Also called: IRS-CI Agent, Financial Crimes Agent
An armed federal agent who investigates tax fraud, money laundering, and financial crimes.
IRS-CI agents follow the money: they helped convict Al Capone and today trace crypto laundering and cartel finances. They're accountants who carry badges and guns. Accounting degrees are required.
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. At least 15 accounting credits.
Ways in: 4-year college. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Accounting, Finance, Criminal Justice.
Growing slowly. No separate BLS projection; hiring depends on federal budgets.
Low risk in 5 years, medium in 10. AI tracing of crypto and bank data shrinks analysis hours; search warrants and interviews stay human.
Classes: AP Accounting or Business, AP Statistics, Computer science, Economics.
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.