FBI agents work under the Federal Bureau of Investigation of the United States. The Bureau is the national security organization of the US with law enforcement and intelligence responsibilities.
Agents gather facts and collect evidence of possible crimes and enforce many different federal laws. Among their duties include executing a search warrant, gathering intelligence on illegal activities, testifying in court, making an arrest, and doing paperwork. Some of the their specialized areas include training, lab services, and fingerprinting.
FBI agents work full time and in shifts, and often have an average of 50-hour workweeks. They must be available to the Bureau 24/7 and report to duty when needed.
FBI Agent Salary
How much do FBI agents make? The average FBI agents salary is or an equivalent of per hour.
An FBI agent starting salary depends on a number of factors such as tenure, experience, and the state of employment. Certain states like New York pay an average starting salary that is higher than the national average for FBI agents.
Agents who work beyond the normal 50-hour workweek also earn higher than the average agent. Those who have been working in the Bureau for more than 10 years also earn higher than the average.
Certain levels and the hierarchy of positions also have different annual average salaries, and those how have supervisory and managerial positions earn more than the average FBI agent.
Agents who are reassigned to a different city, state, or location, are also entitled to relocation bonuses, which can increase the agent’s annual average salary.
Top 5 Paying States
| Flag | State | Employment per 1000 Jobs | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | California | 0.25 | $59.93 | $124,650 |
 | New Jersey | 0.71 | $59.79 | $124,360 |
 | New York | 1.40 | $50.83 | $105,730 |
 | Illinois | 0.90 | $47.90 | $99,630 |
 | Nevada | 0.67 | $47.57 | $98,950 |
Top Paying Industries
| Industry | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal Executive Branch | 0.31 | $56.02 | $116,530 |
| State Government | 0.59 | $40.75 | $84,750 |
| Postal Service | 0.03 | $40.73 | $84,720 |
| Local Government | 1.49 | $39.45 | $82,050 |
| Colleges – Universities – and Professional Schools | 0.08 | $34.99 | $72,780 |
FBI Agent Job Description
What does an FBI agent do? FBI agents work under the principal investigative arm of the US Department of Justice and it is their mission to protect and defend the US versus terrorist and foreign threats. They also uphold and implement criminal laws of the United States.
A total of 13,598 FBI agents are employed in the Bureau.
Agents gather facts and collect evidence of possible cases assigned to them, and amongst their duties are: making an arrest, gathering intelligence, provide other law enforcement agencies with cooperative services, gather, share, and analyze intelligence, support investigations, and perform specific duties such as fingerprint identification, lab exams, and training.
Agents may make arrests when crimes are committed in their presence, or when they have reasonable grounds to confirm that a person has committed a felony violation. They can only make arrests in the US and its territories.
FBI agents must have good physical stamina and strength to meet the daily demands of the job. They must be physically and mentally alert at all times, and strong enough to apprehend offenders.
Agents are also provided with Bureau-issued or approved handguns, and may be issued additional equipment. They are required to be armed at all times, since they are often at risk for encountering physical injuries on the job. In fact, FBI agents have one of the highest rates of injuries across all occupations.
Their job is often stressful but most FBI agents find their occupation fulfilling and rewarding when they help keep members of the community safe from threat and danger. Agents typically have 50-hour workweeks and even when their shift is done, they must be on-call 24/7 in cases of emergencies and breakthroughs in the cases they’re working on.
An agent’s work environment involves working inside an office for processing paperwork and documentation, as well as in the field when gathering intelligence and making arrests. They can also be assigned to do undercover work wherein they have to stay at a specific location for long amounts of time and at several cases for over few days or weeks.
FBI Agent Job Outlook
The projected increase in FBI agent employment from 2016 to 2026 is 7%, which is the same as the national average.
There is a projected increase in the demand for public safety but this varies depending on location, state, and local and national budgets.
Since the projected increase of jobs is lower than the national average, employment for those seeking to be FBI agents is seen to be highly competitive in the coming years. Those who have law degrees, accounting, or engineering degrees are more desirable in terms of employment.
