In 1992 EPA and the Department of Energy launched the Energy Star program, a voluntary program that fosters energy efficiency. Carol Browner was appointed EPA Administrator by President Bill Clinton and served from 1993 to 2001.

William Ruckelshaus

From its founding in 1970 thru our 50th year in 2020, EPA has had 15 confirmed administrators.

Those who want to get a job with the EPA can choose a natural science degree, like in biology and chemistry, or a technical degree, such as statistics and environmental engineering. For example, environmental engineers usually have a bachelor’s degree in civil or chemical engineering.

While it does focus on the environment, don’t expect getting a job at the EPA to be a walk in the park. The hiring process is often long, with multiple hoops and background checks to jump through. And because the EPA is a federal agency, any changes in government spending will affect hiring.

To qualify for jobs at the GS-9 grade (or equivalent) level you need a master’s degree, and for the GS-11 grade (or equivalent) level you need a doctoral degree.

GS-9

You can be a GS-12 with absolutely NO degree of any kind.

Starting salary for a GS-13 employee is $79,468.00 per year at Step 1, with a maximum possible base pay of $103,309.00 per year at Step 10. The hourly base pay of a Step 1 GS-13 employee is $38.08 per hour1.

The GS-13 pay grade is generally reserved for top-level positions such as supervisors, high-level technical specialists, and top professionals holding advanced degrees. Positions at GS-13 and above are known as Career Competitive.

Equivalent Civilian to Military Ranks

The short answer is no. Civilians cannot outrank military personnel.