FBI Agent Job Description
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, or FBI, functions as the United States government's principal crime investigation team. A branch of the Department of Justice, the bureau's mission is to enforce the country's laws, defend against terrorist threats, and provide assistance to other law enforcement agencies at all levels. Since the FBI handles an enormous variety of investigations, an agent typically specializes in a certain field.
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Function
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The FBI agent job description includes investigating many forms of criminal activity, such as bribery, cyber crime, drug trafficking, financial and other white-collar crime, kidnapping and organized crime. The FBI agent also investigates airplane hijackings, international espionage and potential terrorist threats, and conduct sensitive national security investigations. The FBI agent is responsible for investigating any interstate criminal activity. FBI agents solve cases involving violations of more than 260 federal statutes.
Specifics
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An FBI agent accomplishes her mission by conducting surveillance, monitoring wiretaps and working undercover. She interviews people who may be knowledgeable about the crime, and examine personal, financial and business records. She works at the office and in the field, travels to other locations, and sometimes must use force to make arrests.
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Requirements
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People interested in becoming an FBI agent must have a Bachelor's degree at a minimum. Many agents have degrees in criminal justice or criminology, political science or business. Some are law school graduates. All agents receive 18 weeks of extensive training after being hired. Applicants should be competitive, physically fit, mentally stable, willing to face dangerous situations, accepting of unpredictability, and be very interested in law enforcement and in protecting people and property.
Considerations
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The FBI may require an agent to relocate or to travel extensively. The job can be stressful, dangerous and emotionally disturbing. Some see many death scenes and deal with traumatized individuals, and face life-threatening encounters with criminals. An agent can become cynical about the numerous ordinary citizens who turn out to be less than honorable. An agent is usually assigned a 40-hour weekly schedule but commonly works overtime. The stressful nature of the work and the long hours can cause problems for an agent's personal relationships.
Benefits
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According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the FBI agent receives a specified amount of extra pay for the large amount of overtime he is expected to work. In 2007, for instance, an FBI agent started at a base salary of about $48,000, but actually earned about $60,000 because of the overtime pay, called availability pay. The FBI agent receives a full benefit package with health insurance, a retirement plan, and paid vacations and holidays. Many also have a company car and work-issued cell phone.
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