Job Description of an FBI Special Agent

FBI special agents work in the field as well as in offices.

A Federal Bureau of Investigation special agent can work on a variety of cases, many of them having national or international implications. Potential candidates must meet a number of requirements and go through an exhaustive series of tests to become an FBI special agent.

Job Description

FBI special agents are government agents that investigate crimes related to national security or breach of the national laws. They work on big cases such as terrorism and organized crime, and smaller cases such as kidnapping or bank robbery. The work of an FBI special agent is often confidential. Though the head office is in Washington, D.C., FBI special agents work in smaller offices around the country.

Requirements

Becoming an FBI special agent involves meeting a rigorous set of requirements. Some of the main requirements include: being a U.S. citizen between 23 and 37 years of age, graduating from college in programs including accounting, computer science, language or law, having one or a few of the critical skills that the FBI is looking for in potential candidates, possessing a valid driver's license, and having at least three years of professional work experience.

Hiring Process

After applying at the FBI, the chosen candidates undergo a series of tests. First up is written tests, and candidates who pass those tests are invited for a face-to-face interview conducted by a panel of current special agents, along with more writing tests. Successful candidates will then take a physical fitness test, and if they succeed once again, they will be subject to a medical test and a background investigation. Only once they have passed all these tests can candidates start taking special agent classes.

Career Path

FBI special agent trainees begin their careers with a 21-week stint of intensive training at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virgina. They will learn theoretical and practical skills, such as criminal law, self-defense and weapons training. After successful graduation from the academy, the trainees become FBI special agents. New special agents are then assigned to an FBI office and will typically spend three years there, the first two working alongside an experienced special agent. Later in their careers, special agents can become supervisors or managers.

Salary

During their 21 weeks of training at the FBI Academy, Special Agent trainees are paid $981 per week, as of July 2010. New special agents make between $61,100 and $69,900 annually after they leave the FBI Academy. Special agents are expected to work 50 hours per week during the year. Their pay increases over time, especially if they become supervisors or managers.

References

• Federal Bureau of Investigation: Become an FBI Special Agent
• Federal Bureau of Investigation: Special Agent Qualification Requirements
• Federal Bureau of Investigation: Special Agent Application and Hiring Process
• Federal Bureau of Investigation: Special Agent Career Path Program
• State University: FBI Special Agent Job Description, Career as a FBI Special Agent, Salary, Employment - Definition and Nature of the Work, Education and Training Requirements, Getting the Job