The Trump administration has launched an unusual new hiring initiative that marks a sharp departure from traditional government recruitment: the U.S. Tech Force, a program that requires no college degree and no minimum work experience for technology professionals willing to serve two-year stints in federal agencies. And if you get in, you can expect to make anywhere from $150,000 up to $200,000.
The program, announced by the Office of Personnel Management on Monday, aims to recruit approximately 1,000 engineers, data scientists, and AI specialists to work on what officials describe as critical technology projects across the government. Participants, called “fellows,” will tackle assignments including AI implementation, application development, and data modernization. You can apply right here.
“This is a clarion call,” Scott Kupor, a former managing partner at storied VC firm Andreessen Horowitz and the current director of the OPM, said in a statement.
“If you want to help your country lead in the age of rapid technological advancement, we need you,” he continued. “Tech Force offers the chance to build and lead projects of national importance, while creating powerful career opportunities in both public service and the private sector.”
No degree necessary
What sets the Tech Force apart from most federal positions is its accessibility. According to the program’s website, candidates need not hold traditional degrees or meet minimum experience thresholds, though they must demonstrate strong technical skills through work experience, projects, or certifications. According to the Tech Force website’s FAQ section, the only “essential” skills are “strong problem-solving abilities and a passion for public service.”
The context for this initiative is the Trump administration has been working to rebuild technical capacity after the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Tesla CEO Elon Musk at the time, orchestrated the departure of about 260,000 government employees through buyouts, early retirements, or terminations. Among those cuts were technology-focused programs including the entire 18F digital consulting group and substantial portions of the U.S. Digital Service, which President Barack Obama established in 2014 to modernize government tech.
Tech Force fellows will serve two-year appointments at agencies including the departments of Defense, Treasury, State, and Energy, as well as the Internal Revenue Service and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Annual salaries are expected to range from $150,000 to $200,000, according to the Tech Force website, with most positions classified at the GS-13 and GS-14 levels under federal pay scales.
Partnering with Silicon Valley
The program has secured partnerships with more than two dozen technology companies including Amazon Web Services, Meta, Microsoft, Apple, Oracle, Palantir, and Elon Musk’s xAI. These companies will provide training and mentorship to participants and have committed to considering Tech Force alumni for employment after their government service concludes. Some companies will also nominate experienced engineering managers to take leaves of absence for the two-year program.
OPM Director Kupor says employees from private companies joining the program will become full-time government employees subject to ethics regulations, though they will not be required to divest stock holdings. “We certainly expect, based on all the conversations we’ve had, that the idea is they view this as a career development opportunity for those individuals,” Kupor said of the participating companies.
The program will also partner with the NobleReach Foundation, a nonprofit organization that connects technical talent with public service opportunities. NobleReach has previously placed nearly 50 STEM and business graduates in yearlong roles at federal agencies and state partners.
Applications opened Monday through federal hiring channels, with OPM conducting initial résumé screenings and technical assessments before agencies make final hiring decisions. Kupor said his goal is to have the first cohort onboarded by the end of March 2026.
The program represents what OPM described as “unprecedented cross-government coordination” involving the Office of Management and Budget, General Services Administration, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, and multiple agency leaders. In a statement, U.S. Federal CIO Gregory Barbaccia called Tech Force “America’s elite corps for the AI revolution, mobilizing the nation’s best minds to lead on digital front lines, defend our global edge, and secure our future in technological leadership.”
Critics have questioned the timing and structure of the initiative. Max Stier, CEO of the Partnership for Public Service, a nonprofit that advocates for federal workers, told Axios, “They are establishing a new program that seems to significantly overlap with the previous initiatives undertaken by USDS before this administration disbanded it.” Rob Shriver, former acting OPM director and current managing director at Democracy Forward, told Nextgov his first concern was “what are the rules that are in place to guard against conflicts of interest?” when asked about private sector employees working on government projects while maintaining their company stock holdings.
The administration has framed the program as essential to maintaining American leadership in artificial intelligence and technology. “President Trump has made clear that securing America’s leadership in AI is the paramount national challenge of this generation,” OPM said in its announcement. The program is described as a key component of the president’s AI Action Plan, which focuses on unleashing private sector innovation while ensuring the federal government has the technical talent needed for modernization.
For this story, Fortune journalists used generative AI as a research tool. An editor verified the accuracy of the information before publishing.
