About This Position
Joining the Secret Service as a Special Agent will allow you to perform critical protective and investigative assignments. The Special Agent position starts at a base salary of $63,795.00 (GS-11, step 1), with promotion potential to $117,034.00 (GS-13, step 10).
This position is covered by Law Enforcement Availability Pay (LEAP) which is an additional compensation of 25% of the basic rate of pay. For more information on the Secret Service click here.
Qualifications
Specialized Experience to qualify for the GS-11 Level (starting base salary $63,795) you must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GL-09 in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position is outlined as: Ph.D.
OR
equivalent doctoral degree, or 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree, or LL.M.; OR Have at least 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to the GL-9 level such as experience in, or related to planning and conducting complex criminal investigations to determine violations of Federal laws and regulations; collecting and assembling facts to identify logical conclusion; gathering, analyzing, and evaluating evidence or data; conducting interviews and interrogations; making arrests; conducting searches and seizures; taking responsibility for own actions and those of team members to ensure the goals and deadlines for the team are met; partnering with or leveraging networks or relationships from outside the organization, experience managing complex projects including setting priorities and determining resource requirements; OR A combination of specialized experience, as described above, and related graduate level education, beyond the first full year of doctoral level study. Specialized Experience to qualify for the GS-12 Level (starting base salary $76,463) you must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position is outlined as: Participates as a team member, which may include planning, coordinating, and conducting Federal investigative activities.
Investigations may involve surveillance assignments, developing and controlling informants, and activities concerning organized crime and/or subversive groups; OR Develops and uses information from a wide variety of sources such as electronic devices, informants, private citizens, victims, and officials from Federal law enforcement agencies, to investigate and, when appropriate, apprehend individuals suspected of being involved in crimes, in support of the subsequent preparation and presentation of federal court cases in collaboration with other Federal agencies. To qualify for the GS-13 Level (starting base salary $90,925) you must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 level in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position is outlined as: Investigates violations of the laws of the United States relating to fraudulent manufacture and/or use of credit/debit cards, access devices, computers/telecommunications equipment, and Federal government identification; Or Coordinates investigations with Federal jurisdictions and/or assists foreign officials in cases of international scope.
Time-in-Grade: Current Federal employees must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade or equivalent grade band in the Federal service. Qualifications Must Be Met: The qualification requirements listed above must be met by the closing date of this announcement.
In addition to meeting the basic eligibility criteria, ICTAP and CTAP applicants must be well qualified for the position. Well-qualified is defined as having knowledge, skills, and abilities that clearly exceed the minimum qualification requirements for the position. ICTAP and CTAP applicants must possess a background that demonstrates a satisfactory level of the evaluation criteria to be eligible for selection.
Those applicants who are ICTAP and CTAP eligible and Persons eligible under the VEOA and who are found to be qualified for this vacancy will be referred to the hiring manager for further consideration and possible interview. If your application and supporting documentation does not support your responses to the questionnaire, it may affect your evaluation or result in your name being removed from further consideration.
Applicants must successfully complete Phase I to be certified to receive a conditional offer of employment notification. In addition, applicants must successfully complete Phase II in order to receive final consideration for employment. Phase I: National Crime Information Center (NCIC) Special Agent Entrance Exam (SAEE) Applicant Physical Abilities Test Interview Phase II: Credit check Security interview Polygraph examination Drug Screening Medical examination Background investigation (a top-secret security clearance).
The Secret Service follows stringent guidelines relating to illegal drug usage. An applicant's history is reviewed and a determination for employment is made according to our guidelines. For more information regarding the U.S.
Secret Service drug guidelines please click here. As part of the application process the applicant will be required to complete the United States Secret Service Applicant Physical Abilities Test (APAT). It is a physical fitness assessment which consists of four components (push-ups, sit-ups, Illinois Agility Run and a 1.5 Mile Run).
The APAT is designed to measure the current level of general physical fitness of an applicant, which serves as an indicator of an applicant's ability to safely complete a vigorous physical training program. It evaluates the applicant's ability to perform the physical tasks required on the job by measuring muscular and dynamic strength, endurance, flexibility, aerobic capacity and other factors related to physical aptitude. The standards are anticipated to be the same regardless of age, gender or position.
