Department: Department of Commerce
Location(s): Suitland, Maryland
Salary Range: $58193 - $133142 Per Year
Job Summary: This vacancy is for a Computer Scientist position located at the U.S. Census Bureau Headquarters in Suitland, Maryland. The Census Bureau is accessible from the Metro Rail Green Line - Suitland Station.
Major Duties:
Qualifications: To qualify for the position of Computer Scientist, at GS-1550-7/9/11/12, you must meet the minimum and/or basic qualification requirements listed below. Minimum Education Requirement: Bachelor's degree in computer science or bachelor's degree with 30 semester hours in a combination of mathematics, statistics, and computer science. At least 15 of the 30 semester hours must have included any combination of statistics and mathematics that included differential and integral calculus. All academic degrees and course work must be from accredited or pre-accredited institutions. AND Specialized Experience: FOR THE GS-07: You must have one year of experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-05 in the Federal service. Experience for this position includes: supporting software and system development in a professional and/or academic environment; AND assisting in the development of software through various techniques such as data structures, software engineering, and computer communication -- OR -- Education: 1 year of graduate level education or superior academic achievement 3.0 or higher GPA -- OR -- Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of specialized experience (less than one year, matching experience as described above) AND directly related graduate education (less than one year of graduate education), that when combined equals 100% of the qualification requirement. FOR THE GS-09: You must have one year of experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-07 in the Federal service. Experience for this position includes: providing routine maintenance and design of software development and software testing throughout the software development life cycle; analyzing needs and product requirements to create code; AND conducting routine program testing to ensure quality control -- OR -- Education: 2 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree -- OR -- Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of specialized experience (less than one year, matching experience as described above) AND directly related graduate education (less than two years of graduate education), that when combined equals 100% of the qualification requirement. Note: Only graduate education in excess of one year (generally 18 semester hours) may be used in this calculation. FOR THE GS-11: You must have one year of experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-09 in the Federal service. Experience for this position includes: assisting in the overall planning, design, and implementation of large and more complex programs; preparing and testing systems to ensure quality and efficiency; modifying software code to correct errors and improve performance; AND providing assistance and guidance to customers on software related issues -- OR -- Education: 3 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree -- OR -- Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of specialized experience (less than one year, matching experience as described above) AND directly related graduate education (less than three years of graduate education), that when combined equals 100% of the qualification requirement. Note: Only graduate education in excess of two years (generally 36 semester hours) may be used in this calculation. FOR THE GS-12: You must have one year of experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-11 in the Federal service. Experience for this position includes: supporting complex software and system developments through various techniques such as data structures, software engineering, and computer communication; participating in the planning, development, and implementation of large more complex programs within time and budget constraints; developing and implementing major testing strategies to ensure quality and efficiency; AND providing assistance and guidance to customers on software related issues -- OR -- Education: Education cannot be substituted for experience at this grade level Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer. After you submit this application, you will receive an e-mail informing you that a USA Hire assessment is required. You will have 48 hours from the closing date of this announcement, 05/12/2026, to complete the assessment as this assessment is part of your application.
How to Apply: Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments and submit all required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 05/12/2026 to receive consideration. The application process is as follows: Click the Apply Online button. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation. Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date. If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice. Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials. Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended. Set aside about two (2) hours to take the USA Hire Assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link. Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused. Visit the USA Hire Applicant Resource Center for practice assessments and assessment preparation resources at https://support-usahire.opm.gov/hc/en-us. To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USA JOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed. To view the announcement status or your application status: Visit https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/howto/application/status/. Applicants are strongly encouraged to apply online; however, if you are unable to apply online, please email the agency contact.
Application Deadline: 2026-05-12