Special Agent Job Requirements
While over 80 different federal agencies employ Special Agents, the minimum requirements are pretty consistent throughout the government. In this list, we've distilled those requirements from many different agencies. Knowing that you meet the requirements below is a good first stem as you start the process of becoming a Special Agent.
Citizenship has its privileges
Without exception, to become a Special Agent in the U.S. government you will need to be a citizen of the United States. Some agencies permit Special Agents to hold dual citizenship, provided the country has no serious bones to pick with the U.S., such as the United Kingdom. Dual citizen-applicants should understand that, while employed as a Special Agent, they will generally be barred from exercising the privileges that go along with their other citizenship, such as using that passport. Dual citizens should also recognize that the background check may take longer, as SCI clearance, a type of Top Secret clearance for the most sensitive of international security issues, requires few or no foreign relatives. In our experience, the U.S. government is smart here; they will certainly take your own life experience into account, and the type of relationship you have with potentially disqualifying relatives.
Be young
You can be no older than 37 on the day you start. Why? Because Federal Agents have mandatory retirement at 57, and you need to be able to complete a full, 20-year career during the time of your employment. There are exceptions, but they exclusively deal with transfers of time already served in related government jobs.
But don't be too young. The general low-end age range for Special Agent positions is 21 to 23.
College Education
The majority of federal agencies require that new hires have a college degree from a U.S. Dept. of Education-accredited university "at the time of appointment." Many agencies are intentional in their wording here - "at the time of appointment" - because they recognize full well that many solid applicants are in their final semesters of college. Given that the hiring process can take a year or more, it would not make sense to require a college senior to graduate before submitting an application, only to have him bide his time in a temporary gig until his security clearance and paperwork go through.
Registered for the draft
Applicants must be in compliance with the Selective Service Act. That is, applicants must have registered with the federal government within 30 days of their 18th birthday, for possible drafting into war until their 25th birthday.
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