Special Agent – Linguists/Foreign Language Background – FBI – American Mandarin Society (2024)

Summary

FBI Special Agents apply their professional expertise and unique skill sets to their work every day. Many have foreign language/linguistics backgrounds and use them to interview victims, translate during a suspect interrogation or testify in court. Language skills and cultural knowledge, specifically in Arabic, Bosnian, Chinese, Farsi, Russian, Somali, Uzbek, Korean or another language are highly sought after by the FBI. All applicants must pass the FBI’s Foreign Language Test Battery.

Duties

You can expect continued specialized training once onboard and opportunities to work on some of the Bureau’s most complex cases. The scope and scale of our investigations provide unique challenges unlike anything you could work on in the private sector. Your ultimate mission: to protect the American people and uphold the Constitution of the United States. Being a Special Agent can be a lifelong career of uncommon days and amazing experiences.

Valued skills that can help you succeed at the FBI:

  • BA/BS degree (preferably in linguistics or language).
  • Written and verbal proficiency in a language or languages other than English and the ability to communicate clearly in English with colleagues both internally and externally.
  • Native/fluent experience in a particular language and culture.

In addition:

  • Exceptional problem-solving and analytical skills.
  • Be detail-oriented, yet able to keep a strategic focus.
  • Ability to objectively evaluate information and make sound judgments.
  • Honesty and integrity must be the foundation of who you are.
  • The drive and commitment to make a difference in the communities you serve.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • Adhere to strict standards of conduct.
  • Undergo a rigorous background investigation, credit checks and a polygraph in order to obtain a Top Secret Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) Clearance.
  • Pass a Physical Fitness Test (PFT); must be physically fit to complete training at the FBI Academy at Quantico, VA, and maintain a high level of fitness throughout your career.
  • Pass a medical exam, which includes, but is not limited to, meeting visual and hearing standards.
  • Successfully complete approximately 19 weeks of employment as a Special Agent trainee while housed at the FBI Academy at Quantico.
  • Upon graduation from the FBI Academy, be available to transfer to one of the FBI’s 56 Field Offices, including San Juan, Puerto Rico or remote resident agencies (satellite offices) to meet the needs of the FBI. Special Agents rarely return to their processing office. Applicants should ensure that their families are prepared for and support this move.
  • Throughout your career, be available for temporary duty assignments anywhere in the world, on either a temporary or a long-term basis.
  • Work a minimum of a 50-hour workweek, which may include irregular hours, and be on-call 24/7, including holidays and weekends.
  • Be willing and able to participate in arrests, execute search warrants, raids and similar assignments.

For more information on eligibility requirements see:https://fbijobs.gov/working-at-FBI/eligibility.

Qualifications

You must:

  • Be a U.S. citizen.
  • Be at least 23 years old and not have reached your 37th birthday on appointment.
  • Have a bachelor’s degree or higher from a U.S.-accredited college or university.
  • Be able to obtain a Top Secret SCI Clearance.
  • Have two years of full-time professional work experience (see work experience waiver for exceptions).
  • Meet the FBI’sEmployment Eligibilityrequirements.
  • Possess a valid driver’s license with at least six months driving experience.

The Special Agent Selection System (SASS) is a mentally and physically challenging process designed to find only the most capable applicants. For more information about the SASS, physical fitness requirements and work experience waivers, please visit:https://fbijobs.gov/career-paths/special-agents.

Education

BA/BS degree (preferably in linguistics or language).

Link to original posting: https://www.usajobs.gov/job/463485800

Special Agent – Linguists/Foreign Language Background – FBI – American Mandarin Society (2024)

FAQs

What languages are high demand in the FBI? ›

Language skills and cultural knowledge, specifically in Arabic, Bosnian, Chinese, Farsi, Russian, Somali, Uzbek, Korean or another language are highly sought after by the FBI. All applicants must pass the FBI's Foreign Language Test Battery.

What is a special agent linguist in the FBI? ›

FBI Special Agents apply their professional expertise and unique skill sets to their work every day. Many have foreign language/linguistics backgrounds and use them to interview victims, translate during a suspect interrogation or testify in court.

