Working For The Central Intelligence Agent (CIA Agent)

The Central Intelligence Agency is the primary agency in the United States that is responsible for providing the government with global intelligence for the ever-changing social, economic, political, military, and technological environments throughout the world.

The main goal and mission of a CIA agent is to protect the United States’ national security.

CIA Careers

According to the CIA.gov careers section, there are myriad job types available including:

CIA Careers

Central Intelligence Agency

  • Security positions
  • IT positions
  • Business positions
  • Analytical positions
  • Language positions
  • Clandestine service positions
  • Science positions
  • Engineering positions
  • Technology positions
  • Student Opportunities

IT, Business, and Security Positions

There are a number of opportunities for employment with the CIA in the fields of IT, Business, and Security.

Some of the positions in this area include working in budget, accounting and finance, auditing, information management, information technology, contracts and acquisitions, legal services, investigations, library services, data science, education and training, public affairs, sign language, and engineering, as well as many other areas.

Analytical Positions

Some of the analytical positions that a person may pursue include counterterrorism, analytic methodologist, economics, leadership, military, open source officers, and intelligence collection analysts.

There are also data scientists who are employed by the CIA.

Clandestine Service

The clandestine service positions at the CIA are some of the most elite positions in the agency.

People working in these positions provide vital information to the government of the United States in order to protect the national security of the country.

There are both field-based positions and positions based in Washington D.C.

Language Positions

For those individuals who are fluent in foreign languages, there are numerous linguist positions available with the CIA.

Understanding languages from around the world is an important aspect of what the CIA does.

Linguists provide information to the agency by interpreting foreign media and teaching the language to other individuals within the agency.

Application Process

CIA Careers

CIA Careers

The application process for a job with the CIA is quite extensive.

The process will depend on a person’s individual circumstances and can take anywhere from two months up to over a year to complete.

In order to begin the process a person will explore the current positions that are available with the agency and determine what positions they meet the requirements for.

The majority of positions at the CIA will require an individual to have at least a bachelor’s degree in the subject area of the position that they are applying for.

Graduate degrees in a specific subject area are recommended in order to increase a person’s chances of becoming employed by the CIA.

Military service may also qualify an individual for some of the positions that are available with the CIA.

During the application process a person will be required to provide information about their background and expertise, this includes their education and work experience.

Any certifications or licenses should be provided to the CIA as well.

A person should also be prepared to fill out a personal evaluation form.

This will include information about background investigations, security clearances, selective service, polygraphs, drug use, alcohol use, employment issues, military discharges or any disciplinary proceedings, any delinquent federal debt, criminal convictions, and any employment or association with the Peace Corps.

Salary Information by State

State Employed Avg. Annual Salary Avg. Hourly Pay Top 10% Annual Salary Bottom 10% Annual Salary
Alabama1,110$74,780$35.95$138,570$40,150
Alaska110$128,410$61.74$165,690$75,500
Arizona5,260$90,010$43.28$127,520$55,000
Arkansas520$60,680$29.17$129,750$36,310
California11,280$110,320$53.04$153,210$73,320
Colorado1,780$95,450$45.89$147,370$60,280
Connecticut800$96,020$46.16$150,820$68,290
Delaware100$97,490$46.87$158,930$58,070
District of Columbia2,870$133,890$64.37$175,340$85,560
Florida5,950$85,330$41.03$149,410$42,900
Georgia4,030$72,000$34.62$141,090$39,070
Hawaii430$119,290$57.35$150,740$94,490
Idaho510$74,710$35.92$125,820$45,850
Illinois2,570$100,140$48.14$152,980$62,650
Indiana990$70,340$33.82$134,910$40,000
Iowa390$81,930$39.39$133,680$52,350
Kansas920$66,530$31.99$96,430$38,960
Kentucky660$75,930$36.51$141,540$39,520
Louisiana1,480$67,390$32.40$137,610$36,940
Maine530$79,470$38.21$112,530$50,840
Maryland890$117,800$56.63$169,120$59,070
Massachusetts1,620$99,560$47.87$158,480$59,170
Michigan1,960$94,540$45.45$151,420$63,590
Minnesota1,550$82,410$39.62$122,530$53,900
Mississippi930$58,500$28.13$117,960$35,000
Missouri1,460$78,060$37.53$139,360$42,430
Montana440$86,120$41.40$129,750$57,700
Nebraska280$86,150$41.42$138,490$49,490
Nevada660$88,130$42.37$136,050$53,390
New Hampshire390$83,970$40.37$145,270$54,720
New Jersey3,740$103,960$49.98$163,240$60,990
New Mexico1,840$77,480$37.25$99,990$43,830
New York9,950$110,390$53.07$169,100$61,410
North Carolina3,060$66,150$31.80$122,760$43,400
North Dakota370$80,890$38.89$129,750$48,030
Ohio2,210$83,150$39.98$137,970$49,990
Oklahoma1,010$70,920$34.09$125,820$43,260
Oregon560$96,720$46.50$147,260$59,990
Pennsylvania3,240$94,140$45.26$142,000$64,190
Rhode Island390$90,340$43.43$140,860$70,160
South Carolina1,160$68,170$32.77$137,610$40,980
South Dakota220$74,700$35.91$129,750$46,450
Tennessee1,820$74,500$35.82$133,680$41,880
Texas17,890$82,990$39.90$129,650$46,550
Utah430$82,320$39.58$141,540$43,820
Vermont180$97,310$46.78$141,540$61,940
Virginia3,390$100,010$48.08$169,120$48,270
Washington1,560$110,620$53.19$153,340$74,590
West Virginia230$87,670$42.15$149,410$41,700
Wisconsin1,530$82,970$39.89$98,180$60,710
Wyoming150$82,580$39.70$133,680$53,990
Puerto Rico520$85,560$41.14$145,480$33,270

Annual Average Salary: Top 10 States

The top earning state in the field is District of Columbia, where the average salary is $133,890.

These are the top 10 earning states in the field:

  • District of Columbia - $133,890
  • Alaska - $128,410
  • Hawaii - $119,290
  • Maryland - $117,800
  • Washington - $110,620
  • New York - $110,390
  • California - $110,320
  • New Jersey - $103,960
  • Illinois - $100,140
  • Virginia - $100,010
* Salary information based on the May 2022 Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) Survey for Detectives and Criminal Investigators, OCC Code 33-3021, BLS.
* Employment conditions in your area may vary.

Michael Morales

About Michael Morales

Michael Morales is the Webmaster and Editor in Chief for Legalcareerpaths.com. With a strong background in Web Publishing and Internet Marketing, he currently works as an independent consultant. A former paramedic and ems educator, he enjoys punishing himself doing triathlons and endurance sports. Michael currently lives in sunny Northern California, home of the highest tax rates in the world.

Leave a Reply

Search Programs