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BECOME AN FBI SPECIAL AGENT

FBI Special Agents are responsible for conducting sensitive national security investigations and for enforcing over 300 federal statutes. As an FBI Special Agent you may work on matters including terrorism, foreign counterintelligence, cyber crime, organized crime, white-collar crime, public corruption, civil rights violations, financial crime, bribery, bank robbery, extortion, kidnapping, air piracy, interstate criminal activity, fugitive and drug-trafficking matters, and other violations of federal statutes.

SPECIAL AGENT CAREER PATH PROGRAM

After the successful completion of a background investigation and an appointment into a New Agents Class, Special Agent applicants will be designated into one of five career paths: Intelligence, Counterintelligence, Counterterrorism, Criminal, or Cyber. In addition, applicants appointed to either Counterintelligence or Counterterrorism may receive a further specialty nomination to Weapons of Mass Destruction matters. This specialty appointment is based upon the applicant’s education, prior employment, preference as well as their knowledge, skills, and abilities. With all five career paths overseeing intelligence and investigative activities, specifics on each division are as follows:

Directorate of Intelligence -

The mission of the intelligence program is to optimally position the FBI to meet current and emerging national security and criminal threats by:


 * Aiming core investigative work proactively against threats to U.S. interests,
 * Building and sustaining enterprise-wide intelligence policies and, capabilities, and
 * Providing useful, appropriate, and timely information and analysis to national security, homeland security and law enforcement community.

Counterintelligence Division -

The FBI is responsible for identifying and neutralizing ongoing national security threats. The Counterintelligence Division provides centralized management and oversight for all Foreign Counterintelligence (FCI) investigations. It ensures that offensive operations and investigations are fully coordinated with the U. S. Intelligence Community, and focused on those countries, foreign powers, or entities which pose the most significant threat to the United States. The investigative priorities of the FCI Program are to:


 * Prevent or neutralize the foreign acquisition of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) technology or equipment;
 * Prevent the penetration of the U.S. Intelligence Community;
 * Prevent the penetration of U.S. Government agencies or contractors;
 * Prevent the compromise of U.S. Critical National Assets; and
 * Conduct aggressive counterintelligence operations focusing on those countries that constitute the most significant threat to U.S. Strategic interests.

Counterterrorism Division -

The Counterterrorism Division was established to oversee the following priorities:


 * To detect, disrupt, and dismantle terrorist sleeper cells in the United States before they act;
 * To identify and prevent acts of terrorism by individuals with a terrorist agenda acting alone;
 * To detect, disrupt, and dismantle terrorist support networks, including financial support networks;
 * To enhance our capability to quickly ascertain the reliability, implications, and details of terrorist threats and to improve our capacity to disseminate threat-related information to local, state, and federal agencies, and to the private sector as needed; and
 * To enhance our overall contribution to the U.S. Intelligence Community and to senior policy makers in government by providing timely and accurate in-depth analysis of the terrorist threats and other information of value on an on-going basis.

Criminal Investigative Division -

The Criminal Investigative Division (CID) coordinates, manages, and directs investigative programs focused on financial crime, violent crime, organized crime, public corruption, violation of individual civil rights, drug related crime, and informant matters associated with these investigative areas. The CID guides the investigative efforts of field offices against criminal enterprises and individual federal crimes in the continental and territorial United States, as well as internationally.

Cyber Division -

The Cyber Division identifies and neutralizes the most significant individuals or groups conducting computer intrusions, the dissemination of malicious code, or other computer supported operations. The Cyber Division investigates online predators or groups that sexually exploit and endanger children for personal or financial gain. An operation targeting the United States intellectual property also falls within the scope of the Cyber Division. The Cyber Division neutralizes the most significant perpetrators of Internet fraud.

The Beginning: The FBI Academy -

All Special Agent trainees begin their career at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia for approximately 21 weeks of intensive training at one of the world's finest law enforcement training facilities. During their time at the FBI Academy, trainees live on-campus and participate in a broad range of training activities. Classroom hours are spent studying a wide variety of academic and investigative subjects. The FBI Academy curriculum also includes intensive training in physical fitness, defensive tactics, practical application exercises, and the use of firearms. Several tests will be administered in all of these areas to monitor trainees’ progress.

Special Agent trainees at the FBI Academy will be administered the Physical Fitness Test during the first, seventh, and fourteenth week of their training. Those trainees who fail the Physical Fitness Test during week one will be placed in a remedial program and will be subject to certain administrative restrictions. The restrictions include no overnight departures from the Academy until the trainee passes the Physical Fitness Test. Trainees who fail the week-one Physical Fitness Test and the week-seven Physical Fitness Test will be dismissed from New Agent Training, absent extreme extenuating circumstances.

Special Agent trainees are paid as GS-10, step 1 (on the Law Enforcement Officers’ salary table) plus the Quantico, VA locality adjustment (17.50%) during their time at the FBI Academy. This equates to $51,043 on an annualized basis (or $1,963 per each two-week pay period).