Is FBI special agent competitive? ›

Is it hard to get into the FBI? Getting into the FBI is a challenge, especially if you want to work as a special agent. You must meet rigorous fitness and educational requirements, have a clean background and complete extensive training. It takes about one year to go through the process.

What is the FBI's foreign language test battery? ›

The FBI's Foreign Language Test Battery consists of two phases. Listening comprehension — Hear foreign language conversations and answer multiple- choice or short-answer questions in English. For some languages, you may be asked to write a summary of the conversation in English.

What is the highest paid FBI job? ›

The highest-paying job at Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is a Psychiatrist with a salary of $223,743 per year (estimate). What is the lowest salary at Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)? The lowest-paying job at Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is a Janitor with a salary of $46,276 per year (estimate).

How do CIA agents learn languages so fast? ›

Spies actively seek opportunities to immerse themselves in the target language, whether by traveling to a foreign country or engaging with native speakers in their own community. By exposing themselves to authentic conversational contexts, spies develop their comprehension, speaking, and listening skills rapidly.

How much do FBI special agent linguists make? ›

What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Fbi Linguist Jobs
CityAnnual SalaryHourly Wage
San Jose, CA$73,539$35.36
Cupertino, CA$73,448$35.31
Vallejo, CA$72,072$34.65
Oakland, CA$71,931$34.58
6 more rows

Are FBI agents higher than police? ›

If a crime is committed that is a violation of local, state, and federal laws, does the FBI “take over” the investigation? No. State and local law enforcement agencies are not subordinate to the FBI, and the FBI does not supervise or take over their investigations.

What rank is a special agent in the FBI? ›

Special agents enter as GL-10 employees on the Law Enforcement Government Pay Scale and can advance to the GS-13 grade level in a field, nonsupervisory role.

How old is the youngest FBI agent? ›

The film is loosely based on the story of Richard Wershe Jr., who in the 1980s became the youngest FBI informant ever at the age of 14. Richard Wershe Jr. White Boy Rick premiered at the Telluride Film Festival on August 31, 2018, and was released in the United States on September 14, 2018, by Sony Pictures Releasing.

What degree do most FBI special agents have? ›

12 degree options for FBI agents
  1. Criminal justice. Criminal justice is one of the most popular degree options for FBI agents. ...
  2. Criminology. Criminology is a subset of sociology that studies criminal behavior. ...
  3. Sociology. ...
  4. Psychology. ...
  5. Computer science. ...
  6. Cybersecurity. ...
  7. Public safety administration. ...
  8. International studies.
Jul 1, 2024

Do FBI special agents make a lot of money? ›

Average Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent yearly pay in the United States is approximately $104,984, which meets the national average.

What does an FBI linguist do? ›

Security and Investigations Careers at the FBI

Our language professionals specialize in translating written or audio materials, assisting special agents with interviews, and providing cultural expertise to support investigations.

What languages are in demand for the FBI? ›

The FBI is the top employer of Spanish linguists. Spanish is the largest second language in the United States and is a critical language for agencies such as the FBI, ICE, Border Patrol, and the DEA. The FBI also needs Russian, Farsi, and Chinese linguists.

What do you need to be a linguist? ›

Employers require at least a bachelor's degree in linguistics, English, or a foreign language, although some will accept degrees in history, science, mathematics, or engineering (if they have also taken linguistics, foreign languages, and related classes).

Which programming language is most in demand in us? ›

With an increasing demand for dynamic, single-page web applications, it's nearly impossible to become a professional software developer without learning JavaScript. According to Stack Overflow's 2022 Developer's Survey, JavaScript is the most popular language among developers for the tenth year in a row.

What is the best language to learn for criminal justice? ›

Choosing a language that is similar to English will help students to pick up the new language with minimal effort. Spanish is a good choice because its structure is similar to English.

What program does the FBI use to learn a language? ›

Foreign Service Institute (FSI)

FSI offers full-time and part time classroom-based instruction to U.S. government personnel in over 70 languages. FSI also offers mentored online distance learning courses.

Does the FBI need Japanese speakers? ›

The FBI is also seeking applicants who speak Chinese (all dialects), Vietnamese, Korean, Japanese, Hebrew, Russian, and Spanish.

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