How Do You Become A Secret Service Agent Wiki How

By Jordan Fabel • Updated: September 20, 2021 • 8 min read • Criminal Justice

Approved Form is reader-supported. If you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a small commission.

Are you interested in an heady career as a secret service agent? Exercise yous want to savour this prestigious career in the law enforcement manufacture? There are many great benefits of becoming a hush-hush service agent. Nevertheless, information technology takes the correct blazon of person to enter this career.

When yous want to become a hush-hush service agent, it'due south all-time to understand the job duties. Y'all should know what this career includes. Allow'southward look at the job duties of this career and the steps for how to go a surreptitious service agent.

How To Become a Secret Service Agent

Chore Duties of a Clandestine Service Amanuensis

When you decide to get a secret service agent, you will be a part of the federal law enforcement agency. The duties you will take on are rather unique. From investigating to preventing financial crimes to averting computer-based threats, you lot will have plenty to do as a secret service agent.

Some of your job duties may include:

Offer security for government figures including politicians and even the President, Vice President, and their families
Help to protect buildings and events that require a national level of protection.
Investigate identity theft, financial fraud, counterfeit, and other types of crimes
Investigate figurer hacking attempts on banking infrastructure and national telecommunications
Go underground to aid investigate criminal enterprises
Write reports about investigations and protection services provided

The U.S. Cloak-and-dagger Service has two different divisions. The division you get a part of will determine your job duties. The investigative sectionalisation volition take intendance of investigating crimes including identity theft, fraud, counterfeit, and reckoner hacking. If yous bring together the uniformed sectionalisation, as well called the protective division, you volition provide protective services.

While near people retrieve of the Secret Service every bit those people assigned to protect the President and other political figures, it's actually more mutual for Cloak-and-dagger Service Agents to work in the investigative division. Your job may vary quite a flake and you may need to travel frequently.

How to Become a Secret Service Agent in 5 Steps

Step #1 – Meet the Minimum Requirements

Non everybody can be a Secret Service Agent. There are some that won't qualify due to specific requirements. If yous want to become a Secret Service Agent, you will need to come across the following bones requirements:

Must exist a United States Denizen
Must be age 21 to 37 years old
Must agree a valid and current driver's license
You will demand to have 20/100 vision that tin be corrected to 20/xx vision or better
Must be registered with the Selective Service System or provide proof of exemption

While these requirements may not seem similar much, they are just the start. The U.Southward. Clandestine Service is incredibly competitive and you will need to be the absolute all-time possible candidate to go selected.

Step #2 – End Loftier Schoolhouse

Those looking to go into a career as a Secret Service Agent will need to hold a available's caste or higher. This means you have to complete high school. Information technology's best to have a high GPA and complete many honors or AP courses. Loftier scores on the Saturday or ACT tin can also exist very helpful.

You desire to start in high school on this career path. Getting the highest grades in the most challenging courses can help you move through the steps to becoming a Cloak-and-dagger Service Agent.

Step #iii – Consummate a Bachelor's Caste

You volition need to have a bachelor'south degree to become a Secret Service Amanuensis. It's best to get a caste in criminal justice, law enforcement, or another related field. Every bit y'all complete your available's degree, yous want to maintain a high GPA.

Without a bachelor's caste, you lot will demand at least three years of constabulary enforcement experience. Nevertheless, it'due south far easier to go downwards this career path with a degree. If you lot demonstrate superior academic accomplishment, yous will accept a meliorate chance to move down the path towards condign a Secret Service Agent.

Step #four – Get a Graduate Degree

Y'all don't need a graduate degree to become a Cloak-and-dagger Service Amanuensis. However, you need to be the very best candidate, so getting an advanced caste tin can certainly help. Getting a graduate degree can as well help you brand up for not doing and then well when getting your bachelor'due south degree.

A master's caste tin can help you move through the steps to becoming a Secret Service Agent faster and easier.

Step #v – Apply for an Open Position

Later getting your available'southward degree or getting the necessary experience, you will demand to apply for a U.S. Secret Service position. This application volition include many tests and background checks. You will go through all of the following:

Groundwork Checks
Drug Tests
Polygraph Tests
Medical Examinations
Interviews
And more!

