FBI Careers – FBI Special Agent Career, Salary, and Training Info
FBI careers are on the rise as is the FBI Special Agent salary. Becoming an FBI Special Agent is nothing like any career option you have ever considered. Every day you have a chance to serve your country and hopefully have fun doing it.
FBI Special Agents are responsible for carrying out sensitive national security investigations and for enforcing federal statutes. As an FBI Special Agent you may work on issues that encompass terrorism, foreign counterintelligence, organized crime, extortion, kidnapping, white-collar crime, public corruption, civil rights violations, cyber crime, financial crime, bribery, bank robbery, air piracy, interstate criminal activity, fugitive and drug-trafficking matters, and other violations of federal statutes.
FBI Special Agent Requirements
To become a Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent you are required to be a U.S. citizen (born or naturalized) or a citizen of the Northern Mariana Islands. You need to be at least 23 years of age, but younger than 37 at the time of your appointment as a Federal Agent. You must have at a minimum three years of professional work experience. In addition, it is essential you possess a valid driver’s license and are fully ready for assignment anywhere in the FBI’s jurisdiction.
Education and Training
You must hold a four-year degree (Bachelor) from an institution of higher learning accredited by one of the regional or national institutional associations recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education.
All FBI Special Agents kick off their career at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia for 20 weeks of intensive training at one of the World’s greatest law enforcement training facilities. Throughout their time at the FBI Academy, trainees reside on-campus and take part in a variety of training activities. Classroom time is spent studying a wide variety of scholastic and investigative subjects. The FBI Academy program also includes demanding training in physical fitness, defensive tactics, practical application exercises, and the use of firearms.
Over the course of their profession, the Federal Bureau of Investigation offers supplemental training opportunities to continually keep Special Agents updated on the cutting-edge developments in the intelligence and law enforcement communities.
FBI Special Agent Salary
Special Agent trainees at the FBI Academy are paid as GS-10, step 1 ($43,441) plus the Quantico, VA locality adjustment (17.50%) during their time at the FBI Academy. This equates to $51,043 annually (or $1,963 per each two-week pay period).
Newly assigned Special Agents are remunerated as GS-10, step 1 ($43,441) plus locality pay and availability pay. Locality pay (which ranges from 12.5% to 28.7% of base salary depending upon office assignment) is additional compensation to account for variations in the labor market between distinct areas. Availability pay is a 25% increase in adjusted earnings (base salary + locality pay) for all Special Agents due to their requirement to average a 50-hour work week over the course of the twelve months. Therefore, with the locality and availability pay modifications, new Special Agents in their initial Field Offices make between $61,100 and $69,900, calculating in the region of the country to which they are designated.
A one time relocation bonus of $22,000 may be given to new FBI Special Agents designated to certain high-cost offices (New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Washington D.C., Boston and Newark) The approximate $22,000 is issued to help counterbalance higher real estate and living costs. In order to be eligible for the relocation bonus, new Special Agents must be appointed to one of the selected high-cost offices and they must be relocating from a lower cost area to a different geographical area with a higher cost of living.
FBI Career Opportunities
Following the successful conclusion of a background check and an assignment into a New Agents Class, Special Agent candidates will be designated into one of five career paths: Intelligence, Counterintelligence, Counterterrorism, Criminal, or Cyber. Furthermore, applicants assigned to either Counterintelligence or Counterterrorism may acquire an additional specialty nomination to Weapons of Mass Destruction matters. This specialty nomination is founded upon the candidate’s education, prior employment, preference as well as their knowledge, skills, and capabilities.
Take a look at other great Criminal Justice Careers.
{ 31 comments… read them below or add one }
What are my chances to get a job with the fbi….is it like super competitve or relatively easy?
It’s definitely more competitive than easy. FBI looks for the best and their hiring process is pretty stringent.
so what colleges do the fbi look at the most
Any law enforcement agency, including FBI, looks for students with good grades, GPA, etc. They don’t look for specific schools, although each person reviewing your application may have a list of a few really good ones. I am pretty sure that the degree has to be valid, so it must meet proper accreditation criteria. In the end, it’s not the schools that will get you hired, it’s what you’ve got to bring to the table. Education, professional experience, and personal character have a lot to do with what FBI looks for, among other factors. If you want to find out what the FBI is truly looking for, perhaps you should attend one of their job fairs at a university near you (USA). These are not organized often, but if you get lucky in attending one, you can get the answers straight from the “horses mouth.” Good luck.
thanks really appreciate it
i can speak 2 languages and English. and i want to be FBI agent.. what degree should i have . is it be ok if i got 2 year degree of law enforcement
The Federal Bureau of Investigation prides itself on having the best of the best, so someone with an ability to speak 3 languages and has an equivalent of a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university is definitely someone who should apply. The FBI looks for candidates with 4-year degrees in all disciplines, but seems to throw more preference to those that have Law degrees, Accounting, Business, Criminology, and other such degree programs.
Is it mandatory that fbi agents must have 20/20 vision on one eye and at least 20/40 vision in the other? isn’t wearing glasses an option?
Paraphrased from the FBI Website:
Special Agent applicants must have no less than 20/20 vision in one eye and not worse than 20/40 vision in the other eye. If the person has a positive history of soft contact lens use for longer than twelve months and is able to satisfy correction to 20/20 in one eye and no worse than 20/40 in the other eye, safety issues are considered mitigated and candidate processing may carry on. If the applicant has had laser eye corrective surgery, a six month waiting period becomes necessary prior to starting New Agents’ Training at the FBI Academy. The candidate also needs to supply proof of total healing by an ophthalmology clinical assessment.
