Laboratory Worker

Department of the Army

Fort Meade, Maryland Full-time $22 – $26 Closes Jun 24, 2026

Summary

About the Position: You will serve as a Laboratory Worker assigned to the Forensic Toxicology Drug Testing Laboratory (FTDTL), Fort Meade, Maryland. This specialized U.S. Army forensic scientific laboratory operationally supports mandated various Department of Defense (DoD) drug abuse programs.

Duties

  • Removes laboratory specimen trays requiring destruction from laboratory storage area and transports trays to destruction area.
  • Operates hazardous waste disposal and recycling equipment and transfers waste by-product to dumpster.
  • Delivers mail packages to the laboratory, and distributes them from the loading dock to the appropriate location within the laboratory.
  • Responsible for coordinating with other laboratory staff and Department of Defense and National Laboratory Certification Program (NLCP) inspectors.
  • Performs operator's maintenance on government vehicles, including but not limited to: checking lights, brakes, tires and adding gasoline, oil and water.

How You Will Be Evaluated

Once the announcement has closed, a review of your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) will be used to determine whether you meet the qualification requirements listed on this announcement. Please follow all instructions carefully when applying, errors or omissions may affect your eligibility. If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and/or experience, you may lose consideration for this position. Basis for Rating: Qualified candidates will be assigned to one of three quality categories: Best Qualified, Highly Qualified and Qualified.

Veteran preference eligibles are listed ahead of non-preference eligibles within each quality category. Best Qualified. Candidates in this category possess exceptional skills and experience to exceed well above the minimum requirements for the announced position. Highly Qualified.

Candidates in this category possess good skills and experience above the minimum requirements for the announced position. Qualified. Candidates in this category meet the minimum experience requirements for the announced position. You may claim Military Spouse preference.

You may claim Priority Placement Program (PPP) preference. Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP). If you are a Federal employee in the competitive service and your agency has notified you in writing that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority for this position. To receive selection priority, you must: (1) meet ICTAP eligibility criteria (2) be rated well-qualified for the position and; (3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your ICTAP eligibility.

To be considered well-qualified and receive selection priority applicants must satisfy all qualification requirements for the position and receive a score of 90 or above. Additional information about the program is on OPM’s Career Transition Resources website.

Required Documents

  • The documents you are required to submit vary based on whether or not you are eligible for preference in federal employment.
  • A complete description of preference categories and the associated required documents is in the Applicant Checklist for Public Announcements.
  • As described above, your complete application includes your resume, your responses to the online questionnaire, and documents which prove your eligibility to apply.
  • If you fail to provide these documents, you will be marked as having an incomplete application package and you will not be considered any further. 1.
  • Your resume: Your resume must be two pages or less and must support the specialized experience described in this announcement.
  • Resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration.
  • For each relevant work experience, make sure you include the employer's name, job title, start and end dates (include month and year), for qualifications purposes, the number of hours worked per week, and a brief description that show you can perform the tasks at the required level listed in the job announcement.
  • If your resume does not contain this information, your application may be marked as incomplete, and you may not receive consideration for this position.
  • Avoid using acronyms and terms that are not easily understood.
  • The hiring agency will not make assumptions about what's in your resume.
  • If your resume includes a photograph or other inappropriate material or content, it will not be used to make eligibility and qualification determinations, and you may not be considered for this vacancy.
  • For additional information, to include formatting tips, see: What to include in your resume. 2.
  • Other supporting documents: Cover Letter, optional Most recent Performance Appraisal, if applicable NOTE: Documents submitted as part of the application package, to include supplemental documents, may be shared beyond the Human Resources Office.
  • Some supplemental documents such as military orders and marriage certificates may contain personal information for someone other than you.
  • You may sanitize these documents to remove another person's personal information before you submit your application.
  • You may be asked to provide an un-sanitized version of the documents if you are selected to confirm your eligibility.

About this role

The Laboratory Worker position with the Department of the Army is based in Fort Meade, Maryland. About the Position: You will serve as a Laboratory Worker assigned to the Forensic Toxicology Drug Testing Laboratory (FTDTL), Fort Meade, Maryland. The role pays $22.25 to $25.92 per hour.

Day to day, the work involves removes laboratory specimen trays requiring destruction from laboratory storage area and transports trays to destruction area. The full list of duties, conditions, and required documents appears in the official announcement linked on this page.

Who should apply

Review the announcement's Qualifications section closely, since it defines exactly what federal service experience this Laboratory Worker position requires. Be prepared for a pre-employment drug screening as part of the hiring process. Match your federal resume directly to the announcement's wording so a reviewer can confirm each requirement in writing. For this Laboratory Worker position with the Department of the Army in Fort Meade, Maryland, confirm you meet each requirement before applying.

How competitive it is

The posted pay of $22.25 to $25.92 per hour places this in a competitive but attainable range for qualified applicants. Based in Fort Meade, Maryland, it competes within that local market, which can mean lighter competition than major metropolitan postings. The announcement closes on June 24, 2026, and federal postings can close early once enough applications arrive, so applying promptly is wise.

This overview is general guidance from Job Army to help you understand the role. Always read the official announcement for exact duties, qualifications, and requirements before applying.

Job Details

Department Department of the Army
Job Type Full-time
Location Fort Meade, Maryland
Salary $22 – $26
Pay Period Per Hour
Closing Date Jun 24, 2026
Posted Jun 18, 2026
Source ID CHDE-26-12989388-DE
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