Careers and Internships
Student Internships
- improving the health and well-being of all Americans?
- ensuring that we have clean air, pure water and better-protected land?
You can have that career at EPA! EPA internships and fellowships provide a great introduction to our work, giving you a sense of whether EPA might be the right place for you. Internships, fellowships and other opportunities are available at our Washington D.C. headquarters, in our ten regional offices, and at our labs and research centers throughout the nation. Want to learn more about what EPA interns actually do? Read some of their blog posts.
Related Information
How to Get an Internship at EPA
Paid Internships
EPA Internships Paid by EPA
EPA hires high school and college interns for administrative/clerical positions as well as technical positions in areas such as life sciences, program or policy analysis, and engineering. Most positions have salaries ranging from the GS-2 to GS-7 level. All internships paid by EPA appear in the government-wide USAJobs.gov portal. Most internship opportunities for the summer are advertised in March, April and May but some may be advertised earlier.
-
You can start your search on the USAJobs.gov Students page.
- You can also view all student jobs, at any agency, across the nation and narrow your search results using the search criteria on the left side of the page.
- Note that positions are typically open for 1-2 weeks only, so act fast!
- Locations are all over the nation; check specific listings for location(s).
- Many positions require at least 640 hours of work (about 16 weeks); check specific listings before you apply to ensure that you can meet all requirements.
- Paid summer internships.
Some positions are designated as “student trainee” or "summer student hire" so try searching for those phrases if you are looking for a summer job. You might also see internships listed under the position descriptions "program support specialist" or "management support clerk." Many positions are only open for a three-day-long application period, so BEFORE you spot a position in which you're interested,
- create an account in USAJobs.gov,
- upload your resume, and
- upload report cards, transcripts, verification of enrollment and/or a letter of good academic standing. That way you will be ready to complete the application quickly when you see a position in which you're interested. Review more information about how to apply for EPA jobs.
EPA Internships Paid by Other Organizations
Certain academic institutions and non-profits sponsor and pay for internships, where each intern is assigned to an office in federal government and/or industry. In some instances, the cost is covered by the tuition you have already paid to your college or university. EPA has agreements with the organizations listed below. Note that not all of these organizations place interns with EPA every year:
- Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU): Home page | Internships home page
- National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education (NAFEO): Home page | Internships home page
- National Congress of American Indians (NCAI):Home page | Internships home page
- Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) internships: see information on the EPA Fellowships page
- The Washington Center (TWC): Home page | Internships home page
- Washington Internships for Native Students (WINS): Home page | Internships home page
- Workforce Recruitment Program for College Students with Disabilities (WRP): Home page
Unpaid (Volunteer) Internships
General information for 2014 Internships
2011 intern Jennifer Woods heads down one of the longest escalators in the Western Hemisphere to her job in EPA's Office of Sustainable Communities. Learn more about her experience.
Unpaid (volunteer) internships are offered by individual EPA offices in Washington and around the nation. A few offices sponsor well-developed volunteer programs. More commonly, offices do not have centralized volunteer internship coordination; particular managers looking for volunteer help may advertise only through job fairs, college guidance or career planning offices, and/or EPA information sessions at colleges.
If you are interested in an unpaid internship, contact:
- your college guidance or career planning office, since they may have a partnership with a specific EPA office to provide interns, and
- EPA offices in which you are particularly interested in working. Use the phone numbers shown on the EPA Organization Chart page. Ask to speak with the volunteer internship coordinator for that office.
Specific Opportunities for 2014
Please note that the opportunities below have been reported to the EPA Careers webmaster. Many other offices, both at EPA headquarters and around the nation, may have volunteer opportunities available, as described in the General Information section above. Periodically check the information below. Opportunities for work in specific offices will be posted as they open up.
Office of ​Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT): OPPT has multiple opportunities available this summer (PDF) | Learn more about OPPT. DEADLINE: April 17.
Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery (ORCR): ORCR has multiple opportunities available this summer (PDF) | Learn more about ORCR. DEADLINE: April 11.
Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation (OSRTI): OSRTI has multiple opportunities available this summer (PDF) | Learn more about OSRTI. DEADLINE: May 31.
Office of Water (OW): OW has multiple opportunities available this summer (PDF) | Learn more about OW. DEADLINE: June 15.
Office of the Administrator: Positions for Summer 2014 are now closed. Notifications begin the week of April 21.