So yes, it’s mandatory. I found nothing about glasses. I think they should mention something about it, but I assume the above-mentioned vision criteria is it. If it’s not mentioning glasses, the statement hints at soft contact lenses or laser surgery, such as LASIK.
I completely disagree with their preference towards law and criminology. I wish people would get off that misconception. Any degree, any discipline, NO real preference. If there is any kind of preference it would be for someone with AT LEAST a four year degree, one or more languages, extensive work experience, and other unique life/work experience. I am in the final stages of the application process, into Phase III now and ALL of my peers range from mental health counselors to military, to mortgage brokers. No CJ majors or lawyers.
So, is it really hard for females to become a special agent? That’s what I saw on another website.
I can say that all law enforcement agencies are seeking diverse individuals, so the female population is a big part of the criminal justice system (that includes federal law enforcement (FBI, US Marshals, DEA, etc.). I don’t think there’s a clear answer to your question. Yes, as a female Special Agent you are required to perform as good as your male counterparts. This includes mental and physical abilities, high stress situations, and other psychological and intelligence factors. However, most applicants to the FBI, for example, are male. So, lets say that if 100 applicants apply and 80 were male and 20 were female, and only 50 applicants get accepted to the next step, and then only 20 get accepted to the steps after that, then it’s going to seem that the chance of female becoming a Special Agent may be slim.
People may tell you different things about the acceptance rate of female Special Agents. First of all, one website or forum, and especially one person does not offer any statistical probability. They could be telling you something based on their experience, and that’s that.
Yes, based on the pool of applicants, more males than females will at the end become Special Agents. Expectations are virtually the same for both sexes. There’s also the silent factor: what does the agency hiring need at the moment? Do they need male and female agents, male agents only, or female agents only? That you’ll probably never know. And, whatever you do, don’t get discouraged by an article, blog post, or forum submission telling you that it is particularly hard for females to become a Special Agent. Yes, I think it’s tougher more on a female applicant than the male, but adversities can be overcome with the right frame of mind. Remember, most applicants to law enforcement positions Worldwide are male, so there’s always a preconceived notion that “females have it harder,” when in reality more need to apply to make that assertion stick. Hope this makes sense.
Good luck, Ashley.
is criminal justice a good program?
I think it is, but make sure to read the whole article and the comments right after it. It should give you some perspective.
I really want to have a job in criminal Justice But i also want to make a good salary. I have a few years until i go to collage but i’ve been thinking of what i should major in and what career i can get with a good salary in the criminal Justice field. I’m Taking Karate so i could have a job that challenges you physically. But every Career i find doesn’t seem to make a good salary. So my question is what job in the criminal justice field is there that would make me happy?
(sorry for my Grammar and spelling)
What would be a good salary to you?
At the least $100,000 some where around there
Chances are slim you would make that within the criminal justice system. High five-figure salaries are possible, but 100k + is reserved for administrative positions – like Directors.
I just want to say thank you, your website is really helping me a lot with my questions.
You’re most welcome.
What is the least competitive path to get into the FBI? I know the diversified path is highly competitive, and I was wondering whether it would be most worth it to finish my fluency in Spanish or get a CCNP/CCIE certification.
I don’t really think there’s a least competitive path to get into FBI. The mix of education, experience, and personal characteristics determines if you get in or not. Also the needs of the FBI determine if you get in or not.
I think it may be worth it to finish your fluency in Spanish and get your CCNP/CCIE. Both foreign language fluency and IT skills are highly sought after. I really don’t know which one would help you more, as the FBI loves both types of candidates. If you’re superhuman, and can get both, more power to you. However, you may not be the only one applying with skills and experience. And as I mentioned before: what does the FBI need at the moment?
Sorry for being vague, but I can’t get into the mind of the FBI – not yet at least : )
How long is the selection prossess, I mean if i were to drop a packet for the FBI today how long would it be before I knew if I was selected or not? Also, what are the chances of me being selected by the FBI- 1 in 100 or more like 1-10,000? How many personal do they select per class to attend the training? And my final question, what is the percentage of personal that actually make it all the way through the training and become agents?
Thanks for the Help I really appreaciat it!!!
Scott, the FBI doesn’t tell you any of these things. The needs of the agency come first, so the statistical mean is always all over the place. I know that only a small percentage of applicants makes it to the actual application and hiring process. And later, even fewer people get offered a position. Sorry I can’t help more.
Hello. If someone doesn’t pass the Phase I test the first time are they eligible to retest?
This is a great post. The qualifications need to be stringent. Thanks for all the good answers to the questions posed. Alan
What jobs are there in the FBI for people with Biology degrees? and how much money do they make if there are special jobs?
I am assuming that you have a Bachelor’s degree in Biology and not an advanced degree like a Master’s or PhD.
I think that right of the bat you would qualify for the FBI Special Agent position. As time progresses you may be assigned to a special unit that deals with anything to do with biological threats or crime scene investigation or perhaps a team of scientists who solve all kinds of problems. Is your degree specialized (ie. Marine Biology)? Do you have an advanced degree (ie. Master’s or PhD)?
I’m working on getting a bachelor’s degree in biology. Is there a demand for special agents with this degree, and what are their salaries? Should I concentrate on a specific area of biology?
Hi there,
can i get a job with the FBI or at least be considered as candidate and what are my chances, if i have four year degree in business informatics and fluent in Arabic and french but have no it related experience, all the work experience i have is managing a convenient store for 4 years( period i was in college).
You should definitely be worth some consideration.