Secret Service Job Requirements

The United States Secret Service is mandated by statute and executive order to carry out two significant missions: protection and criminal investigations. During the course of their careers, special agents carry out assignments in both of these areas and must be available to be assigned to duty stations anywhere in the world.

The Secret Service protects:

  • The president, the vice president (or other individuals next in order of succession to the Office of the President), the president-elect and vice president-elect
  • The immediate families of the above individuals
  • Former presidents, their spouses for their lifetimes, except when the spouse remarries. In 1997, Congressional legislation became effective limiting Secret Service protection to former presidents for a period of not more than 10 years from the date the former president leaves office
  • Children of former presidents until age 16
  • Visiting heads of foreign states or governments and their spouses traveling with them, other distinguished foreign visitors to the
  • United States, and official representatives of the United States performing special missions abroad
  • Major presidential and vice presidential candidates, and their spouses within 120 days of a general presidential election
  • Other individuals as designated per Executive Order of the President
  • National Special Security Events, when designated as such by the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security

The Secret Service investigates:

  • Violations of laws relating to counterfeiting of obligations and securities of the United States
  • Financial crimes that include, but are not limited to, financial institution fraud, false identification documents, access device fraud, advance fee fraud, computer and telecommunications fraud, electronic funds transfers and money laundering as it relates to the agency’s core violations
  • Computer-based attacks on the nation’s financial, banking and telecommunications infrastructure

Requirements and Qualifications

To be CONSIDERED you must:

  • Be a U.S. Citizen
  • Be between the ages of 21 and less than 37 at the time of appointment
  • Possess a current valid driver’s license
  • Possess visual acuity no worse than 20/60 uncorrected, correctable to 20/20 in each eye

Note: Lasik, ALK, RK and PRK are acceptable corrective eye surgeries for special agent applicants. Applicants will be considered eligible for the special agent position provided specific visual tests are passed three months after Lasik surgery and one year after all other surgeries.

To qualify at the GL-7 level you must:

  • Possess a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with superior academic achievement.
  • Superior academic achievement is defined as meeting at least one of the following requirements:
    • Being in the upper third of your graduating class
    • Having a grade point average of 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0, based on four years of undergraduate education or based on courses completed during the final two years of curriculum
    • Having a grade point average of 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0, based on required courses completed in your major or required courses in your major completed during the final two years of curriculum
    • Being a member of a national scholastic honor society that meets the requirements of the Association of College Honor Societies

OR

  • Possess at least one full year of graduate level education (i.e. 18 semester hours).

OR

  • Possess at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GL-5 level which is in or directly related to the line of work of the position.

Specialized experience is defined as assisting in:

  • Carrying out investigations of alleged or suspected violations of the law
  • Conducting surveillance and undercover activities or operations
  • Apprehending and arresting persons suspected of violations
  • Organizing evidence for presentation to prosecution officials

To qualify at the GL-9 level you must:

  • Possess a master’s or equivalent graduate degree (such as LL.B. or J.D.) from an accredited college or university

OR

  • Possess at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GL-7 level, which is in or directly related to the line of work of the position.

Specialized experience is defined as independently:

  • Carrying out limited investigations of alleged or suspected violations of the law
  • Conducting surveillance and undercover activities or operations, raids and/or seizures
  • Apprehending, arresting, interviewing, and interrogating persons suspected of violations of the law
  • Organizing evidence for presentation to prosecution officials