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The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) works to protect individuals, families, businesses, and communities from various threats, both national and international.
The FBI is an intelligence-driven organization that also has law enforcement duties and responsibilities.
Becoming an FBI agent requires specialized knowledge and training.
The people who work for the FBI likely considered both the pros and the cons before they decided that their career with the FBI was the right choice for their future.
Learning those pros and cons helps people to understand the nature of the job, the advantages, and the drawbacks of being an FBI agent.
Pros of Being an FBI Agent
Working as an FBI agent has several advantages.
People who want to work for the organization are likely to consider these pros when making decisions about whether they should become FBI agents.
1. Protecting Other People
FBI agents perform important duties that involve protecting the interests of the federal government, but also duties that protect other people. Protecting American citizens is one of the primary duties of FBI agents.
Gaining a sense of pride when an arrest is made or when other action is taken that protects people is likely to give FBI agents a sense of a job well done in their career.
2. Upholding the Constitution
People who work as FBI agents do more than protect the American people.
They also uphold the U.S. Constitution.
People who want to make a commitment to help uphold the Constitution and enforce federal laws may make great FBI agents.
3. Variety of Duties
No FBI agent performs single, mundane daily duties.
Some duties may seem like repetitive tasks, such as performing investigations, but each investigation and each case is different.
The various duties that FBI agents perform keep the job interesting and exciting every day.
FBI agents may investigate cybercrimes one day or respond to terrorist activities if this is within the scope of their job.
They may investigate kidnappings another day.
They may also write reports or perform other duties that vary from one day to another.
4. Variety of Career Opportunities
The FBI hires people for many career opportunities, including security specialists, intelligence analysts, special agents, and agents who focus on specific threats, such as terrorism or counterintelligence threats.
Some FBI agents are hired for careers in certain areas, while other agents work their way up to other career opportunities within the organization.
5. Travel Opportunities
People who want to travel as part of their job may find that the FBI agent career is an ideal choice for them.
The organization has field offices across the U.S.
The various locations allow agents to be reassigned to new locations if it becomes necessary or if agents want to move to another location.
FBI agents also travel when conducting investigations, interviewing witnesses, making apprehensions, or for other job-related reasons.
6. Opportunity to Work with Other Agencies
Working as an FBI agent often involves having close relationships with and sharing information with other law enforcement agencies.
The unique challenges of law enforcement at the federal, state, and local levels allow agents from various agencies to work together to perform investigations, prevent crimes, and solve crimes.
7. FBI Agent Salary
The FBI offers good starting salaries for its agents, no matter their job duties or the area where they work.
The salary for FBI agents does vary, according to their experience, education, expertise, or other certain criteria that are determined by the agency.
The average salary for FBI agents varies, according to sources that provide the information.
PayScale indicates that the average salary for FBI agents in the U.S. in 2025 is $73,490.
Salary.com indicates that the average salary for FBI agents, as of May 1, 2025, is $59,427 and may go up to $80,874.
FBI agents may receive bonuses for things like locality pay when they are first hired as agents.
Agents who later relocate may also receive bonuses or additional compensation.
Cons of Being an FBI Agent
Anyone who wants to consider a career with the FBI must understand the drawbacks, or cons, of working for the organization.
The cons that are associated with working for the FBI may lead some people to decide on another type of career.
1. Education Requirements
Aspiring FBI agents need to go to college and earn a degree before they apply to work as an FBI agent.
The FBI requires agents to have a minimum of a bachelor’s degree.
The honors program and internship program that the organization offers can help students to get an early start on the education requirements and to get a feel for what it is like to work for the FBI.
2. Extensive Background Investigation
The background investigation that the FBI conducts on applicants is an extensive vetting process.
Applicants undergo a drug test, a polygraph examination, and a medical exam.
They undergo criminal background checks through fingerprinting and other types of checks.
References are checked, and the educational information provided on the application is checked for accuracy.
The FBI also performs credit checks on its applicants.
Anyone who wants to work for the FBI also has a personal security interview as part of their background investigation.
3. They Contact Everyone You Know
You know that rude guy next door who used to yell at you for making too much noise when you were a kid, even when you were in your yard? The FBI is going to talk to him.
The FBI talks to neighbors of people who apply to become FBI agents.
They contact your family members, friends, co-workers, and people that the applicants list as their references.
4. Risks and Dangers
Working as an FBI agent has risks and dangers that may turn some people away from this career.
FBI agents know the risks and the dangers that they face daily.
Criminals do not want to be caught and may take actions that pose safety risks to FBI agents who try to arrest them.
The fact that the FBI investigates terrorist threats and acts poses certain risks to agents.
They investigate bomb threats, which may put them in harm’s way.
People who commit organized crime or who are involved in counterintelligence activities may also pose risks and dangers to FBI agents.
5. Physical Fitness Test Requirement
Everyone who applies to become an FBI agent undergoes a physical fitness test.
Some basic things that are included in this part of the hiring process include a timed 1.5-mile run and a timed 300-meter sprint.
Applicants are also tested on the maximum number of sit-ups that they can do in one minute and the maximum number of continuous push-ups that they can perform.
People who apply to some specialized units at the FBI may have to do other things as part of their physical fitness test.
6. Forced Retirement
Most people are likely to envision working well into their 60s or even longer before they retire.
That does not happen at the FBI. The organization forces its agents to retire at the age of 57.
The mandatory retirement age may come at a time when FBI agents feel that they are still capable of performing their job duties.
7. Not Everyone Gets Retirement Benefits
The FBI requires that its agents have a minimum of 20 years of service before they are eligible to receive retirement benefits.
They can retire and receive benefits after 25 years of service at any age or after 20 years of service at age 50 or older.
People who leave the organization before the mandatory years of service may not receive their federal retirement benefits.
Some examples of retirement benefits that they may not be eligible for if they do not have the required years of service include their pension, Federal Thrift Savings Plan, and Social Security retirement benefits.
Pros and Cons of Being an FBI Agent – Summary Table
| Pros of Being an FBI Agent | Cons of Being an FBI Agent |
|---|---|
| 1. Protecting Other People | 1. Education Requirements |
| 2. Upholding the Constitution | 2. Extensive Background Investigation |
| 3. Variety of Duties | 3. They Contact Everyone You Know |
| 4. Variety of Career Opportunities | 4. Risks and Dangers |
| 5. Travel Opportunities | 5. Physical Fitness Test Requirement |
| 6. Opportunity to Work with Other Agencies | 6. Forced Retirement |
| 7. FBI Agent Salary | 7. Not Everyone Gets Retirement Benefits |
Should You Become an FBI Agent?
Becoming an FBI agent requires committing to upholding the U.S. Constitution and to protecting citizens, businesses, and other entities from a variety of domestic and foreign threats.
The nature of the job may require being faced with dangers and spending time away from family or other responsibilities.
People who want to work as FBI agents know the risks and dangers and the requirements for the job before they complete the extensive application process.
Individuals who want to protect the U.S., who want to solve crimes, and who want to feel that they make a difference in law enforcement may make great FBI agents.
The starting salary is good, with the opportunity for agents to receive bonuses and increases in their salary.
Making the commitment to stay at the FBI is a necessary requirement for agents who want to receive their retirement benefits.
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