The following requirements are prescribed by the Office of Personnel Management and used to determine minimum qualifications.

Individual Occupational Requirements

Basic Requirements

  1. Degree: biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position.
  2. Combination of education and experience: Courses equivalent to a major, as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

Experience and education requirements for GS-7 and above


In addition to meeting the basic entry qualification requirements, applicants must have specialized experience and/or directly related education in the amounts shown in the table below.

GRADE EDUCATION SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE

GS-7

1 full year of graduate level education
or
superior academic achievement

1 year equivalent to at least GS-5

GS-9

master's or equivalent graduate degree
or
2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree
or
LL.B. or J.D., if related

1 year equivalent to at least GS-7

GS-11

Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree
or
3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree
or
LL.M., if related

1 year equivalent to at least GS-9

GS-12
and
above

None

1 year equivalent to at least next lower grade level


NOTE: Equivalent combinations of education and experience are qualifying for all grade levels for which both education and experience are acceptable.

This page was last updated on August 18, 2020