U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Careers

12/04/2025

Attention please! We have some jobs that suck. (invasive sea lamprey joke)

Our Sea Lamprey Control Program is pleased to announce multiple vacancies for GS-404 Biological Science Aid and Technician positions in LUDINGTON, MI and MARQUETTE, MI. The vacancy announcements are open December 1 through December 8 and are found here:

GS-3: https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/851241800

GS-4: https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/851242400

GS-5: https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/851242700

The primary focus of these positions is to control invasive sea lamprey populations using various methods. While the sea lamprey is native to the Atlantic Ocean, it is highly invasive to the Great Lakes. The invasive sea lampreys are a jawless, parasitic fish that entered the Great Lakes system via manmade locks and shipping canals. Their aggressive behavior and appetite for the bodily fluids of fish wreaked havoc on native fish populations and decimated an already vulnerable lake trout fishery. Come join the Sea Lamprey Control Program Team! Only the lamprey suck... the job is great.

Photo of a USFWS employee with an invasive sea lamprey briefly attached to learn "first hand" what many of our native fishes in the Great Lakes experience. Photo by Dr. Dimitry Gorsky/USFWS

11/17/2025

JOB OPENING: Join our team as a SEASONAL PARK RANGER at Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge in San Jose, California.

The park ranger is responsible for onsite interpretive service, including the development of daily work schedules, interpretive materials, on and off-site environmental education programs for a variety of audiences, and more.

Deadline to apply: November 21, 2025

Link: https://ow.ly/61Pe50XtbHY

Photo by Ivette Lopez/USFWS

10/01/2025

Due to the federal government shutdown, this account is not being actively updated.
For more information, please visit:

Operations in the Absence of Appropriations

07/29/2025

Throwback to this time last year when there was a historic first at Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge. For the first time in his long experience of waterfowl banding (36 years), USFWS biologist Clayton Ferrell banded a black-bellied whistling duck.

Waterfowl banding helps us to understand migration routes, lifespans, survival rates, and more.

Video of a biologist banding a duck by USFWS

07/20/2025

Spawning season has begun at Erwin National Fish Hatchery!

Each summer, staff at Erwin gear up for one of the most important jobs in recreational fishing, by supplying certified disease-free rainbow and brook trout eggs. As part of the National Broodstock Program, Erwin's efforts help support fisheries across the country by supplying eggs to federal, state, and Tribal hatcheries.

But before a single egg ships out, there’s a whole lot of fish sorting, spawning table setup, and meticulous care that goes into the process. With nearly 7,000 spawning-age rainbow trout to handle, it’s a full-on fish operation.

These fish and the people who care for them are the backbone of America’s fishing tradition. The work happening at Erwin today helps ensure anglers across the nation will have a thriving fish population for future generations.

Photo of staff at Erwin by Tyler Hern/USFWS

06/30/2025

We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of the firefighters who were shot and killed and others who were injured, while responding to a wildland fire near Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, this past weekend.

This senseless act of violence is a devastating reminder of how fragile life is and how dangerous the life of a first responder can be.

Our thoughts are with the families, friends, and colleagues of those impacted. We stand in solidarity with our wildland fire community and the many agencies who responded to this heartbreaking incident.

06/16/2025

Join our team in Lodi, California and support vital fieldwork for the Delta Juvenile Fish Monitoring Program and more! We have 3 temporary biological fish technician positions open!

Field duties include:

🐟 Conducting fish surveys (electrofishing, seining, trawling).

🐟 Identifying fish species and collecting biological samples.

🐟 Recording water quality data and organizing findings for analysis.

Apply by June 20, 2025: https://ow.ly/aWlm50WaqJS

06/09/2025

We are hiring for THREE positions based in our Red Bluff Office in California. These roles support either the Mainstem Juvenile Fish Monitoring Program or the Hatchery Evaluation Program.

Fieldwork activities may include: sampling out-migrating juvenile salmon using rotary screw traps, conducting boat surveys to count post-spawned salmon, collecting fish migration data via acoustic telemetry, sampling and collecting bio-data from juvenile and adult salmon at hatcheries, retrieving and decoding coded wire tags, assisting with juvenile sturgeon habitat use studies and contributing to other important research projects.

Join our team: https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/838087800

Apply by June 16, 2025.

Photo of a juvenile green sturgeon being measured by Steve Martarano/USFWS

05/15/2025

Birds and windows don’t mix. Every year, millions of birds are killed after colliding with glass, often because they can’t see it.

But science and design are teaming up to solve this problem. From patterned glass to bird-friendly buildings, conservationists and engineers are finding innovative ways to help birds safely navigate urban spaces.

Learn how art, science, and a love for birds are making our built environment safer for wildlife: https://ow.ly/koy350VSOr4

Photo of USFWS staff installing a bird-collision-prevention decal art at the UMass Amherst. Photo by Bridget Macdonald/USFWS

05/12/2025

Welcome to the American Heartlands, where folks don’t just talk about conservation, they live it.

From the tallgrass prairies of Kansas to the sandhills of Nebraska, we partner with communities to protect what matters most. This isn’t just conservation, it’s a legacy of love for the land.

As we head toward America 250, we’re shining a light on the places and people who keep this country rooted. More on the heart of the American Heartlands: https://ow.ly/1ftp50VMXhM

Photo of retired USFWS employee Heather Johnson and Ed Koger of the Hashknife Ranch in south central Kansas. Photo by USFWS

04/23/2025

They say teamwork makes the dream work, but we have a new saying: Volunteer power makes the pollinators flower.

This National Volunteer Week, we’re raising our glasses AND our binoculars to every individual who spends their free time helping wildlife and public lands thrive. Whether you're pulling weeds in a refuge, banding birds, counting fish at a hatchery, or handing out junior ranger stickers, we say thank you to all of our volunteers.

Our volunteers are the unsung MVPs of conservation. You’re the reason the trails are clear, the nests are safe, and the native plants are fighting the good fight.

Here’s to all of you who give your time, your heart, and your weekend mornings. We couldn’t do this without you.

Photo of volunteers and staff at Santa Ana & Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuges by USFWS

04/22/2025