Federal Jobs for Veterans
Veterans preference, Schedule A, USAJOBS navigation, and the path into defense contractors. The federal government is the largest employer of veterans in the country — but the application process is opaque on purpose. Here is what actually moves the needle.
~31%
Of federal civilian workforce are veterans
10 pts
Vet preference for SC-disabled vets (or +5 for honorable wartime service)
$25-50K
Annual salary premium for active TS/SCI clearance in private sector
The four pathways
USAJOBS — the federal hiring portal
Every federal job (excluding DoD intel and a handful of excepted agencies) gets posted on USAJOBS.gov. The system is bureaucratic on purpose — it filters at the resume-parse step. Federal resumes are 4-6 pages, not 1, and they require KSAs, dates with months, and direct copy of the announcement language.
Open USAJOBSVeterans preference — 5 points, 10 points, or 10-point compensable
If you served on active duty during a wartime period and were discharged honorably, you get 5 points added to your USAJOBS rating score. 10 points if Purple Heart, SC disabled, or a campaign-medal-eligible vet. 10-point compensable (CPS) if rated 10%+ SC — gets you on top of the cert AND immune from RIF for 1 year. This is the single biggest leverage point separating vets have over civilian competition.
Veterans preference detailsSchedule A — non-competitive hiring for SC-disabled vets
If you have a 30%+ SC disability rating, Schedule A lets agencies hire you NON-COMPETITIVELY — bypassing the USAJOBS scoring/cert process entirely. Hiring managers can hire you directly with documentation. This is dramatically faster than the standard cert process, and most veterans who qualify never use it.
Schedule A explainer (DoL)Defense contractors + cleared private sector
Booz Allen, Leidos, SAIC, CACI, ManTech, Northrop Grumman, BAE Systems, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, KBR, Peraton — collectively employ ~1.5M people, mostly cleared, mostly veterans. Pay typically beats federal GS by 20-40% for the same work, with the trade-off of less job security. Active TS/SCI is worth $25K-50K/yr in salary premium alone.
Cleared jobs landscape (blog) →Veterans preference categories
Which preference category you fall into is the single biggest factor in your USAJOBS results. Most veterans qualify for at least 5-point preference (TP); SC-disabled vets unlock the strongest tier (CPS).
Honorable discharge, served on active duty during a wartime period (Aug 2, 1990 – present qualifies for almost everyone post-Gulf War). Adds 5 points to your USAJOBS final rating score on competitive announcements.
Service-connected disability rating <10% on a competitive announcement. Adds 10 points to your final score.
Service-connected disability rating ≥10%. Same 10 points, PLUS placed at the top of the Best Qualified list when rated, AND protected from Reduction-In-Force (RIF) for 1 year. The strongest preference category.
Purple Heart recipient, mother/spouse of a deceased veteran, or surviving spouse who has not remarried. 10 points added. Particularly relevant for surviving family.
Key form: SF-15. "Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference" — required for any 10-point preference claim. Attach DD-214 + VA disability rating letter (if applicable) + SF-15 + supporting docs. The SF-15 is the difference between USAJOBS scoring you correctly vs. defaulting you to 5-point or no preference.
Schedule A — the fast lane for SC-disabled vets
If you have a 30%+ SC disability rating, you can be hired non-competitively via Schedule A. That means:
- You don't go through the USAJOBS competitive scoring/cert process.
- Hiring managers can review your resume and offer directly.
- Hires happen in days/weeks, not the typical 4-6 month USAJOBS cycle.
- You still need to compete on qualifications — Schedule A doesn't guarantee you the job, just removes the bureaucratic gate.
What you need: your VA rating letter showing 30%+ SCAND a doctor's letter on agency letterhead (sometimes called the "Schedule A letter") confirming the disability and certifying you can perform the job's essential functions with or without accommodation.
Full Schedule A guide (fedshirevets.gov)The USAJOBS playbook — what actually moves your application
- 1
Build a federal resume (4-6 pages, NOT 1). Include exact dates with months, supervisor names + phones, hours per week, salary, and achievements quantified. The USAJOBS resume builder works.
