Can you get a federal job with an associate s degree?

Many federal jobs require only a high school diploma. Work for social security if you want to - but you will be overworked. Morale is low. Way too much work and not enough people to do with it. HUGE caseloads and the public will be bitching at you because you can't do their work fast enough. Plus you have to deal with a lot of rude and demanding people. Some of those people will be your superiors - most are the claimants. And while doing that you must keep cool and be polite no matter what (although it wasn't my experience that rude employees were disciplined for it - they need every employee they can get). Consider that social security is now taking in 10,000 Medicare claims alone - that doesn't include retirement claims, disability claims or survivor claims. It doesn't take into account the overpayment workload nor rep payees or work investigations, etc, etc, etc - a claims rep must do it all. I suspect the same thing applies at IRS.

If I could do it all over again, I'd still want to work for the federal government - just not in a job which primarily deals with the public.

look at the job announcement and what it requires for education.

To be honest I don't think a 2 year associates degree will be enough. You need to talk to your career counselor or go and look for job postings at a state office building. In IT so many have a full degree but social security might be the place. If you get it or something you like go back and get the full four.

YES!

There is no "public dept" or DHHR in the federal government.

Go to usajobs.gov