All Special Agent trainees must successfully complete all of the training requirements in order to graduate from the FBI Academy. Upon graduation, trainees are sworn in as FBI Special Agents.

Your First Assignment -

Newly appointed Special Agents are assigned to one of the FBI's 56 field offices based on the current staffing and/or critical specialty needs. New Agents are given the opportunity to rank their desired locations. While consideration is given to these preferences, the first office assignment is based upon the staffing needs of the FBI. Also, please note that all Special Agents are subject to transfer at any time to meet the organizational and program needs of the FBI. Special Agents accept the possibility of transfer as a condition of their employment.

A new Special Agent can generally expect to remain in his/her first office of assignment for approximately three years. During their first two-year probationary period, new Special Agents are guided by a veteran Special Agent who will mentor them and help them apply the lessons learned at the FBI Academy. New agents initially assigned to a small- or medium-sized field office are generally transferred to a large field office at the end of their third year.

Newly assigned Special Agents are paid 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 differences in the labor market between different areas. Availability pay is a 25% increase in adjusted salary (base salary + locality pay) for all Special Agents due to their requirement to average a 50-hour work week over the course of the year. Thus, with the locality and availability pay adjustments, new Special Agents in their first Field Offices earn between $61,100 and $69,900, depending upon the region of the country to which they are assigned.

New Special Agents assigned to certain designated high-cost offices (New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, Washington D.C., Boston and Newark) may also be paid a one-time relocation bonus of approximately $22,000 to help offset higher real estate and living costs. In order to qualify for the relocation bonus, new Special Agents must be assigned to one of the designated high-cost offices and they must be moving from a lower cost area to a different geographical area with a higher cost of living.

SPECIAL AGENT FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

1. What are the qualifications for the Special Agent position?

To become an FBI Special Agent, you must be a U.S. citizen or a citizen of the Northern Mariana Islands. You must be at least 23 years of age, but younger than 37 upon your appointment as a Special Agent. Applicants must possess a four-year degree from a college or university accredited by one of the regional or national institutional associations recognized by the United States Secretary of Education. All candidates must possess a valid driver's license and be completely available for assignment anywhere in the FBI's jurisdiction. In addition, applicants must be able to meet all of the FBI's Special Agent Qualification Requirements.

2. Is there a waiver regarding the maximum age limit of 37?

No, the maximum entrance age for Special Agents is mandated by Public Law 93-350, enacted July 12, 1974. Per this law, the Attorney General — with the concurrence of the Office of Personnel Management — set the date immediately preceding one's thirty-seventh birthday as the last date for original entry on duty as a law enforcement officer in the Department of Justice.

3. Is there waiver of the four-year degree if an applicant has military service?

No. All applicants must have a four-year degree when applying for the Special Agent position.

4. Will having uncorrected vision or laser surgery disqualify me from applying for the Special Agent position?

Special Agent candidates need to have at least 20/20 vision in one eye and not worse than 20/40 vision in the other eye. If an individual has a satisfactory history of soft contact lens wear for more than one year and is able to meet correction to 20/20 in one eye and no worse than 20/40 in the other eye, safety concerns are considered mitigated and applicant processing may continue. If an applicant has had laser eye corrective surgery, a six month waiting period is required prior to beginning New Agents' Training at the FBI Academy. The applicant must also provide evidence of complete healing by an ophthalmology clinical evaluation. Policy for color vision allows continuation of applicant processing if those who fail initial color vision screening are able to successfully complete the Farnsworth D-15 color vision test.

5. How do I apply to become a Special Agent?

The first step towards becoming an FBI Special Agent is to complete the online application. You can only apply through the FBI office covering your residence, place of education, and/or place of employment.

6. What kind of training do FBI Special Agents receive?

All Special Agents begin their career at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia for 20 weeks of intensive training at one of the world's finest law enforcement training facilities. During their time at the FBI Academy, trainees live on-campus and participate in a variety of training activities. Classroom hours are spent studying a wide variety of academic and investigative subjects. The FBI Academy curriculum also includes intensive training in physical fitness, defensive tactics, practical application exercises, and the use of firearms.

Over the course of their career, the FBI provides additional training opportunities to continually keep Special Agents updated on the latest developments in the intelligence and law enforcement communities.

7. Do I have to know how to shoot a gun to apply to be an FBI Special Agent?

No, it is not necessary to have prior experience with a firearm. All Special Agent trainees will receive extensive training in the use and maintenance of firearms and related equipment.

8. What are the physical fitness requirements to become an FBI Special Agent?

Serving as an FBI Special Agent is a demanding job. A Special Agent is often placed in situations that make great demands on his/her physical capacity. In these instances, physical fitness is often the factor that spells the difference between success and failure — even life and death. Therefore, all candidates for the position must be in excellent physical condition with no disabilities which would interfere in firearm use, raids, or defensive tactics. For more information on the physical fitness requirements, please see the Special Agent Physical Requirements portion of this site.

