Frequently Asked Questions About the Summer Employment Program
We hire high school or college students who wish to work during the summer or during school vacations. For additional information about the Summer Employment Program, see Contact Us About Employment, and select "Summer Employment" from the dropdown list.
On this page:
- What is the Summer Employment Program?
- Where is the duty location?
- How is the salary and grade determined?
- What are the duties of the position?
- Is this a permanent position?
- How do I qualify for this position?
- How do I apply for this position?
- What is the basis of the evaluation of my application?
- Will the NRC pay for me to relocate?
- Will the NRC pay for transportation, lodging, and subsistence expenses?
- How much travel is required?
Index to All Frequently Asked Questions Pages
What is the Summer Employment Program?
The Summer Employment Program provides exposure to career opportunities, people, places, and situations at the U.S. NRC. The jobs in this program offer temporary employment for up to 89 days between May and September. The jobs may or may not be directly related to your academic field.
Where is the duty location?
Most of the job opportunities are at NRC Headquarters in Rockville, MD. Limited opportunities exist in NRC regional offices: King of Prussia, PA; Atlanta, GA; Lisle, IL; and Arlington, TX.
How is the salary and grade determined?
The salary is determined by locality, discipline, grade point average (GPA), and/or amount of semester hours completed.
High School
GG-01 - High School Student, No Work Experience (Range $10.18-$10.67)
GG-02 - High School Graduate, No Work Experience (Range: $11.44-$12.00)
College Undergraduate Student
GG-03 - 1 through 29 semester hours (Range: $12.48-$13.09)
GG-04 - 30 through 89 semester hours (Range: $14.01-$14.70)
GG-05 - 90 semester hours or more (Range: $15.68-$16.44)
College Graduate Student
GG-05 - Undergraduate GPA below 2.95 (Range: $15.68-$16.44)
GG-07 - Undergraduate GPA 2.95 or higher (Range: $19.42-$20.37)
GG-09 - Ph.D. Student (Range: $23.76-$24.91)
For more information, please see our Salaries and Career Advancement page.
What are the duties of the position?
Serves as a Student Trainee with the NRC. The incumbent will be assigned to a supervisor within the organization. This supervisor will assign a journey level employee to provide technical direction and mentoring.
Under the guidance of the journey level employee, the trainee shall:
- Provide support for assigned projects as required.
- Prepare a brief technical summary at the end of the Summer.
- Be responsible for carrying out assigned duties and responsibilities in a manner consistent with the safety policies set forth by the supervisor.
- Complete special projects, and other duties as assigned, relating to the mission/function of the office.
Additional duties for IT Positions
The student will serve as a trainee in development of software systems using knowledge of techniques, procedures, and processes such as operating system theory, data structures, computer system architecture, software engineering, and computer communications.
Typical NRC Student positions include, but are not limited to the following disciplines:
ADMINISTRATIVE - Accounting, Auditing, Business Administration, Communications, Criminal Justice, English, Finance, Human Resources Management, International Relations, Law Enforcement, Security
ENGINEERING - Chemical, Civil, Electrical, Electronics, Environmental, Fire Protection, Geotechnical, Industrial (Human Factors), Materials, Mechanical, Metallurgical, Nuclear, Structural
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY - Information Technology, Information Management, Computer Engineer, Computer Science
PHYSICAL SCIENCE - Chemistry, Environmental, Fire Safety Technology, Geology, Geophysics, Health Physics, Health Physics, Hydrology, Materials, Metallurgy, Nuclear Chemistry, Nuclear Physics, Physics, Radiochemistry, Radiological Science
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No.
How do I qualify for this position?
Minimum requirements for this position include the following:
- United States Citizenship
- Applicants must know how to use a personal computer
- Applicants for administrative positions may be required to type a minimum of 40 words per minute
- Attend High School or High School Graduate (Pay Rate GG-1 to GG-4)
- Attend an accredited college or university pursuing a Bachelors or Masters degree ONLY (Pay Rate GG-4 to GG-7
- 2.85 or better grade point average based on a 4.0 scale
How do I apply for this position?
Applications for the Summer Employment program are accepted between September and November. Vacancy will be available on USAJobs.gov at that time.
What is the basis of the evaluation of my application?
Applications will be evaluated against the following criteria: grade point average (GPA), academic honors (i.e., Dean List), awards (i.e., scholarships) and/or extracurricular activities (i.e., student associations).
Will the NRC pay for me to relocate?
No.
Will the NRC pay for the transportation, lodging, and subsistence?
Maybe. Each request will be evaluated on it own merit.
None.