Also called: Federal Agent, G-Man
Investigates federal crimes like terrorism, espionage, cybercrime, kidnapping, and public corruption.
FBI agents might spend a week tracing a ransomware gang's crypto payments, then join a dawn raid to arrest a suspect. They interview witnesses, run informants, write affidavits, and testify in court. Training is 20 weeks at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia.
Federal GS/GL pay plus 25% Law Enforcement Availability Pay (LEAP) and locality pay.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. Bachelor's degree, U.S. citizenship, age limits (usually under 37 at hiring), tough fitness test, background check, and a long federal academy. Accountants, lawyers, scientists, and language speakers are especially sought.
Ways in: 4-year college, Graduate school, Military. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Criminal Justice, Accounting, Computer Science, Law (JD), Foreign Languages.
Growing about average. No separate BLS projection; hiring depends on federal budgets.
Low risk for 10 years. AI sifts seized data and crypto trails; interviews, informants, raids and court testimony stay human.
Classes: AP Statistics or Accounting, A foreign language, Computer science, PE / fitness.
Official data: O*NET occupation 33-3021.
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.