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compensated. Special Agents must be available for assignment at any time; they are usually required to
transfer to different locations, at government expense, based on workload requirements and the needs of
the agency. Special Agents must be willing to accept assignment to duty stations anywhere in the United
States upon appointment and at any time thereafter, including foreign assignments. In fact, applicants are
required to sign a statement to this effect prior to appointment.
This job involves hazardous duty, working under stress, and the possibility of physical injury during
dangerous assignments. The fringe benefits that DEA Special Agents receive include paid vacation and
holidays, sick leave, overtime pay, low-cost medical and life insurance, financial protection in the event
of job-related injury or death, and a liberal retirement pension. Agents with 20 years of service in criminal
investigation activities are permitted to retire at age 50.
Training and Promotion Opportunities
The training program that DEA Special Agents must undergo is so rigorous that many applicants do not
make it to the first cut. Candidates must sign a statement of understanding prior to appointment that
continued employment with DEA is contingent upon successful completion of this training.
Most Special Agents are given special appointments approved for DEA by the Office of Personnel
Management. Agents given these appointments may be converted to career appointments after three to
four years of fully satisfactory service. Once hired, prospects for upward mobility are generally good.
Special Agents are eligible for promotion after one year of satisfactory work performance at the entry
level. Promotions are not automatic and are based on the Agent's job performance, demonstrated ability
to perform the duties of the higher-level job, and the recommendations of supervisory personnel.
Most Special Agents are appointed at grade 7. A limited number of appointments may be made at
grade 9. The Special Agent position has promotion potential to GS-12. Promotions are not automatic;
they are based on merit. Promotions beyond GS-12 are made through DEA's Merit Promotion Plan.
FBI SPECIAL AGENT
Duties of the Job
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is probably the best known of the several major agencies that
are part of the U.S. Department of Justice. The FBI is responsible for the investigation of more than 200
different types of cases resulting from violations of federal laws within its jurisdiction. The FBI is a fact-
gathering agency, and its Special Agents function only as investigators. This agency does not prosecute
cases; it turns over facts and evidence to a U.S. Attorney who makes the decision regarding legal action.
In addition to its investigative activities, the FBI provides important supportive services to law
enforcement units at the federal, state, and local levels. Bureau personnel assist these various units by
providing access to extensive files of fingerprints, firearms, document examinations, typewriter faces,
handwriting, nicknames of criminals, heelprints, tire treads, paper watermarks, and automotive paint
samples, to name just some of the subject areas. In addition, the FBI has the world's largest crime
laboratory, which provides such skilled services as microscopic and chemical analysis, spectrography,
and cryptography. The FBI also conducts specialized training programs at its National Academy for
selected members of police agencies throughout the country in a continuing effort to increase the
effectiveness of law enforcement at all levels.
The FBI's Special Agents are responsible for enforcing a wide variety of federal laws within their
jurisdiction, dealing with such matters as kidnapping, bank robbery, thefts of government property,
organized crime activities, espionage, sabotage, civil rights violations, and white-collar crimes such as
bank embezzlements or bankruptcy fraud. Special Agents can be assigned to any of these various cases;