You lot will also have to pass a written exam and the Applicant Physical Abilities Test. If you cannot be approved for Acme Undercover clearance, you won't be able to enter this career.

The Physical Abilities Test will include push button-ups, sit-ups, mentum-ups, and you lot will take to complete a 1.5-mile run. The score y'all receive will exist based on how many of these exercises you tin exercise and how fast you complete the run. If you want to get a Secret Service Agent, information technology's best to keep yourself in the best possible physical condition.

Step #5 – Consummate your Training

Subsequently you lot've completed the hiring process, you will still need to get through preparation. This training will be held at the Federal Law Enforcement Preparation Center institute in Glynco, Georgia.

You volition need to complete the ten-week Criminal Investigator Training Plan. This program will include topics, such as investigative techniques, police procedures, arrest laws, and firearm training.

Later completing this preparation, you lot will also need to complete a 17-week Special Agent training course. This grade will exist held at the James J. Rowley Grooming Center found in Washington D.C. You will gain more than in-depth grooming on topics, such equally providing physical protection and combating fraud.

Necessary Skills for Hugger-mugger Service Agents

If you want to go a undercover service agent, you'll need the correct skill. Some of the skills to piece of work on include:

Communication skills
Research skills
Decision-making skills
Investigative skills
Ascertainment skills
Physical endurance skills

These skills will be very important to the job. You volition also need a stiff desire to larn, equally you volition need to continually acquire to advance through your training.

Oft Asked Questions Nigh Condign a Secret Service Agent

How much can I make as a Undercover Service Amanuensis?

If you get a special agent with the Secret Service, you will take a starting salary of about $49K with promotion potential all the way upwardly to well-nigh $144K per twelvemonth. Those that work in the uniform division as uniformed officers volition have a starting salary of virtually $64K and it can go up to equally much equally $110K per twelvemonth.

Equally a Secret Service Amanuensis, you volition exist paid based on a pay scale with different pay grades. Most Underground Service Agents are hired in at GL-7 or GL-9. These are the bottom salary range for the position, while the highest possible pay grade for a Secret Service Agent is GL-xiii.

Your location, job duties, and position will help to determine your actual salary.

How long will it take me to get through the hiring process to go a Secret Service Agent?

If you lot want to become a Secret Service Amanuensis, yous will go through testing and background checks. Y'all will need to laissez passer everything and qualify for Top Underground clearance. These factors have time. The hiring process volition likely have anywhere from six to nine months to consummate.

What type of piece of work environs will I have to suffer?

As a Hush-hush Service Amanuensis, you lot will likely work at many different locations beyond the world. You may need to travel without much notice and spend quite a bit of time away from your family unit. Some of your work will likely happen in undesirable locations.

This career too requires you to be available 24/7, in case y'all were needed. These working conditions can exist very challenging.

Do I need experience to become a Clandestine Service Amanuensis?

You don't necessarily need experience to become a Secret Service Agent. Nevertheless, prior constabulary enforcement or military experience is very helpful. Since y'all need to be the all-time possible candidate, this type of experience tin can aid you ascension to the height.

Information technology can also be helpful to acquire a foreign linguistic communication, or more than than one. This can lead to hiring bonuses and special assignments.

If y'all desire to enter a very challenging and exciting career every bit a Secret Service Agent, yous need to follow the steps above. Doing well in school, doing well in grooming, and condign a Secret Service Agent tin be very rewarding. Withal, information technology can also take quite a fleck of piece of work.

Yous need to be the very best candidate when you apply for this type of position. Meeting the basic requirements isn't enough. You must too ascension to the top of the candidate pool.

Jordan Fabel

Covering different 'paths' that people'due south lives can take. Creative, foster parent, ticket dismissal, y'all get the idea. Exploring the requirements, certifications, exams, and obviously, approved courses forth each path. I, personally, am the high school dropout son of 2 teacher parents. So how did I get here? That story is coming presently!