Also called: Cryptologic Linguist, Language Analyst
Translates and analyzes foreign-language intercepts and documents for intelligence agencies.
Language analysts listen to intercepted conversations in languages like Mandarin, Russian, Farsi, or Korean, translate them, and explain what they mean in context, including slang and code words. Rare-language speakers can get hiring bonuses.
Federal GS or agency pay scale; DC-area locality pay is higher.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. Fluency in a critical language; bachelor's degree; Top Secret clearance.
Ways in: 4-year college, Military. Training cost: Get paid while you train.
Majors to look at: Foreign Languages, Linguistics, Middle Eastern Studies, East Asian Studies.
Growing slowly. Approximate.
High risk for 10 years. Machine translation and speech-to-text now handle much routine intercept work; rare languages and nuance keep some humans.
Classes: A critical language (Russian, Arabic), AP English Language, AP World History.
Official data: O*NET occupation 27-3091.
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.