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About ERS

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Salary and Benefits

Federal Salaries

  • General schedule, locality pay, senior executive service, etc.

Insurance Benefits

Health Benefits

  • One of the largest selections of carriers
  • Self or family coverage options
  • Government pays a portion

Life Insurance

  • Low-cost premium
  • Optional additional coverage

Federal Long-Term Care Insurance

Federal Flexible Spending Account Program (Health and Dependent Care).

Vacation/Annual Leave
(hours are earned each 2-week pay period)
  • 4 hours: First 3 years of service
  • 6 hours: After 3 years of service
  • 8 hours: After 15 years of service
  • 240 hours can be saved and carried over to the next year

Sick Leave

  • 4 hours are earned each 2-week pay period
  • Unlimited hours can be saved and carried over to the next year

Leave Donor Program

  • Employees may donate or receive donations of annual leave for emergency situations

Retirement Plan

  • Cost shared by Government and employee
  • Can be rolled over/transferred if you leave Government Service
Thrift Savings Plan
(Retirement Savings and Investment Plan)
  • Like 401(k)s, employee contributions are tax-deferred
  • Government automatically contributes 1 percent, even if employee does not contribute. In addition, employees' contributions are matched by the Government: 100 percent for the first 3 percent contributed by you, and 50 percent for the next 2 percent contributed. Get details about the Thrift Savings Plan.

10 Paid Holidays


New Year’s Day

M. L. King, Jr. Day

Presidents' Day

Memorial Day

Independence Day


Labor Day

Columbus Day

Veterans' Day

Thanksgiving Day

Christmas Day

 

 

 

 

 

 

Flexible and Compressed Work Schedules

  • ERS staff may choose their workday start time, between 6 am and 9 am
  • Staff may choose to work a compressed schedule in which they work nine, 9-hour days and take the 10th day off; or eight, 10-hour days and take the 9th and 10th days off
  • ERS has a telework program. Eligible employees may telework up to one day per week

Transportation Subsidy

  • Tax-free benefit to encourage use of public transportation
  • Distributed quarterly to employees who qualify in the form of a Metrochek
  • Qualifying carpools (two or more persons) receive a subsidy to defray parking costs

Back to Careers at ERS page

ERS-S12M-0010, Research Agricultural Economist, GS-0110-12/13

ERS-S12M-0011, Research Agricultural Economist, GS-0110-12/13

ERS-S12M-0116, Research Agricultural Economist, GS-0110-12/13

Summer Internships

ERS offers several paid Summer Intern positions as an Economist, Economics Assistant, or IT Specialist. Applications are due by March 02, 2012.



USDA Nondiscrimination Statement

EEO/No FEAR—Equal Employment Opportunity data posted pursuant to the Notification and Federal Employee Antidiscrimination and Retaliation Act of 2002 (No FEAR Act), Public Law 107-174.


For more information, contact: Lori McPherson

Web administration: webadmin@ers.usda.gov

Updated date: January 20, 2012