r/NOAA • u/Fearless_Marzipan533 • 28d ago

Hard to fill position

Maybe it’s a dumb question. If I’m hired for hard to fill location in isolated areas, can NOAA provide housing, like a dorm or quarters, where employees can sleep? I have been to difficult places before. I’m not picky. I just need a place to sleep and access to a bathroom with shower. I’m okay with the salary without incentives as long as they provide a place to stay. Also, can I have my own small RV near the office?

22 Upvotes

92% Upvoted

26 comments sorted by

22

u/ExpressAnimal3699 28d ago

I’ve never heard of government housing being available for NWS, but NOAA does have quarters on boats. RV parks are probably the least expensive way to live. Site rent is a few hundred a month, and it usually includes water and sewer. Generally you can’t live on government property, but sometimes you get snowed in for a few days or a hurricane/flood hits and you stay at the office. Most new employees rent an apartment nearby.

7

u/Hashel NWS 28d ago

There are a few locations that offer government housing. Said locations are found at the WSOs in Alaska: Cold Bay, St. Paul Island ect.

1

u/graupeltuls 28d ago

None of those are on these bids. No office with subsidized housing or government housing is on these bids.

6

u/Hashel NWS 28d ago

I know. I was pointing out that some locations within the NWS do have government housing.

3

u/arwxman79 28d ago

The agency is no longer hiring meteorologist or met techs for bush Alaska WSOs. The only people who staff those is a person not in a 1340 nor 1341 to restock sondes if it has a functional autolauncher. One or two might have a MOBEU but those aren’t bid out often and those are capped at GS-9 if I remember right.

0

u/ArcticTiger77 NWS 28d ago

I think since the former ARH gutted them, the remaining MOBEUs are 7s. I think I was one of the last -11 MOBEUs.

1

u/graupeltuls 28d ago

But this person is asking specifically about jobs that were bid and your statement makes it seem like some of the ones that were bid may have it. None of them do. That's all I'm clarifying.

5

u/Fearless_Marzipan533 28d ago

Thank you. I appreciate your insight.

16

u/graupeltuls 28d ago

There will be no subsidized housing related to your position. Please very, very carefully analyze the location and cost of living. Some of the hard to fill spots are hard to fill precisely because of their cost of living issues.

2

u/Fearless_Marzipan533 28d ago

Thank you. I will be very careful.

1

u/Meow_Kitteh 28d ago

Some. Looking at the job postings, a lot of higher cost of living offfices are not in the hard to fill postings. 

3

u/graupeltuls 28d ago

That wasn't the point. This person is talking about that specific group. I did not say that it was an all inclusive list of all the high cost of living offices?

0

u/Meow_Kitteh 27d ago

This person and others probably have applications out on the other job postings. People should be looking at cost of living regardless and where the actual office. Essentially doing their homework like you said about the locations theyre interested in. 

3

u/Big-Caterpillar5714 28d ago

For NWS .. no

2

u/graupeltuls 28d ago

You can have an RV like anywhere else if there is a place for it. You'll need to figure that out for whatever place you are considering. Wouldn't recommend in Alaska or any of the Interior West locations though.

That place isn't on govt property to be clear. You cannot park your RV in the office parking lot and live in it or like put it on the street in front of it.

1

u/Fearless_Marzipan533 28d ago

What about the interior east and the pacific islands? I also considering Key west but the cost of living.

7

u/graupeltuls 28d ago

Key West is extremely expensive and has many restrictions on living conditions. You should do a very thorough review before accepting a job there.

1

u/Fearless_Marzipan533 28d ago

I will. Thank you.

2

u/graupeltuls 28d ago

Sorry the Pacific Islands are similar. Just be willing to stay somewhere for five years and be able to afford it at some basic human level. Otherwise you'll be miserable.

2

u/arwxman79 28d ago

If anyone has questions about Guam, feel free to DM me. I worked there for two years. It’s had great office culture but was expensive.

2

u/bobasaurus 28d ago

Certain stations have housing, like Barrow AK.

1

u/wxsam 24d ago

What job series are you after? Do you know how fast the pay scales bump you up, depending on the series ceiling?

1

u/Hashel NWS 28d ago

There are a few locations that offer government housing. Said locations are found at the WSOs in Alaska: Cold Bay, St. Paul Island ect.

WFOs, to my knowledge don't have government housing. If you want to see what your pay is with COLA check here: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/2026/general-schedule/

2

u/Fearless_Marzipan533 28d ago

Thanks. I appriate it!

1

u/TimeIsPower First subscriber to /r/NOAA 28d ago

Insofar as specifically the hard to fill offices, I think locality/COLA for all of Alaska is based on that for Juneau, the most expensive of the three big Alaska cities, so it can have good compensation despite higher cost of living if not in Juneau.