Typed a usajobs gov search and landed here confused about which site is real? USAJOBS.gov is the U.S. government’s official jobs site — not usajobs.com, and not a page buried inside USA.gov. It’s run by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), and it’s the only place federal job listings are real and current. Below: seven real federal jobs open right now, with pay, requirements, and how to apply, plus how federal pay actually works.
Quick Answer
USAJOBS.gov is the U.S. government’s job board, run by OPM. USA.gov is also the general info portal that links out to it. “usajobs.com” is not a federal site at all. So always check for the .gov ending before you enter any personal data. Real federal openings right now include VA nursing, Border Patrol, TSA, IRS, Social Security, and cyber roles. In short, pay ranges from about $21/hour to well over $150,000 a year, based on the role and grade.
USAJOBS.gov vs. USA.gov vs. usajobs.com
The mix-up here is common, and worth sorting out before anything else.
- USAJOBS.gov is the real jobs site. Every federal job listing lives here, and OPM runs it too.
- USA.gov is the government’s general info hub. It covers everything from passports to benefits. However, it just links out to USAJOBS.gov for jobs — it isn’t the jobs site itself.
- usajobs.com is not a government site. A .gov ending is what marks a real U.S. government site. OPM has warned before about fake apps and copycat sites. These grab resumes and logins from job seekers who think they’re on the real site. In 2015, a fake “USA JOBS” app on Google Play racked up more than 50,000 downloads. Google later pulled it for falsely claiming ties to the government.
The safe habit: always type USAJOBS.gov directly. Or search for it and check the .gov lock icon before you log in or upload a resume anywhere. Bookmark it once, and you’ll always land in the right place.
7 Real Federal Jobs Open Now
Each of these is a real, live federal hiring program, across seven different agencies. Pay figures come straight from the job listing or OPM’s General Schedule tables, and are current as of August 2026.
1. Registered Nurse — Department of Veterans Affairs
- Pay: $38,871–$228,000/year. Pay also depends a lot on location, education, and nursing specialty.
- Schedule: Full-time, part-time, and on-call options, at VA facilities in all 50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico too.
- You need: An active, unrestricted RN license and a nursing degree from an accredited program. Veterans also get preference.
- Status: This is an open-ended posting. It closes August 24, 2026, but VA nursing posts reopen on a rolling basis.
- How to apply: Search “Registered Nurse” on usajobs.gov, filter by VA, and pick your state.
2. Border Patrol Agent — Customs and Border Protection
- Pay: $51,632–$92,912/year (GL-5 through GL-7), plus 25% availability pay once trained too.
- Schedule: Full-time, with rotating shifts and regular overtime too.
- You need: U.S. citizenship, to be under 40 (with exceptions for veterans), and to pass a fitness test and background check.
- Status: CBP posts nationwide Border Patrol openings again and again through the year. Check the live listing for the current window.
- How to apply: Search “Border Patrol Agent” on usajobs.gov, or go straight to CBP Careers.
3. Correctional Officer — Federal Bureau of Prisons
- Pay: $51,632–$98,113/year (GL-05 through GL-08), with a 15%–50% hiring bonus at many sites too.
- Schedule: Full-time, permanent, at one of 80+ federal sites nationwide too.
- You need: U.S. citizenship and the ability to pass a background check. No prior corrections experience required.
- Status: The Bureau of Prisons uses what it calls a “continuous public notice” for this role. It reopens the window several times a year as sites need staff.
- How to apply: Search “Correctional Officer” on usajobs.gov, or check BOP’s own jobs page.
4. Transportation Security Officer — TSA
- Pay: Roughly $40,000–$57,000/year at most airports, though it varies by location and whether the role is full- or part-time.
- Schedule: Both full-time and part-time roles exist, and TSA hires on a rolling, airport-by-airport basis nationwide too.
- You need: A high school diploma or GED, or one year of security or aviation screening experience. You’ll also need to pass a physical, drug screen, and background check.
- How to apply: Search “Transportation Security Officer” on usajobs.gov by airport code, or visit TSA’s own careers site.
5. Contact Representative / Tax Examining Technician — IRS (Seasonal)
- Pay: $21.22–$27.59/hour (GS-5).
- Schedule: Full-time, seasonal, typically 6–8 months a year during filing season too.
- You need: A high school diploma or one year of general experience. No accounting background required for this entry role.
- Status: The IRS runs nationwide hiring events for this role every year. It often makes same-day offers to people who apply before the event.
- How to apply: Search “Contact Representative” on usajobs.gov, or check IRS Careers for the next hiring event near you.
