For young engineers looking to pursue careers in big tech, the U.S. government is offering an unexpected new entry point. The Trump administration has announced a new recruitment program that puts the public sector right in the middle of the race for tech talent, with salary packages that can go up to around Rs 1.6 crore per annum and a clear path into private companies later. The initiative, called United States Tech Force, is a two-year early career program that will recruit approximately 1,000 people in its first phase. Instead of working directly for a startup or big tech firm, selected candidates will join federal agencies as full-time government employees and work on large-scale technology projects.

According to officials, the program is being led by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) as well as other government agencies. Participants will be deployed across various departments to help modernize systems, with a particular focus on areas such as artificial intelligence, software development, cyber security, data analytics and technical project management.

What makes this program interesting is the list of private sector partners supporting it. At least 28 technology companies are involved, including Apple, Amazon Web Services, Microsoft, Meta, Nvidia, OpenAI, Oracle, Uber and xAI, among others. These companies will not initially hire candidates directly, but they will offer training assistance, mentorship, and exposure through speaker sessions featuring top executives.

OPM director Scott Kupor said the idea is to build a stronger talent pipeline rather than force companies to make early hiring commitments. “It would not be fair for us to ask companies to hire people without knowing who they are,” he said, adding that he would be disappointed if the program ultimately did not translate into private sector job offers.

In terms of salary, the roles are expected to fetch an annual salary of around $130,000 to $195,000, which comes to around Rs 1 crore to Rs 1.6 crore. Interestingly, it does not require any strict degree or prior experience. Applications will be listed on the USA Jobs portal, and candidates will undergo a technical assessment, interviews with agency leaders, and background verification. OPM will handle the initial screening before final selections are made by individual agencies.

Most positions will be based in Washington, DC, although remote or hybrid work may be possible depending on the role and department. Jobs is non-partisan and is not associated with the US DOGE service in any way.

While the focus is on early career professionals, the program also leaves room for experienced engineering managers from the private sector. Companies can nominate employees to join the tech force for two years, during which they will work as full-time government employees and follow all federal ethics rules. Kupor said the return to their parent companies after the program should be relatively smooth depending on company policies.

The government plans to complete recruitment for this first batch by the end of March and hopes to make the Tech Force an annual initiative. If successful, the program could be expanded further in the coming years, giving tech professionals a rare opportunity to work inside the US government while keeping a foot firmly in the private tech ecosystem.