Secret Service agents provide physical protection for high-level members of the government. They also investigate financial crimes like fraud, counterfeiting and identity theft. An agents’ work is demanding but ensures the safety of some of the world’s most important people.
Individuals wondering how to become a Secret Service agent can consult this guide for potential career pathways. We also explore requirements for education, experience and fitness.
What Is a Secret Service Agent?
Secret Service agents protect government officials domestically and abroad. Along with physically escorting and overseeing the safety of protectees, these professionals also help improve protection policies and investigate financial crimes relating to the U.S. government.
The U.S. Secret Service divides into two segments: the uniformed division and the investigative division. Individuals can pursue work in either division to help protect high-level government employees through direct protective work or investigative duties.
How to Become a Secret Service Special Agent
Secret Service special agents must meet specific requirements to serve their country. Professionals wondering how to get into the Secret Service should consider the following step-by-step guide.
Meet the Qualifications
To get into the Secret Service, candidates must meet several requirements relating to their physical fitness, citizenship status and education level. Each aspiring special agent must be a U.S. citizen aged 21 to 37 and possess a valid driver’s license.
Secret Service agents cannot have any visible tattoos or body markings and must qualify for Top Secret clearance, which requires a thorough background investigation. Candidates must also pass drug screenings, complete polygraph tests and agree to work anywhere in the world.
Each applicant needs to possess firearm proficiency and the legal right to possess a firearm. Individuals with domestic violence convictions will not qualify.
Education Requirements
Prospective Secret Service special agents must also meet education and experience requirements. To become a Secret Service agent, a candidate must qualify for the GL-07 or GL-09 government pay scale levels.
For the GL-07 level, an individual must meet one of the following qualifications:
- Possess a criminal justice bachelor’s degree or a similar credential from an accredited university with a qualifying GPA and class standing.
- Complete 18 credits of graduate-level studies.
- Have one year of relevant experience.
- Be able to act as a leader or partner with collaborators to complete relevant missions.
To meet GL-09 standards, a candidate must possess one of the following requirements:
- Possess a master’s in criminal justice or a similar subject, a doctoral degree or two full years of relevant higher-level graduate education.
- Hold one year of relevant specialized education.
- Complete specialized experience and one year of graduate-level education.
Meet All Fitness Standards
Secret Service special agents must have strong physical and mental health. Secret Service requirements stipulate that all candidates must pass physical exams for hearing, vision and general fitness standards. The applicant physical abilities test (APAT) evaluates individuals based on how many push-ups and sit-ups they can complete in a minute, along with agility and distance running tests.
Submit an Application
Candidates can apply to get into the Secret Service online through the USAJOBS website. The hiring process comprises two stages: competency and security. The first phase includes a written examination, the APAT exam, an interview and a hiring panel review, as long as the candidate meets specific qualifications listed in the job posting.
The security phase requires a polygraph test, health examination and background check. This investigation may take six to nine months, as the agency examines a candidate’s employment, legal, education, interpersonal and credit history.
Complete the Required Training
After the Secret Service accepts a candidate, the individual must undergo additional training. Trainees spend their first year developing fitness and firearms skills through simulations and formal, classroom-based education.
Each special agent completes an 18-week training course covering both divisions of Secret Service work. The course explores concepts such as criminal financial activities, physical protection techniques, emergency medicine and device fraud. Agents also develop their marksmanship and survival skills.
Career Path for a Secret Service Special Agent
Though specific assignments vary for Secret Service special agents, the most common pathway is fairly consistent. Given the government’s set pay scale program, agents typically advance through the following steps.
Career Entry/Field Office Assignment
Secret Service special agents generally start as field officers for three to five years. Before receiving specific protection assignments, these agents work in office settings, gathering information and performing investigations on potential security concerns. Though they provide indirect protection to some of the nation’s most powerful individuals, Secret Service agents generally do not provide physical protection in this phase.
Professionals are placed anywhere they are needed and may be reassigned to different locations during field office assignments.
Protective Assignment
Special agents receive protective assignments after being promoted from field offices to the permanent protective division. At the permanent protective division, special agents may serve the Office of Protective Operations or the Office of Strategic Intelligence and Information. This phase typically lasts six years, with agents working in the Washington, D.C., area.
In this phase, Secret Service special agents maintain a physical presence to escort and safeguard current, future and former politicians, along with their family members.
Post-Protective Field, Protection or Headquarters Assignment
Following a permanent protective assignment, Secret Service special agents can opt for year-long protective assignments, returning to field offices, reassignment to different divisions or additional training.
Regardless of their specific choice or change in setting, special agents in this phase can pursue specializations such as electronic crimes, logistics management, technical security and law training. These professionals can use their increased knowledge of niche areas of the field to improve protection efforts domestically and abroad.
Secret Service Agent Salary and Benefits
Secret Service Salary
Professionals in the Secret Service may earn average salaries in entry-level roles—the base pay for GL-07 grade government employees is $49,508. Fortunately, as these professionals gain experience, they also receive consistent pay increases. According to Glassdoor, Secret Service agents earned a median annual salary of around $119,000 as of December 2023.
Benefits for Secret Service Agents
Secret Service agents receive strong benefits packages, including low-cost life insurance, comprehensive retirement plans, 13 to 26 personal days each year, paid parental leave and affordable health care plans. Special agents also qualify for law enforcement availability pay, which can increase their base salaries by 25%.
Other Types of Secret Service Jobs
Along with field office and permanent protection positions within the Secret Service, individuals can pursue alternative roles within the agency. The following section explores these divisions.
Uniformed Division
The Uniformed Division protects locations and facilities, rather than specific individuals. For example, they may secure areas like the White House Complex, Treasury Department buildings and U.S.-occupied areas abroad.
Technical Law Enforcement
In this Secret Service division, agents assist uniformed officers and special agents through investigations by acting as drivers and helping to safeguard facilities. These professionals may oversee the installation of surveillance devices and monitor locations ahead of events to ensure the safety of protectees and buildings.
Administrative, Professional and Technical
The Secret Service also requires technical and administrative professionals to handle tasks relating to the logistics of protection. These individuals may work as civil engineers, research specialists or administrators who handle forms and other paperwork. Their work supports the efforts of all Secret Service divisions.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About How to Become a Secret Service Agent
How hard is it to get into the Secret Service?
The Secret Service applies strict requirements to join the agency, even at the entry level. Driven individuals who are dedicated to education, experience, fitness and security can find roles within the Secret Service.
Is the Secret Service a good job?
Though Secret Service agents’ work can be stressful, these professionals perform crucial tasks to protect some of the most important people in the world. These professionals earn above-average pay and receive competitive benefits, but they must be prepared for significant travel and life-threatening tasks.