- 2
Read the announcement TWICE. Copy the exact language from the "Specialized Experience" section into your resume — the system parses for these phrases.
- 3
Submit your DD-214 (Member Copy 4) and SF-15 (if claiming 10-point) at the application stage, NOT after.
- 4
For Schedule A: contact the agency's Selective Placement Coordinator BEFORE applying. Most agencies have one. They route Schedule A applicants directly.
- 5
Apply to multiple announcements simultaneously. The cert process is opaque — you'll hear back on most in 4-12 weeks if you make the cert. No news within 90 days = not selected.
- 6
Follow the announcement's "How You Will Be Evaluated" section — it tells you exactly what KSAs the rater will use.
- 7
Set up USAJOBS saved searches with email alerts. Apply to relevant announcements within 24-48 hours of posting.
Defense contractors — the cleared private sector
If you're cleared (Secret, TS, TS/SCI), the major defense contractors are usually a faster route to a job and a higher salary than the federal civilian path. Trade-off: less job security, contract-cycle layoff risk, more travel for some roles.
Booz Allen Hamilton
Cyber, intel, advisory
Leidos
IT services, healthcare, defense
SAIC
C5ISR, cyber, mission solutions
CACI International
Intel, counter-UAS, training
ManTech
Cyber, intel, mission systems
Peraton
Defense, intel, civilian agencies
Northrop Grumman
Aerospace, cyber, weapons
Raytheon Technologies
Defense, intel, aerospace
Lockheed Martin
Aerospace, missiles, ISR
BAE Systems
Defense electronics, ship repair
L3Harris Technologies
Communications, ISR, EW
KBR
Government services, sustainment
All hire heavily from transitioning military. Active clearance (especially TS/SCI with poly) is the single biggest leverage — don't let it expire while you're job hunting.
Deep dives on specific topics
How to use Veterans Preference on USAJOBS
Walks through the SF-15, DD-214 attachment, and what each preference category buys you.
Best Defense Contractors Hiring Cleared Veterans
Booz Allen, SAIC, Leidos, CACI, ManTech, Peraton — what each pays, what each looks for, and where transitioning vets actually land.
How to List Your Security Clearance on Your Resume
Active vs current vs eligible. SCI vs poly. The exact format civilian recruiters scan for. What NOT to disclose (project names, customer names, work products).
How to Apply for Federal Jobs (USAJOBS Step-by-Step)
The bigger USAJOBS playbook — federal resume format, KSAs, the announcement-language game, certificate vs cert-of-merit distinction.
Common pitfalls
- Submitting a 1-page civilian resume to USAJOBS. System parses it as ineligible. You will not get the cert.
- Letting your clearance expire mid-job-search. Contractors lose interest fast. If you're separating, start the cleared-job search 6-12 months before separation to maintain currency.
- Not claiming 10-point preference when eligible. Submit the SF-15 + VA rating letter at the application stage, every time. Most veterans skip the SF-15 and default to 5-point.
- Disclosing classified info on a public resume. Project names, customer names, mission names, system names — if it's sensitive, redact. "Senior cyber operator supporting a national-security customer" is fine. Naming the agency or program isn't.
- Skipping Schedule A when SC-rated 30%+. This is the single biggest underused federal-hiring shortcut. If you qualify, lead with Schedule A. The competitive USAJOBS path takes 4-6 months; Schedule A can take 4-6 weeks.
Federal hiring resources
- USAJOBS Help Center: usajobs.gov/help
- Feds Hire Vets: fedshirevets.gov — OPM's vet-hiring portal
- DoL Veterans Employment & Training: dol.gov/agencies/vets
- VR&E (Chapter 31): va.gov/careers-employment — for SC-rated vets pursuing federal employment
- Hiring Our Heroes: hiringourheroes.org — fellowships, fairs, employer connections
- ClearanceJobs: clearancejobs.com — primary cleared-job board for active clearances