Overview
The Congressional Budget Office’s summer internship program provides an excellent opportunity for graduate students to experience and observe the budget process and policymaking at the federal level. Most of CBO’s employees are in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, and the internships will ideally be conducted in person. However, CBO is closely monitoring developments and is sensitive to safety, so it is prepared to conduct the internships virtually if necessary. The summer internship program runs from May 30, 2022, to August 5, 2022; there may be some flexibility in those dates.
Interns contribute to CBO’s work in areas such as budget and tax policy, health care, national defense, the environment, education, retirement assistance, other income assistance, regulation, and public investment. In addition, interns participate in an educational program that includes briefings on CBO’s role in the budget process. Interns are also afforded networking opportunities with budget and policy professionals. Please see CBO’s page on internships for additional information.
Qualifications
Students must be pursuing graduate academic programs in economics, public policy, health policy, mathematics, statistics, or a related field. Those pursuing a MBA will not be considered this year. CBO is also unable to consider undergraduate students for the summer internship program.
All CBO summer internships require solid writing skills and the ability to communicate clearly and concisely. Familiarity with computer programming, statistics, econometrics, and other quantitative methods is desirable. Ideal candidates also have exceptional interpersonal and analytical skills. U.S. citizens are eligible for consideration, as are noncitizens who are permanent residents of the United States and seeking citizenship. Before applying, noncitizens should refer to CBO’s information about citizenship requirements or contact careers@cbo.gov to determine employment eligibility.
How to Apply
Students must submit a cover letter, a résumé, contact information for two references (who may know the applicant either from academic work or from employment), and an unofficial copy of transcripts that include coursework for the spring semester. First-year graduate students must submit both an undergraduate transcript and a graduate transcript. A complete application must be submitted through CBO’s website by February 28, 2022, EST, to be considered; there will be no exceptions. Applicants should be sure that their email provider accepts email from careers@cbo.gov.
This position is covered by the Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998, as made applicable to CBO by the Congressional Accountability Act, as amended. To claim the veterans’ preference, an applicant must identify himself or herself as eligible for it in the Self-Identification for Veterans’ Preference section of the application. To do so, complete CBO’s Veterans’ Preference Eligibility Form together with the supporting documentation specified on that form and email it to VEOA@cbo.gov no later than the deadline to apply. Documents submitted by email may not be secure, so please remove confidential personal identifying information (such as your Social Security number and birthdate). Do not upload supporting documentation as part of your application.
Salary and Benefits
The hourly rate ranges from $16 to $30 and will be commensurate with educational attainment and related experience.
About Congressional Budget Office
Since 1975, CBO has produced independent analyses of budgetary and economic issues to support the Congressional budget process. Each year, the agency’s economists and budget analysts produce dozens of reports and hundreds of cost estimates for proposed legislation.
