Becoming an FBI Special Agent
or Counterintelligence Special Agent

Wanna become an FBI special agent? Learn the requirements, qualifications & background needed to be the next James Bond counterintelligence special agent

In order to become an agent of the FBI, there are a number of qualifications you must first meet. These include:

  • Age - Older then 23, younger than 37
  • Education - Four year degree with career path focus
  • Citizenship - Citizen of United States
  • Experience - At least three years in a professional work environment

If your application is accepted, then you can expect to spend seventeen weeks training at the U.S. Marine Corps base in Quantico, Virginia.

And then you can become a counterintelligence special agent.

Common Questions on Becoming an FBI Special Agent

But there are still so many questions to answer.

For instance, how much is an FBI Special Agent salary? What is a Counterintelligence Special Agent?

What are the different FBI jobs available? And what are you actually responsible for as a FBI agent?

The following section will answer these questions and more as you continue to explore the world and career of a counterintelligence secret agent.

FBI Special Agent Salary

an fbi agent performs surveillance

An FBI Agent Performs Surveillance

It may not be the question on everyone's mind, but surely there are a few out there who are more than just a little curious:

How much does an FBI Agent make per year?

On average, the annual salary of an FBI secret agent is around $70,000. But with experience and seniority, that number can go much higher.

For example, a senior agent of the FBI who has been on the job for twelve years or more may be earning upwards of $100,000 a year.

Your salary depends on the quality of work you do, how long you've been working with the FBI, and what ranking you hold within the Bureau.

Different Types of FBI Jobs

There are many career paths open to a counterintelligence special agent recruit. Depending on where your strengths and interests lay, you could be working in one of a number of divisions.

In brief, the Federal Bureau of Investigation is charged with the task of protecting the American people. This task comes in a variety of forms: from desk work to field work, from computer analysis to the apprehension of suspects and criminals.

As an FBI Special Agent you will be working on assignment to help ensure the safety of this country's citizens.

And you could be doing this in a variety of divisions, including:

  • Counterintelligence Division - This division oversees all Foreign Counterintelligence investigations (FCIs) to ensure that operations are coordinated. They also work to prevent damage to U.S. intelligence community, the U.S. government, and the U.S.'s critical national assets.
  • Counterterrorism Division - This group is responsible for monitoring terrorist groups in the U.S., preventing acts of terrorism, disrupting financial support systems for terrorists, and overall enhancing our ability to locate and dissolve terrorist threats as quickly as possible.
  • Criminal Investigation Division - These Special Agents work investigations focused on financial, violent, organized, drug-related, civil rights-related, and public corruption-related crimes.
  • Cyber Division - The Cyber Division locates and dissolves the biggest threats to our national security by way of the Internet and other computer communications devices.

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