Veterans and Employment

USDA prioritizes hiring veterans because we know that you bring a wide range of experiences and strong work ethic that USDA wants and needs across the Department.

USDA Wants to Hire America’s Heroes

USDA is looking for smart, experienced people to work at one of the more than 2,100 county offices across the country, or at the headquarters offices in Washington, D.C. USDA prioritizes hiring veterans because we know that you bring a wide range of experiences and strong work ethic that USDA wants and needs across the Department.

USDA has a wide range of employment opportunities. Military experiences can directly translate to USDA jobs in areas such as:

Criminal Justice
Soil Conservation
Contracting and Procurement
Information Technology
Food Inspection and Public Health
Fire Fighting
Finance
Economics

Are you ready for another challenge? Please contact the USDA at veterans@usda.gov to see how your skills can be best applied. The USDA Point of Contact can tell you more about special hiring authorities for veterans and your family members, veterans’ preference, and how you can align your skills with USDA Mission Areas and Staff Offices.

In addition, you may check out job opportunities at USAJobs.

Hands-On Job Training for Veterans

On-the-job training is a great way to learn skills and see if a job at USDA or in agribusiness would be a good fit for you.

In collaboration with the Department of Labor, USDA has two national-level apprenticeships where you can earn wages while gaining experience.

Agricultural Commodity Graders is a 12-month training program through USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service, starting at GS-5/7
Wildland Firefighters is a 3,000 hour on-the-job learning program through USDA’s Forest Service, available positions include GS-3, 4/5, and 5

Information about these apprenticeships and other Department of Labor apprenticeships can be found on the Department of Labor’s website.

There are also opportunities through the Department of Defense’s SkillBridge program, where eligible service members can participate in industry training instead during the closing months of their career.

Want to learn more? Contact us at veterans@usda.gov.