General Medical Requirements: As determined by OPM the duties of this position require moderate to arduous physical exertion involving walking and standing, use of firearms, and exposure to inclement weather. Manual dexterity with comparatively free motion of fingers, wrist, elbows, shoulders, hips and knee joints is required. Arms, hands, legs and feet must function sufficiently in order for applicants to perform the duties satisfactorily.
Major Duties
Joining the United States Secret Service as a Special Agent offers a unique and rewarding career dedicated to serving the nation through our dual mission of criminal investigations and protection. Special Agents play a critical role in safeguarding the financial integrity of the United States and protecting its highest leaders, including the President, Vice President, and other designated individuals. Throughout their careers, Special Agents have the opportunity to work on diverse assignments across the country and around the globe, gaining unparalleled experience in both investigative and protective operations.
Responsibilities include: Conducting complex criminal investigations into financial crimes, including counterfeiting, cyber fraud, and other threats to the financial infrastructure of the United States. Providing physical protection for the President, Vice President, their families, visiting foreign dignitaries, and other protectees, ensuring their safety in every environment. Designing, planning, and implementing advanced security measures for National Special Security Events (NSSEs), such as presidential inaugurations, international summits, and other high-profile events.
As a Special Agent, you will be part of an elite team committed to excellence, integrity, and service, with opportunities to serve at multiple duty stations both domestically and internationally. This dynamic and impactful career challenges you to rise to your fullest potential while making a difference for the nation. For more information about the Special Agent position, click here.
Conditions of Employment
U.S. citizenship is required. U.S. citizens are legally authorized to work in the United States without employer sponsorship and are entitled to all rights and protections under U.S. law. Possess a current valid driver's license.
Must be REAL ID compliant. Use your official name on your application as it appears on your valid government identification (i.e., REAL ID Driver's License, State ID, Passport). Must be at least 21 years old at the time of application and under 40 at referral.
Exceptions may apply for those with current or prior service in federal law enforcement positions covered by special retirement provisions. The Secret Service has determined that age is essential to the performance of this position. Submit to a drug test prior to your appointment and random drug testing while you occupy the position.
Disclose any prior drug use, attempted use, and/or experimentation. Obtain a Top-Secret Clearance and retain it during your career.
This position requires an automatic credit check after initial qualifications are met. Carry and use a firearm. Maintaining firearm proficiency is mandatory.
You will be ineligible to occupy this position if at any time you have been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, unless you received a pardon, or your conviction was expunged or set aside. Candidates may be required to complete an expedited specialized training program. Failure to pass the training program may result in separation from the Secret Service.
Sign a mobility agreement stating your willingness to accept assignments anywhere within the United States and overseas. Certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so, if you are a male applicant born after December 31,1959. Must have uncorrected vision of at least 20/100, correctable to 20/20 in each eye.
LASIK, ALK, RK, and PRK surgeries are acceptable if required post-surgery visual tests are passed: Lasik (3 months), PRK (6 months), ALK/RK (1 year) waiting periods apply. Hearing loss, as measured by an audiometer, must not exceed 25 decibels (A.S.A.
OR
equivalent I.S.O.) in either ear in the 500,1000 and 2000Hz ranges.
How You Will Be Evaluated
We will review your resume and supporting documentation to ensure you meet the minimum qualification requirements. If you meet the minimum qualifications, you will be placed in one of three categories: Qualified, Well Qualified, and Best Qualified, based on your experience, education, and training. If you are determined Well or Best Qualified for a grade level and successfully complete Phase 1, you will receive a conditional job offer.
The competencies needed to perform this job are: Investigative methods Protective methods Law enforcement techniques that provide the specific competencies to successfully perform the position's duties Exercising initiative Attention to detail Judgment in collecting, assembling and developing facts, evidence or other pertinent data Ability to analyze and evaluate data or evidence to arrive at sound conclusions including applying new information Ability to partner with or lead others in the accomplishment of mission activities If you meet the minimum qualifications, you will be placed in one of the following categories: Well-Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position and demonstrates acceptable proficiency in all of the critical competencies, including all SPFs and appropriate QRFs as determined by the job analysis. Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that meets the minimum qualifications of the position and demonstrate basic proficiency in most of the critical competencies, including all SPFs and appropriate QRFs as determined by the job analysis. Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) and Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP): If you have never worked for the Federal government, you are not ICTAP or CTAP eligible.
