Employment

Non-appropriated Funds offers the best prospects on base, especially for part-time employment. Call the Edwards Air Force Base NAF Human Resources Office at 661-275-9675 or DSN 312-525-9675. It is located at Building 3000, Yeager Avenue. Hours of operation are Monday-Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For Army and Air Force Base Exchange Service, applicants can call 661-258-1078 or DSN 312-527-8132. You can also log on to the AAFES website.

Jobs for civilian personnel are often limited. Armed police force federal jobs can be found on http://usajobs.gov. There are several contractors on the base that may provide employment opportunities. Otherwise, employment can be found in the surrounding communities. Edwards AFB is located 34 to 45 miles from Lancaster and Palmdale, and 106 miles from Los Angeles. Smaller "bedroom" communities (California City, Rosamond, Boron, North Edwards, Mojave and Tehachapi) are located 20 to 45 miles from the base. All of these cities comprise the Antelope Valley.

Local economic climate

About 55,000 residents commute to work from the Antelope Valley to the Los Angeles area every day. Southern California has experienced a depressed economy as the aerospace industry and other major companies have initiated layoffs. The state unemployment rate is about 12.3%.

California’s minimum wage is $14 an hour as of January 2021, with an increase to $15 an hour scheduled for January 2022 for companies with 26 or more employees.

Finding employment locally is still a challenge. For employment opportunities on base, visit usajobs.gov or nafjobs.org.

Airman and Family Readiness Center

The Airman and Family Readiness Center maintains and regularly posts local community, out-of-state and federal job listings. Also, A&FRC staff members conduct workshops on resume building, interviewing techniques, dressing for success and one-on-one assessment and evaluation of resumes. The A&FRC also maintains a list of volunteer opportunities on the base. These volunteering opportunities offer skills and experience that a job applicant can put in their resume. The A&FRC also maintains a Discovery Resource Center complete with computer workstations and a printer for individuals to surf the net, update their resumes and submit their resumes online.

For more information, contact the Spouse Employment/Volunteer Resource Program manager at the A&FRC at 661-277-0723 or DSN 312-227-0723.

For job-hunting purposes, be sure to hand carry all employment records and documents, resumes, transcripts, certificates and licenses. Contact 661-277-0723 to schedule an appointment for your one on one assistance.

Transition Assistance Program is a congressionally mandated program assisting transitioning military members whether retiring or separating (voluntarily and involuntarily). This process can be started 18 months prior to separation and 24 months prior to retirement. For more information on completing the required mandates and briefing schedule, call 611-277-0723 or DSN 312-277-0723.

My Career Advancement Account Scholarship Program

For information on My Career Advancement Account Scholarship program and Military Spouse Education and Career Opportunities, visit Military OneSource.

The Military and Family Readiness Center has a database of over 150,000 awards, grants, loans and scholarships called the Scholarship Resource Network. This is a free service provided for active-duty personnel, Department of Defense civilians, retirees and their family members.

Unemployment compensation may be available for the spouse of a newly assigned military member or civilian employee. For more information, contact the California Employment Development Department at 800-300-5616 or visit their website.

The unemployment rate in California is 4.3% and 8.4% in Kern County. Unemployment compensation may be available for the spouse of a newly assigned military member or civilian employee. For more information contact the California Employment Development Department at 800-300-5616. The median household income is $62,285.