FBI Agent Salary by State
| Flag | State | Employment per 1000 Jobs | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Alabama | 0.665 | $30.08 | $62,560 |
 | Alaska | 0.945 | $46.81 | $97,370 |
 | Arizona | 1.107 | $41.49 | $86,300 |
 | Arkansas | 0.962 | $25.13 | $52,270 |
| California | 0.248 | $59.93 | $124,650 |
 | Colorado | 0.598 | $44.37 | $92,300 |
 | Connecticut | 1.079 | $41.74 | $86,810 |
 | Delaware | 0.744 | $45.78 | $95,220 |
 | Florida | 0.536 | $43.06 | $89,570 |
 | Georgia | 1.049 | $28.99 | $60,290 |
 | Hawaii | 1.198 | $43.65 | $90,780 |
 | Idaho | 1.08 | $33.74 | $70,180 |
 | Illinois | 0.898 | $47.90 | $99,630 |
 | Indiana | 0.513 | $31.49 | $65,500 |
 | Iowa | 0.525 | $33.43 | $69,540 |
 | Kansas | 1.06 | $30.81 | $64,080 |
 | Kentucky | 0.784 | $30.69 | $63,840 |
 | Louisiana | 1.036 | $29.54 | $61,440 |
 | Maine | 0.567 | $29.98 | $62,360 |
 | Maryland | 1.379 | $42.09 | $87,540 |
 | Massachusetts | 1.263 | $42.11 | $87,590 |
 | Michigan | 0.715 | $36.27 | $75,440 |
 | Minnesota | 0.857 | $39.64 | $82,450 |
 | Mississippi | 0.756 | $25.92 | $53,910 |
 | Missouri | 0.917 | $33.38 | $69,430 |
 | Montana | 0.569 | $32.29 | $67,170 |
 | Nebraska | 0.725 | $35.42 | $73,680 |
| Nevada | 0.673 | $47.57 | $98,950 |
 | New Hampshire | 0.769 | $36.03 | $74,950 |
| New Jersey | 0.706 | $59.79 | $124,360 |
 | New Mexico | 0.859 | $31.83 | $66,210 |
| New York | 1.401 | $50.83 | $105,730 |
 | North Carolina | 0.978 | $30.05 | $62,490 |
 | North Dakota | 0.42 | $34.20 | $71,130 |
 | Ohio | 0.507 | $35.74 | $74,340 |
 | Oklahoma | 0.696 | $32.88 | $68,400 |
| Oregon | 0.69 | $43.12 | $89,700 |
 | Pennsylvania | 0.518 | $39.90 | $82,990 |
 | Rhode Island | 1.1 | $37.03 | $77,030 |
 | South Carolina | 0.838 | $26.26 | $54,620 |
 | South Dakota | 0.37 | $32.25 | $67,080 |
 | Tennessee | 1.24 | $27.56 | $57,320 |
 | Texas | 0.461 | $40.48 | $84,190 |
 | Utah | 0.92 | $33.26 | $69,170 |
 | Vermont | 0.445 | $38.56 | $80,210 |
 | Virginia | 0.699 | $42.27 | $87,930 |
 | Washington | 0.724 | $45.71 | $95,080 |
 | West Virginia | 0.487 | $26.76 | $55,660 |
 | Wisconsin | 0.598 | $35.66 | $74,170 |
 | Wyoming | 1.185 | $33.83 | $70,360 |
Top paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Employment per 1000 jobs | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oakland/Fremont/Hayward – CA, Metropolitan Division | 0.17 | $68.55 | $142,590 |
| Santa Barbara/Santa Maria/Goleta – CA | 0.20 | $66.74 | $138,810 |
| Nassau/Suffolk – NY, Metropolitan Division | 0.85 | $66.40 | $138,120 |
| Santa Ana / Anaheim / Irvine, – CA – Metropolitan Division | 0.10 | $65.13 | $135,470 |
| Oxnard / Thousand Oaks / Ventura, – CA | 0.21 | $64.32 | $133,780 |
Top paying nonmetropolitan areas
| Area | Employment per 1000 jobs | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Mountains – Region of California, nonmetropolitan area | 1.13 | $57.72 | $120,060 |
| Mother Lode – Region of California, nonmetropolitan area | 0.93 | $57.57 | $119,730 |
| North Coast – Region of California, nonmetropolitan area | 0.62 | $49.50 | $102,960 |
| Railbelt – Southwest Alaska – nonmetropolitan area | 1.13 | $45.43 | $94,500 |
| Southern Texas, nonmetropolitan area | 0.68 | $42.48 | $88,350 |