9. Do certain degrees provide a more desirable educational background for the Special Agent position?

The FBI does not recommend particular courses or schools. Any degrees that develop research and analytical skills are desirable educational backgrounds. For example, a Law degree is a desirable asset because Special Agents are charged with investigating violations of federal laws of the United States; an Accounting degree is also desirable because Special Agents trace financial transactions and review/analyze complex accounting records in criminal investigations; an Engineering degree is desirable because Special Agents often have to critically analyze large amounts of information in order to plan the next steps in an investigation; etc.

10. What is a typical day like for a Special Agent of the FBI?

There is no such thing as a typical day for an FBI Special Agent. Every day is different. One day you could be testifying in federal court, and the next you could be executing a search warrant and gathering evidence. One day you could be meeting with a source to gather intelligence on illegal activities, the next you could be making an arrest, and the next you could be back in the office meeting with your squad and catching up on paperwork. FBI Special Agents are always on call to protect their country; this is definitely not a nine-to-five career. Although the work is challenging and exciting, Special Agents still have the opportunity to spend quality time with their families.

11. How does the background investigation process work?

Because of the sensitive nature of the FBI's missions, all FBI positions require at least a Top Secret Security Clearance. Before employees can start work with the FBI, they must undergo an intensive background investigation that includes a polygraph examination, a test for illegal drugs, credit and records checks, and extensive interviews with former and current colleagues, neighbors, friends, professors, etc. Please also note that there are certain employment requirements that may disqualify you from consideration for employment with the FBI. Before applying for any position with the FBI, please be sure that the FBI Employment Disqualifiers do not apply to you.

12. How much are FBI Special Agents paid?

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 on an annualized basis (or $1,963 per each two-week pay period).

Newly assigned Special Agents are paid 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 differences in the labor market between different areas. Availability pay is a 25% increase in adjusted salary (base salary + locality pay) for all Special Agents due to their requirement to average a 50-hour work week over the course of the year. Thus, with the locality and availability pay adjustments, new Special Agents in their first Field Offices earn between $61,100 and $69,900, depending upon the region of the country to which they are assigned.

New Special Agents assigned to certain designated high-cost offices (New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, Washington D.C., Boston and Newark) may also be paid a one-time relocation bonus of approximately $22,000 to help offset higher real estate and living costs. In order to qualify for the relocation bonus, new Special Agents must be assigned to one of the designated high-cost offices and they must be moving from a lower cost area to a different geographical area with a higher cost of living.

For example, a new Agent assigned to Washington, D.C. would make a base salary of $43,441 (GS-10, step 1 on the Law Enforcement Officers' salary table) + locality pay of $7,602 (based on Washington, D.C.'s locality adjustment of 17.5%) + availability pay of $12,761 (25% of base + locality) for a total salary of $63,804 their first year. If the new Special Agent qualified for the relocation bonus (e.g., moving from Atlanta to Washington, D.C.), they would also receive a one-time payment of approximately $22,000.

13. What are the employment benefits like?

As an FBI employee, Special Agents are also entitled to a variety of benefits, including group health and life insurance programs, vacation and sick pay, and a full retirement plan.

14. What are the opportunities for promotions and pay increases?

As they gain more experience, Special Agents can qualify for promotion to a variety of managerial and executive positions. Special Agents enter as GS 10 employees on the law enforcement government pay scale and can advance to the GS 13 grade level in field, non-supervisory assignments. Promotions to supervisory, management, and executive positions are available in grades GS 14 and GS 15 as well as in the FBI Senior Executive Service.

15. How long does the FBI Special Agent application process take?

The length of the application process for the Special Agent position can vary greatly from applicant to applicant. The process could be as little as six months or as long as several years. The Special Agent Selection System (Phase I and Phase II Testing) is based on the applicant's competitiveness in the pool of candidates. If an applicant meets several of the FBI's critical skill needs, they are more likely to move quickly through the testing process. If an applicant does not meet any of the FBI's critical needs, however, it may take months or longer to be scheduled for testing.

In addition to the length of the Phase I and II testing process, the Physical Fitness Test, FBI Background Investigation, and Medical Evaluation will all impact the length of the application process. Each of these items can take a considerable amount of time to complete if any issues are encountered.

16. How are Special Agents assigned to offices and how often are Special Agents rotated in their assignments?

Newly appointed Special Agents are assigned to one of the FBI's 56 field offices based on the current staffing and/or critical specialty needs. New Agents are given the opportunity to rank their desired locations. While consideration is given to these preferences, first office assignment is based upon the staffing needs of the FBI. All Special Agents are subject to transfer at any time to meet the organizational and program needs of the FBI. Special Agents accept the possibility of transfer as a condition of their employment.

A new Special Agent can generally expect to remain in his/her first office of assignment for approximately three years. During their first two years new Special Agents are guided by a veteran Special Agent who will help them apply the lessons learned at the FBI Academy. New Agents initially assigned to a small- or medium-sized field office are normally transferred to a large field office at the end of their third year. New agents initially assigned to a large field office will generally not be transferred unless they apply for management positions, are eligible for a voluntary transfer, or the needs of the FBI dictate otherwise.