Secret Service Agent

How to Become a Secret Service Agent

Secret Service agents provide protective services to the United States and its leaders and financial systems. The Secret Service was originally created in 1865 to suppress the counterfeiting of U.S. currency, but the agency’s role has since developed into much more. Secret Service agents now protect the president and vice president, their families, former presidents, presidential candidates and other U.S. or foreign visiting political figures. Secret Service agents also perform investigative services.

Secret Service agents are often responsible for working on criminal cases that relate to the nation’s financial security. These crimes might include credit card fraud, computer fraud, and bank fraud. Secret Service agents will also investigate people that could pose a threat to the president. Agents can work as directors, deputy directors, special agents, uniformed division officers, and support personnel.

Secret Service Agent Qualifications
The qualifications to become a Secret Service agent are very demanding. Secret Services agents must:

  • Be under the age of 37
  • Be in excellent physical condition
  • Have 20/40 vision in each eye, correctable to 20/20
  • Have a bachelor’s degree, or some combination of education and investigative experience
  • Pass a written exam, drug screening, and polygraph test
  • Have a record that is clear of criminal behavior
  • Participate in an extensive training program

Many people apply for positions in the Secret Service, making competition for job opportunities very keen. It is very important for those who wish to become a Secret Service agent to study very hard in school and maintain a clean personal record. Earning a bachelor’s degree in a major such as criminal justice, law, law enforcement, police science, or criminology would be very beneficial to those who wish to become a Secret Service Agent.

New Secret Service agents spend 11 weeks in training at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center. This is where agents learn police skills such as firearms training, defensive tactics, and report writing. Agents then spend 16 weeks in Washington, D.C. for additional specialized training.

Secret Service Agent Salary Statistics

The United States Secret Service reports that in 2009 starting salaries of agents in the Secret Service ranged from $43,200 to $73,354. Salaries will increase as agents become more experienced within the field.

Source: http://www.secretservice.gov