Bureau of Land Management Job Outlook

While permanent, full-time career positions are becoming increasingly hard to find with any government agency – due to a shabby economy – there are still plenty of employment opportunities available for those who can afford to be flexible. Think seasonal and you’ll be in a better position to find an outdoor job with this agency.

The majority of BLM seasonal jobs are in fire control, with an additional number of survey positions available. Most jobs require very little experience, but college students studying in a particular field, such as forestry or wildlife biology, will be given preference for certain positions. These seasonal positions are rated at grades GS-2 through GS-5, with a limited number of supervisory fire control jobs in grades GS-6 and GS-7.

With the extra money provided by the raising of land-use fees, the outlook for summer jobs should be strong in the coming years. Already a good source of seasonal employment, the Bureau of Land Management will probably hire even more people to help restore damaged land and to keep a better watch on its long-term ecological health. Helpful degrees are ecology, botany, environmental science, and biology.