canonical: https://jentic.com/apis/usajobs.gov/usajobs-gov

# Usajobs Gov USAJOBS API

The USAJOBS API provides access to currently open US federal government job opportunity announcements, historical job data, and reference code lists. Designed for commercial job boards, mobile applications, and social media platforms. The API exposes 9 endpoints secured with apiKey authentication.

## For AI agents

Programmatically search job announcements, get historical job announcements. Covers 9 operations with apiKey authentication.

## Scope

Does not handle payments, communications, or crm - use for developer tools only.

## Capabilities

- Search job announcements
- Get historical job announcements
- Integrate USAJOBS API into automated workflows
- Query and filter USAJOBS API records by parameters
- Monitor USAJOBS API operational status and events

## Use cases

### Developer Tools Operations

Use the USAJOBS API to perform developer tools operations programmatically. The API provides 9 endpoints covering core functionality including search job announcements, get historical job announcements, get historical announcement text.

Example prompt: Call GET /api/Search to search job announcements

### Automated Search Management

Automate search operations by combining multiple USAJOBS API endpoints. Agents can get historical job announcements and then get historical announcement text in a single workflow.

Example prompt: Call GET /api/HistoricJoa to get historical job announcements, then verify the result

### AI Agent Integration via Jentic

AI agents discover and call USAJOBS API endpoints through Jentic without managing credentials directly. An agent searches for the required operation by intent, receives the matching endpoint schema, and executes the call with Jentic-managed authentication. This eliminates the need to read API documentation or handle apiKey tokens manually.

Example prompt: Search Jentic for 'search job announcements', load the operation schema, and execute with Jentic-managed credentials

## Key endpoints

| Method | Path | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| GET | /api/Search | Search job announcements |
| GET | /api/HistoricJoa | Get historical job announcements |
| GET | /api/HistoricJoa/AnnouncementText | Get historical announcement text |
| GET | /api/codelist/hiringpaths | Get hiring path codes |
| GET | /api/codelist/occupationalseries | Get occupational series codes |
| GET | /api/codelist/payplans | Get pay plan codes |
| GET | /api/codelist/positionscheduletypes | Get position schedule type codes |
| GET | /api/codelist/countries | Get country codes |

## Key resources

- **Search** — Job search operations
- **Historical** — Historical job announcement data
- **Code Lists** — Reference data code lists

## Why Jentic

- **Setup:** Wiring the USAJOBS API by hand means attaching its API key, targeting the data.usajobs.gov host, and moving between the search, historic-announcement, and code-list endpoints yourself. Through Jentic you install once, import USAJOBS from the API Directory, store the key once, and your agent calls it.
- **Permission scoping:** The USAJOBS API carries its search terms in the query rather than in the URL path, so limit the agent to the operations it needs, such as searching announcements and reading code lists. You choose that read-only operation set, so nothing beyond what you list runs.
- **Credential handling:** Your USAJOBS API key is stored once, encrypted, by your own Jentic One instance and injected at execution time. It never enters the agent's prompt, logs, or context.
- **Discovery method:** Agents search Jentic by intent such as 'search job announcements' or 'list occupational series codes', and Jentic returns the matching USAJOBS operation with its input schema so the agent calls the right endpoint without browsing the reference docs.

## Related APIs

- **Github** — Alternative developer tools API
- **Gitlab** — Alternative developer tools API

## FAQ

### What authentication does the USAJOBS API use?

The USAJOBS API uses an API key passed in the `Authorization-Key` header. Through Jentic, these credentials are stored encrypted in your Jentic One instance and injected at execution time, so raw secrets never enter the agent context.

### Can I search job announcements with the USAJOBS API?

Yes. Use the GET /api/Search endpoint. The API returns structured JSON responses that agents can parse and act on directly.

### What are the rate limits for the USAJOBS API?

Rate limits are not specified in the OpenAPI spec. Check the vendor documentation for current limits. Through Jentic, rate limiting is handled automatically with retry logic built into the execution layer.

### How do I search job announcements through Jentic?

Install the Jentic SDK with pip install jentic, authenticate through Jentic One, the self-hosted execution layer, then search for 'search job announcements'. Jentic returns the matching USAJOBS API operation with its input schema. Load the schema and execute the call - credentials are injected automatically.

### How many endpoints does the USAJOBS API have?

The USAJOBS API exposes 9 endpoints covering search, historical, code lists operations.

### Can I limit what my agent is allowed to do with the USAJOBS API?

Yes. Jentic One is self-hosted by you, so your own rules decide which USAJOBS operations and credentials the agent may use. Because this API carries its search terms in the query rather than the URL path, you can grant a read-only set such as searching job announcements, reading historical announcements, and pulling code lists like occupational series and pay plans. Anything you do not list, the agent cannot call.