Federal Jobs in the Frederick County Region Overview With over 30,000 openings nationwide and hundreds of openings available within 30 miles of Frederick, Federal Jobs are among the fastest growing employment sector. Besides great benefits, security and good pay, there are special opportunities for veterans, disabled persons and students. Who can apply? With very few exceptions, applicants for Federal jobs must be U.S. citizens. Veterans are given preference over other candidates with equal qualifications. For jobs requiring access to sensitive or classified materials, applicants must pass a background investigation which covers an individual s criminal, credit and employment history. The scope of the investigation will vary depending of the nature of the position. Generally, the higher the level of clearance needed, the greater the scope of the investigation. Who is Hiring? There are jobs available in numerous agencies including the U.S. Departments of Defense, Agriculture, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, and Veterans Affairs. Types of jobs include accounting, administration, education, engineering, information technology, medical, dental, public health, as well as a variety of trades and labor positions. Working for Frederick County...Connecting Business with People www.frederickworks.com Page 1 2009
Fort Detrick As the largest employment campus in Frederick County, Fort Detrick's 1,200-acre campus supports a multi-governmental community that conducts biomedical research and development, medical material management, global medical communications and the study of foreign plant pathogens. About 7,900 people work at Fort Detrick including military, federal and contractual employees. The following federal agencies call Fort Detrick home: U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases and the National Cancer Institute as well as of U.S. Department of Agriculture research units U.S. Department of Homeland Security s National Bioforensic and Biodefense centers Numerous federal contractors are located at Fort Detrick including SAIC-Frederick, General Dynamics Information Technology Inc., Northrop Grumman Corporation, Lockheed Martin and Booz Allen Hamilton, to name a few. These contractors employ hundreds of Frederick County residents to provide operations and technical support, acquisition services and procurement activities to purchase a wide variety of goods and services ranging from test tubes to multi-million dollar construction projects. A complete list of federal agencies and contractors is available in the Fort Detrick Employment Guide found at www.frederickworks.com. Working for Frederick County...Connecting Business with People Page 2 2009
Training and Advancement Although many managerial and professional jobs in the Federal Government require a 4-year college degree or higher, others such as registered nurses and technician occupations may enter with 2 years of training after high school. Most Federal jobs require no more than a high school diploma, although further training or experience is an asset. While certain jobs require specific education levels, other positions permit years of experience to be interchangeable with years of education. Advancement for most workers in the Federal Government is currently based on a system of occupational pay levels, or grades, although more departments and agencies are being granted waivers to utilize different pay and promotion strategies. Workers typically enter the Federal civil service at the starting grade for an occupation and begin a career ladder of promotions until they reach the full-performance grade for that occupation. Earnings The range of earnings for federal employees is as varied as the types of positions available. Unskilled labor positions begin at $11.00 per hour and specialized scientific and executive positions pay over $100,000 per year. Working for Frederick County...Connecting Business with People Page 3 2009
Federal Government General Schedule Base Pay Rates, 2009 GS Level Entry Level Step Increase Maximum Level 1 17,540 Varies 21,944 2 19,721 Varies 24,815 3 21,517 717 27,970 4 24,156 805 31,401 5 27,026 901 35,135 6 30,125 1,004 39,161 7 33,477 1,116 43,521 8 37,075 1,236 48,199 9 40,949 1,365 53,234 10 45,095 1,503 58,622 11 49,544 1,651 64,403 12 59,383 1,979 77,194 13 70,615 2,354 91,801 14 83,445 2,782 108,483 15 98,156 3,272 127,604 Source: U.S. Office of Personnel Management Working for Frederick County...Connecting Business with People Page 4 2009
Average annual salaries for full-time Federal Government workers under the General Schedule in selected occupations, 2007 Occupation Salary Financial Management 101,022 General Engineering 100,051 Economist 94,098 Computer Science 90,929 Chemistry 89,954 Criminal Investigating 88,174 Microbiology 87,206 Architecture 87,128 Statistics 85,690 Information Technology Management 81,524 Accounting 78,665 Ecology 76,511 Human Resources Management 76,503 Budget Analysis 71,267 Correctional Officer 67,140 Nurse 65,345 Engineering Technical 63,951 Medical Technologist 59,840 Legal Assistance 46,912 Fire Protection and Prevention 43,407 Secretary 42,334 Police 42,150 Tax Examining 38,290 Human Resources Assistance 37,835 Nursing Assistant 33,134 Source: U.S. Office of Personnel Management Working for Frederick County...Connecting Business with People Page 4 2009
Employment Outlook Some job growth will be generated by increased homeland security needs, however many job openings are expected to arise from the need to replace workers who retire or leave the Federal Government for other reasons. The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) estimates that among all full-time permanent employees in the Federal workforce as of October 2004, 58 percent of supervisory and 42 percent of nonsupervisory workers will be eligible to retire by the end of 2010. A study by the Partnership for Public Service found that most new hires will come in the areas of security, enforcement, and compliance, which includes inspectors, investigators, police officers, and airport screeners; medical and public health fields; engineering and the sciences, including microbiologists, botanists, physicists, and chemists; program management and administration; and accounting, budget and business. The Department of Health and Human Services will need health insurance specialists and claims and customer service representatives. Patent examiners, Foreign Service officers, and lawyers also are in high demand. Additional Resources Frederick County Workforce Services Located at the Business and Employment Center 5340 Spectrum Drive, Suite A Frederick, MD 21703 301-600-2255 www.frederickworks.com/ftdetrick/index.php U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics Career Guide to Industries www.bls.gov USAJOBS, the Federal Government s official one-stop source for Federal jobs and employment information www.usajobs.gov Working for Frederick County...Connecting Business with People visit www.frederickworks.com Page 5 2009