View information about ICTAP eligibility on OPM's Career Transition Resources website. To be considered eligible under ICTAP, you must be deemed qualified as described above. In addition, you must submit the supporting documents listed under the required documents section of this announcement.
Your on-line application will be rated on the extent, quality, and relevance of the following: your experience, education and training, and competencies. All applicants are evaluated on competencies related to law enforcement methods and techniques, protective methods and techniques, investigative methods and techniques, initiative, attention to detail, learning, problem solving, partnering, planning and organizing, and leadership. All answers in the online process must be substantiated by your resume.
Upon review your resume and transcripts need to support your answer choices. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or on the application questionnaire may result in your removal for consideration. Any offers of employment made pursuant to this announcement will be consistent with all applicable authorities, including Presidential Memoranda, Executive Orders, interpretive U.S.
Office of Personnel Management guidance and U.S. Office of Management and Budget plans and policies concerning hiring. These authorities are subject to change.
Additional Information
Applicants selected for this position will be required to sign a continuing service agreement before being assigned to an initial training class. The continuing service agreement will commit the applicant to a specified period of employment with the U.S. Secret Service upon the successful completion of training.
Applicants may be required to travel to all phases of the hiring process at their own expense. The Secret Service prohibits employees from having visible body markings (including but not limited to tattoos, body art, and branding) on the head, face, neck, hand and fingers (any area below the wrist bone). If you have visible body markings, you will be required to medically remove such visible body markings at your own expense prior to entering on duty with the Secret Service.
If you are deemed minimally qualified for this position, you will be required to complete an Optional Form 306, Declaration for Federal Employment, and to sign and certify the accuracy of all information in your application, prior to entering Phase 1 of the hiring process. False statements on any part of the application may result in withdrawal of offer of employment, dismissal after beginning work, fine, or imprisonment. Since the duties of this position are exacting and involve the responsibility for the safety of others under trying conditions, applicants must possess emotional and mental stability.
Any condition that would hinder full efficient performance of the duties of this position or that would cause the individual to be a hazard to himself/herself or to others is disqualifying. There are also specific medical requirements for this position and any chronic disease or condition affecting the respiratory, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, musculoskeletal, digestive, nervous, endocrine, lymphatic, nervous, genitourinary and other systems that would impair full performance of the duties of the position may also be disqualifying.
Click here for more information. The Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act prohibits the Department of Homeland Security and its Components from requesting an applicant's criminal history record before that individual receives a conditional offer of employment. In accordance with 5 U.S.
Code § 9202(c) and 5 C.F.R § 920.201 certain positions are exempt from the provisions of the Fair Chance to Compete Act. Applicants who believe they have been subjected to a violation of the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act, may submit a written complaint to Equal [email protected]. DHS uses E-Verify, an Internet-based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States.
Click here to learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities.
How to Apply
To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, to include submission of the documentation specified in the Required Documents section above. PLEASE
NOTE: Only resumes up to a total of two pages will be accepted. Applicants with resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration.
The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on 03/12/2026 to receive consideration. The application process is as follows: To begin your online application, click the Apply Online button and follow the prompts to register or sign into USAJOBS, Complete the online questionnaire and submit the required documents.
See Required Documents section for more detail. To preview the questionnaire, please click here. To update your application, at any time during the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account.
There you will find a record of your application, the application status, and an option to Update Application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed. To verify the status of your application both during and after the announcement open period, log into your USAJOBS account.
All of your applications will appear on the Welcome page. The application record in your USAJOBS account provides the Announcement Status and a "You applied on" date. This information does not confirm the agency application status.
Use the "Track this Application" link for additional information regarding the agency application status, the documentation you submitted, and any correspondence sent related to this application. The Announcement Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Announcement Status means, visit: https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to/application/status.
