Government Jobs in Sacramento

The Sacramento region is home to the State of California, Sacramento County, the City of Sacramento, a dozen more cities and counties, school districts and federal agencies. Each one hires through its own system. This page lists the government openings on SacJobs today and explains how each employer hires.

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Government jobs on SacJobs today

State, county, city and school openings

Federal openings in the region

Federal announcements are imported from USAJOBS, the federal government’s job site, with the agency named. You apply on USAJOBS.

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How the State of California hires

State jobs are posted on CalCareers. CalHR describes three steps: search, take the assessment, then apply.

  1. Make a CalCareers account. It holds your application, your assessments and your job alerts.
  2. Pass the assessment for the job classification. It can be an online exam, a training and experience evaluation, or an interview. Passing puts you on the eligible list, and then you can apply. Intern and student classifications have no exam.
  3. Apply to the job. Every posting has a job control number and a list of required documents. You fill in the State application once and reuse it. A Statement of Qualifications or a cover letter is needed only when the posting asks for one.
  4. Apply before the deadline. An online application is due by 11:59 p.m. on the final filing date.

Some clerical classifications need a typing certificate, such as Office Assistant (Typing) and Office Technician (Typing). The State asks for 40 words per minute on a proctored five minute test, taken within the last four years. Our typing certificates page lists free tests in the region. Veterans who pass an open exam are placed in the top rank of the eligible list.

For help in person, the CalHR State Jobs Center at 1810 16th Street in Sacramento is open every Tuesday, 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 3 p.m. Staff help with the CalCareers account and the State application. If you would rather have the application written for you, see our State of California application package.

How Sacramento County hires

County jobs are posted on GovernmentJobs. Fill in the work experience section of the application in full. The County rejects an application that puts a resume in its place. Applications are due by 5 p.m. on the final filing date.

After the screening for minimum qualifications comes an exam. It may be the supplemental questions scored on your training and experience, a written test, an interview panel, or a performance test such as typing. Rank notices usually follow one to three weeks later, and departments interview from the top three ranks. To hear when a job opens, find it under Job Descriptions and click Subscribe.

How the City of Sacramento hires

City jobs are posted on GovernmentJobs, and paper applications are not accepted. City HR does not read resumes or cover letters, so the application itself has to show your experience. Writing “see resume” disqualifies it. An application cannot be edited once it is sent.

For civil service jobs, the supplemental questions at the end of the application are the exam. A passing score keeps you eligible for one year, and departments choose from the top three ranks. To be told when a job opens, open its class specification and click Subscribe.

Federal jobs

Federal jobs are on USAJOBS. You sign in with a Login.gov account, build a profile, and attach a resume you write or build there. Since September 27, 2025, federal agencies accept resumes of two pages at most. Applying sends you on to the agency’s own system, which may ask a questionnaire. Veterans claiming preference submit a DD214.

Schools and colleges

School districts and the Sacramento County Office of Education post on EDJOIN, the statewide education job board. Los Rios Community College District posts on SchoolJobs, Sacramento State on its careers site, and UC Davis at UC Davis HR.

Other cities, counties and districts

Free help

Besides the CalHR State Jobs Center, Sacramento Works runs Public Sector Pathways, free coaching for city, county and State jobs. State departments, Sacramento County and the City of Sacramento also exhibit at SacJobs career fairs, where you can ask recruiters about an exam in person. See the next career fair.

Questions about government jobs

Do I need to take an exam to apply for a State of California job?
For most classifications, yes. You pass the assessment first, which puts you on the eligible list, and then you apply to individual jobs on CalCareers. Intern and student classifications have no exam.
Can I send a resume instead of filling in the application?
Not for Sacramento County or the City of Sacramento. The County rejects an application that puts a resume in place of the work experience section, and City HR does not read resumes or cover letters. Each State posting lists the documents it requires.
What is an eligible list?
A ranked list of people who passed the exam for a job classification. Sacramento County and the City of Sacramento interview from the top three ranks. At the City, a passing score stays valid for one year.
Where can I get help with a State application in person?
At the CalHR State Jobs Center, 1810 16th Street in Sacramento, every Tuesday from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 3 p.m. Staff help with the CalCareers account and the State application.
How long can a federal resume be?
Two pages. Since September 27, 2025, federal agencies accept resumes of two pages at most, and USAJOBS will not let you upload or build a longer one.
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