Why It's Great Working for the USGS
Working for the Survey gets you much more than just a paycheck. Check out these links for details on some of the benefits that USGS employees enjoy:
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Quality of Life
The USGS is committed to helping employees balance career and family. Various programs help employees cope with balancing the dynamic complexities of today's work and family life, including:
Flexible Work Schedules and Hours - Striking a balance between work and life obligations requires some of the more difficult decisions of anyone's career. The USGS allows for telecommuting and flexibility in scheduling working hours to better fit the rest of your life.
Annual Leave - Employees accrue up to 5 weeks of paid annual leave per year that can be scheduled at any time as work permits.
Family Friendly Leave - allows an employee to use up to 13 days of their available sick leave per year to provide health care for a family member or to plan or attend a funeral of a family member.
Transportation Fringe Benefit- Do you carpool or use public transit to get to work? If so you may be eligible for tax breaks when you work for the USGS.
Employee Assistance Program
The Employee Assistance Program is a confidential, free counseling and referral program staffed by professional counselors who are available seven days a week, 24 hours a day to provide advice and assistance with your work and/or personal life.
More benefits employees get working at the USGS:
- Opportunities to travel
- Ability to publish
- Public Service
- Providing advice on public safety issues
- Working with world class scientists
- Casual dress
- Relocation possibilities - the USGS has offices all over the country.
- Training, both on-the-job and formal study
- Tuition Assistance
- Retirement benefits follow you after you leave
Competitive Compensation
The USGS offers pay rates that are competitive with the private sector, which includes annual pay increases, longevity raises, and the possibility of cash awards and bonuses. Salary for new employees depends on the grade and geographic area of the position you are selected for, as well as any prior Federal service you may have. For an exhaustive list of Federal pay schedules check out the 2004 Pay Tables listed by metropolitan area.
Health Benefits
The Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) program helps protect you and your eligible family members from the expenses of illness and accident. The program offers coverage without medical examination or restrictions because of age, current health or pre-existing medical conditions. It is a voluntary program.
There are three basic types of health benefit plans available:
- Fee-for-service,
- Health maintenance organizations (HMOs), and
- Point of Service.
Permanent employees share the cost of enrollment with the USGS. Your cost could be as little as $15.00 every two weeks, depending on the health plan that you choose. Temporary employees have the opportunity to elect Health Benefits after one year of service, but premiums for coverage are much higher than for permanent employees. You can change your enrollment at least once per year during an annual open season. You may also be eligible to continue this benefit during retirement if you retire from Federal service.
For more comprehensive information, please visit the Office of Personnel Management's Health Benefits website.
Worker's Compensation
In addition to personal health insurance, employees and volunteers are protected by the Federal Employees Compensation Act (FECA) and may receive benefits in the event that they are injured on the job.
Life Insurance
Federal Employees Group Life Insurance (FEGLI) offers Federal employees an opportunity to participate in a group plan that offers low rates and the convenience of payment through payroll deduction. FEGLI is term insurance valued from $10,000 to up to 6 times your annual salary. Participation is voluntary and the USGS pays up to one-third of the total cost.
For more comprehensive information, please visit the Office of Personnel Management's FEGLI website.
Paid Time Off
Annual Leave
All full-time employees earn from 2.5 to 5 weeks of paid vacation per year. Part-time employees accrue leave hours depending on their work schedule.
Sick Leave
Full-time employees accrue 13 paid sick days per year, which can be used for personal illness, care of sick family members, adoption, and medical appointments.
Holidays
Full-time Federal employees enjoy 10 paid holidays per year.
Retirement - Planning for the Future
Most new Permanent and Term employees with no prior Federal service are covered by the Federal Employees' Retirement System (FERS). FERS is a three tiered system which includes:
- A Federal pension
- The Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) which provides employees with a pre-tax savings plan similar to a 401(K); and
- Coverage under the Social Security system.
This plan offers the opportunity for employees with as few as ten years of Federal service to retire as early as age 55. It also includes coverage if you become disabled, as well as survivor benefits.
New employees with prior Federal service may be covered under the older Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) instead.
For more information, please visit the Office of Personnel Management's Retirement website.
Thrift Savings Plan - Your Savings Plan for the Future
The Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) is a tax-deferred retirement savings and investment plan for Federal employees. It is one element of the FERS three-part retirement package, and is similar to 401(k) investment plans in the private sector.
FERS participants have the opportunity to immediately contribute up to 13% of their pre-tax salary to the TSP. The Government automatically contributes an additional 1%, and matches FERS employee contributions up to 4% of basic salary per pay period.
CSRS participants have the opportunity to contribute up to 9% of their salary to the TSP; however, there are no matching Government contributions.
All employees have the option to invest in up to five different funds that cover stocks, bonds, and government securities. Both employee and agency contributions are tax-deferred and you can borrow from their own TSP contributions and earnings prior to retirement age.
For more comprehensive information, please visit the Thrift Savings Plan website.
The USGS is an Equal Opportunity Employer and actively recruits qualified applicants who share its commitment to cultural diversity in the workforce.