobile Equipment Maintenance. Maintenance and repair of vehicles and mobile equipment.

6500

Ammunition, Explosives, and Toxic Materials Work. Handling, storage, and disposal of ammunition, explosives, and hazardous materials.

6600

Armament Work. Maintenance and repair of weapons systems and armaments.

6900

Warehousing and Stock Handling. Receipt, storage, issue, and distribution of supplies and equipment. Common transition path for military logistics/supply personnel.

7000

Packing and Processing. Packing, crating, and processing of materials for storage or shipment.

7300

Laundry, Dry Cleaning, and Pressing. Laundry, dry cleaning, and garment pressing operations.

7400

Food Preparation and Serving. Food service operations including cooking, baking, and serving.

7600

Personal Services. Barbering, cosmetology, and other personal services.

8200

Fluid Systems Maintenance. Maintenance of hydraulic and pneumatic systems.

8600

Engine Overhaul. Overhaul and repair of aircraft, vehicle, and industrial engines.

8800

Aircraft Overhaul. Overhaul, repair, and maintenance of aircraft and aircraft components.

9000

Film Processing. Processing and development of photographic film and materials.

How the grades work

Grade follows the scope and complexity of the work you can document, not the rank you held. OPM says so directly: ranks and pay rates are not used when evaluating specialized experience.

GS-5 to GS-7

Entry-level professional and technician work, usually under close review.

GS-9 to GS-11

Journey level. You own the work and the judgement calls inside it.

GS-12 to GS-13

Senior specialist. Program scope, complex problems, other people relying on your call.

GS-14 to GS-15

Expert and supervisory. Policy, program ownership, and the people running it.

What the qualification standard is asking

Two-grade interval

Professional and administrative series move GS-5, 7, 9, 11, 12, 13. Each step is a real jump in scope.

One-grade interval

Clerical and technical series move one grade at a time, GS-1 through GS-5 and up.

Positive education

Some series require a specific degree and will not accept experience in its place. Those are marked on their page.

Experience substitution

Everywhere else, qualifying experience can replace the education requirement. Document the duties, not the rank.

What you carry in

Preference points

Five or ten points added to a passing score wherever the agency rates and ranks numerically. Claim it on the application; it is not applied for you.

Your service counts as experience

OPM credits military service on the duties performed. That is why the wording of your bullets decides the grade you qualify for, and why the rank on them does not.

A clearance you already hold

A current clearance removes months and real money from an agency’s hiring cost, which is exactly why cleared postings move faster.

Questions

How do I find the federal job series that match my military job?

Switch the search above to MOS, AFSC or Rate and enter your code. It returns the federal series our crosswalk maps that occupation to, each with a match score, the skills that carry over, and the grades those roles usually open at. Search by series code or title instead if you already know what you are aiming for.

What is veterans preference in federal hiring?

When an agency rates and ranks applicants numerically, an eligible veteran gets 5 or 10 extra points added to a passing score. Preference does not apply to every hiring path, and it is a boost rather than a guarantee. The Veterans Recruitment Appointment lets an agency hire an eligible veteran without competition up to GS-11 or the equivalent, and the 30 percent or more disabled veteran authority has no grade cap, though you still have to meet the qualifications for the job.

What GS grade does my rank convert to?

It does not convert. OPM is explicit that titles, military ranks and pay rates are not used when evaluating specialized experience, and that military experience is judged on the duties performed rather than the rank held. Grade follows the scope and complexity of the work you can document against the announcement, so a mid-career NCO with real program responsibility can qualify well above what any rank chart would suggest.

How many federal job series are there?

351: 238 General Schedule series for white-collar professional, administrative, technical and clerical work, and 113 Federal Wage System series for the trades and crafts. Each one carries its own OPM qualification standard, and each has a page here.

How many veterans actually work for the federal government?

621,946 veterans were on board across the federal executive branch in fiscal year 2023, 28.1% of all 2,215,879 employees, per OPM's annual veteran employment report. At the Department of Defense the share is 44 percent.

Do I need a degree for a federal job?

Only for the series with a positive education requirement, where a degree is the standard and experience cannot substitute for it. Those series are flagged on their own page. Everywhere else, qualifying experience can stand in for education, which is the door most veterans come through.

Series data comes from OPM's qualification standards and O*NET, cross-referenced by hand into the military crosswalk. O*NET is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.

Found the series. Now write the resume it wants.

A federal rater matches your record against the announcement's specialized experience statement. BMR writes that shape from your own experience: competency headers, real scope, and the hours and supervisor detail the rater checks for.

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