It is your responsibility to verify that any information entered or uploaded is received and is accurate. Human Resources will not modify or change any part of your application. Determining your eligibility and qualifications is dependent on the supporting documentation and information provided, which may impact your referral for further consideration.
If a document is not legible, we will not be able to view it in your application. We strongly encourage you to apply online. If you cannot apply online or have questions about the hiring process, you may contact the Law Enforcement Acquisition Division, Special Agent Support Branch at [email protected] OR by calling (202) 406-6760 between the hours of 9:00 am and 5:30 pm ET (excluding Federal holidays) prior to the closing date of this announcement to receive assistance.
Applying to this announcement certifies that you give permission for DHS to share your application with others in DHS for similar positions. The Department of Homeland Security encourages persons with disabilities to apply, to include persons with intellectual, severe physical or psychiatric disabilities, as defined by 5 CFR 213.3102(u), and or Disabled Veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30 percent or more as defined by 5 CFR 315.707. Veterans, Peace Corps, VISTA volunteers, and persons with disabilities possess a wealth of unique talents, experiences, and competencies that can be invaluable to the DHS mission.
If you are a member of one of these groups, you may not have to compete with the public for federal jobs. To determine your eligibility for non-competitive appointment and to understand the required documentation, click on the links above or contact the servicing Human Resources Office listed at the bottom of this announcement. The Secret Service provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities, on a case-by-case basis.
Please contact us if you require this for any part of the application and hiring process.
Required Documents
In addition to addressing the vacancy specific questions, you must also submit the following documentation: Resume- Limit your resume to no more than two pages. The USAJOBS database will not allow an applicant to submit an application that includes a resume over two pages. In order to receive credit for experience contained in an uploaded resume, your employment history should show relevant work experience in month/year format (MM/YYYY), reflecting starting date and ending date, and include the number of hours worked per week.
To learn how to format and submit a two-page resume, please visit the USAJOBS Help Center. If you have earned a college degree, or if you are qualifying based on education or you are qualifying based on a combination of education and experience (as explained in the Qualifications section), you must submit a copy of your college/university transcript (unofficial is acceptable) which must show school name, student's name, credit earned, degree, and date awarded. Education must be obtained from an accredited institution recognized by the U.S.
Department of Education. Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet Federal qualification requirements if you can show that your foreign education is comparable to education received in accredited educational institutions in the United States. For example, specific courses accepted for college-level credit by an accredited U.S. college or university, or foreign education evaluated by an organization recognized for accreditation by the Department of Education as education equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. college or university.
It is your responsibility to provide such evidence with your application. See Recognition of Foreign Qualifications for more information. Those with Foreign education, click here. Special Priority Selection rights under CTAP and ICTAP: Submit a copy of your agency notice, copy of your most recent performance appraisal (proof of your most recent performance rating of at least "fully successful" (Level III) or equivalent.), and your most current SF-50 noting duty location, tenure code, position occupied, highest grade and step, retirement code, and full performance level.
Are you a Veteran eligible under the Veterans Employment Opportunity Act of 1998? Submit a DD-214 (Member Copy 4) and/or documentation of service-connected disability. If a DD-214 (Member Copy 4) is not available, other documentation listing the beginning and ending dates of active service and the type of discharge must be submitted to verify eligibility.
For more information view Veteran Information. Are you a current or former Federal Employee? Submit a copy of your SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, showing your tenure code, position occupied and highest grade and step.
In addition, if you are over age 40, and are claiming an age waiver based on Federal law enforcement service you must provide the 'onboarding' (Appointment) and 'offboarding' (Separation or Transfer) SF-50s for every period of covered LEO service. Annual pay adjustments are not sufficient to verify a continuous service life.
Your documentation must clearly reflect a qualifying LEO Retirement Code (e.g., Block 30: Code M, O, or P). If your SF-50 does not show a covered code, that time will not be used to offset your age. We will also accept an official copy of your Certification of Service Performed as a Law Enforcement Officer. If you do not meet the age requirement and you are unable to provide this required documentation, you will not receive consideration under this announcement. Did you previously take the Special Agent Entrance Exam (SAEE)? Submit a copy of your SAEE results.