Highest Paying Jobs in the USA
6. Claims Specialist — Social Security Administration
- Pay: $74,678–$97,087/year (GS-11).
- Schedule: Full-time, with flextime and telework options at local field offices too.
- You need: A bachelor’s degree — or, instead, qualifying work experience — plus the ability to pass a public-contact skills interview.
- How to apply: Search “Claims Specialist” on usajobs.gov, or browse openings directly at ssa.usajobs.gov.
7. IT Specialist (Cybersecurity) — Direct Hire, Government-Wide
- Pay: Roughly $86,000–$187,000/year (GS-9 through GS-15), depending on agency and grade.
- Schedule: Full-time, often telework-eligible, across dozens of agencies too.
- You need: Relevant IT/cybersecurity experience or a qualifying degree, plus a security clearance for most roles.
- Why it’s faster: OPM has approved government-wide Direct Hire Authority for cybersecurity, IT, and STEM roles through 2028. That lets agencies skip the usual competitive rating and ranking process. Instead, they can hire qualified people directly, once the job is posted.
- How to apply: Search “IT Specialist” plus “Direct Hire” on usajobs.gov, or filter by agency if you have one in mind.
How Federal Pay Actually Works
Most federal jobs use the General Schedule (GS). It sets base pay by grade (GS-1 through GS-15) and step (1 through 10 within each grade). Law enforcement, corrections, and border roles instead use a separate GL scale. That’s why the pay figures above look different by role.
2026 GS base pay, Step 1:
| Grade | Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| GS-5 | $34,799 |
| GS-7 | $43,106 |
| GS-9 | $52,727 |
| GS-11 | $63,795 |
| GS-12 | $76,463 |
| GS-13 | $90,925 |
Every number here moves up with a locality pay boost. That boost varies across 34 regions, based on the local cost of living. A GS-9 job in Washington, DC or San Francisco pays much more than the base table shows. Also use the GS pay calculator on OPM’s site to check your exact duty station before you apply.
Getting More Out of USAJOBS.gov
The site rewards a few habits that most first-time users skip:
- Build your profile once. A saved USAJOBS profile with your resume attached lets you apply to many postings in minutes. That beats starting over each time.
- Save your search and turn on alerts. New federal postings appear daily. A saved search with email alerts beats checking by hand.
- Check “who may apply” before anything else. Some postings are open to the public. Others are limited to current federal workers, veterans, or military spouses. Applying to one you don’t qualify for wastes your time.
- Keep your resume to two pages. Most agencies cap resume length. But a federal resume needs more detail than a private-sector one. Add full dates, hours worked per week, and exact duties.
- Read the whole posting, not just the title. The closing date, required papers, and test questions live further down the page. Missing one can rule out an otherwise strong application.
FAQ
Is USAJOBS.gov free to use? Yes. There’s also no cost to create a profile, search, or apply. Any site that asks you to pay to search or apply for federal jobs is not the real one.
Why does “usa.gov jobs” lead to USAJOBS.gov instead of USA.gov? Because USA.gov itself doesn’t host job listings — it links out to USAJOBS.gov, the actual jobs site, for anything job-related.
How long does federal hiring usually take? It varies widely by agency and role. Direct Hire Authority roles, like the cybersecurity example above, can move in weeks. Traditional competitive postings often take 6–12 weeks or longer from closing date to offer.
What does “veterans’ preference” mean in a listing? It’s a hiring advantage Congress created for eligible veterans, applied during the traditional competitive process. It generally doesn’t apply to Direct Hire Authority postings. That’s worth checking before you assume it helps your application.
Do I need a security clearance for federal jobs? Not for most roles, though. Clearance needs are usually specific to law enforcement, defense, and cybersecurity jobs — the posting will state clearly if one is required.
What’s the difference between GS and GL pay grades? GS is the General Schedule used by most federal white-collar jobs. GL, in contrast, is a separate law-enforcement pay scale. It covers roles like Border Patrol Agent and Correctional Officer. That’s why their pay tables look different from a standard GS chart.
You may also like
Full Time Jobs Near Me: Real Openings, Pay & How to Apply (2026)
Best Certifications for Career Growth in 2026 (Ranked by Real Payoff)
Security Guard Jobs: Pay & How to Apply (2026)
Work From Home Jobs in USA (2026): Top Roles, Salaries & How to Get Hired
Part Time Jobs Ottawa: Pay & How to Apply (2026)
US Labor Market Braces for Closely Watched July 2026 Jobs Report After Weak June Reading
[…] highest-paying jobs in the USA […]