Also called: Consular Affairs Officer, Visa Officer
A diplomat who decides visa applications and helps Americans in trouble overseas.
New FSOs usually start in consular work. They interview dozens of visa applicants a day through a window, deciding in minutes who can travel to the U.S. They also visit Americans in foreign jails or hospitals and help families after a death abroad.
Federal Foreign Service pay scale; overseas posts add housing and hardship/danger pay.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 5 years after high school. Any bachelor's degree is typical (not legally required); pass the Foreign Service Officer Test, oral assessment, and security clearance.
Ways in: 4-year college, On-the-job training. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: International Relations, Foreign Languages, Political Science.
Growing slowly.
Medium risk for 10 years. AI pre-screens visa documents and flags fraud; the interview and the final decision stay with a trained officer.
Classes: Spanish or another language, AP Government, Psychology.
Official data: O*NET occupation 19-3094.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.