Thursday, February 4, 2021
by Kathryn Troutman
Potomac, MD | February 4, 2021
When you drive onto a military base, you can’t tell how many civilian federal jobs it offers. There’s no way to tell from looking, and bases don’t advertise the numbers anywhere. Leading federal jobs expert Kathryn Troutman thought people should have this information, and so she filed two Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Requests to find out.
The first request was inspired by a comment an employment counselor made. She was talking about the chances of military spouses getting civilian federal jobs on bases. She told Troutman that a spouse has a much better chance if the installation is huge, as there would be more openings available.
Troutman says, “I thought that was good common sense. But I wanted to have actual data on which states and countries have the most Department of Defense federal jobs.”
Troutman notes that federal jobs are very good for military spouses. These positions are flexible, with lots of leave, and the feds are also considerate of family responsibilities. Vets and others living near the bases can often make more money with the civilian DOD jobs and receive better benefits than with local employers.
The second FOIA delivered the most recent numbers, and below are the findings for 2019. Troutman thinks that sharing the information is important at this time of elevated unemployment. She says, “If you happen to be living in a top state, this can be your time to apply for these federal jobs.”
Before reviewing the numbers, know that the data on states and countries falls into two categories: (1) Appropriated Funds (APF) DOD Jobs and (2) Non-Appropriated Funds (NAF) DOD Jobs.
Appropriated Funds Jobs are paid for through the budget appropriated by Congress.
Wages for Non-Appropriated Funds Jobs come from the income the employing entity makes (e.g. the base commissary).
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In this release you’ll find the top 10 states for DOD APF jobs, top 10 states for DOD NAF jobs, and the top 5 countries for both types of federal employment.
Top 10 States for DOD APF Jobs
1. Virginia, 98,541
2. California, 65,552
3. Texas, 48,832
4. Maryland, 47,277
5. Georgia, 35,470
6. Florida, 33,192
7. Washington, 32,730
8. Ohio, 27,303
9. Pennsylvania, 26,524
10. Oklahoma, 25,437
Top 10 States for DOD NAF Jobs
1. California, 12,327
2. Virginia, 11,516
3. Texas, 11,231
4. Florida, 6,601
5. Hawaii, 6,243
6. Georgia, 4,475
7. North Carolina, 5,032
8. Maryland, 4,003
9. Washington, 3,928
10. South Carolina, 2,619
Top 5 Countries for DOD APF Jobs
1. Germany, 11,758
2. Japan, 7,299
3. Korea, 3,064
4. Italy, 2,525
5. Guam, 2,428
Top 5 Countries for DOD NAF Jobs
1. Germany, 5,189
2. Japan, 2,350
3. Italy, 710
4. United Kingdom, 687
5. Korea, 621
Most of these DOD civilian federal jobs are connected with military installations, and the others can be found at DOD agencies in the cited states and countries. The base jobs include those at Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force posts.
Be aware that some NAF jobs are not active now due to COVID-19. NAF jobs provide services to the military and their families. Check out the situation at Fort Meade, for example, to see the types of services still offered.
How can you act on this info? First, federal vacancy announcements are posted on USAjobs.gov. Troutman suggests setting up an account and a “saved search” there. Then you’ll be notified by email when openings come up at your location. For instance, you might search for “Fort Meade,” “all administrative jobs” and a salary of $45,000.
Also learn to write a correct federal resume (different and longer than the private industry version). Troutman’s best-selling Federal Resume Guidebook, 7th Ed offers 17 samples.
“If you live in one of the top states, then you can apply with high confidence because there are so many DOD jobs available,” Troutman says. “If your state has lower numbers, the odds won’t be as strong. But with this FOIA, now you know either way.”
Kathryn Troutman is the Founder and President of Resume Place, Inc., a Federal Career Consulting business located in Catonsville, MD. Her firm specializes in writing and designing professional federal resumes, as well as consulting, coaching and education on the federal hiring process. She is the author of many popular federal career books, including The Stars Are Lined Up for Military Spouses, 2nd Ed. and Federal Resume Guidebook, 7th Ed.
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Kathryn Troutman, Federal Resume Coach(r), is the Author of popular Federal Resume Guides: Federal Resume Guidebook, 7th Edition; Jobseeker Guide, Ten Steps to a Federal Job; and The Stars are Lined Up for Military Spouses. Kathryn is an expert with Federal Jobs for Competitive USAJOBS.gov applications, Political Appointee Resumes and Cover Letters, Senior Executive Service Applications. Expert knowledge of the jobs, application systems, how to write the correct federal resume! Creator of Ten Steps to a Federal Job(r) Certified Federal Job Search Trainer and Certified Federal Career Coach programs. Train-the-trainer programs for career counselors, employment counselors and veterans employment representatives.