The U.S. Secret Service is part of the Department of the Treasury and employs special agents and uniformed officers.
Special agents have both protective and investigative responsibilities. Their primary responsibility is the protection of the president of the United States. They also protect the vice-president, the president-elect and vice-president elect, a former president and his wife, the widow of a former president until her death or remarriage, minor children of a former president until age 16, major presidential and vice-presidential candidates, and visiting heads of foreign states or foreign governments.
Special agents also work to suppress counterfeiting of U.S. currency and securities and investigate and arrest people involved in forging and cashing government checks, bonds, and securities. All special agents must qualify for both protective and investigative assignments.
The Secret Service Uniformed division employs uniformed officers to provide protection for the president and his immediate family while they are in residence at the White House. Previously called the White House Police, their duties have been expanded to include protection of the vice-president and his immediate family, the White House and grounds, the official residence of the vice-president in Washington, DC, buildings in which presidential offices are located, and foreign diplomatic missions located in the metropolitan Washington, D.C., area or such other areas of U.S. territories and possessions as the president may direct.
Uniformed officers carry out their responsibilities through foot and vehicular patrols, fixed posts, and canine teams.
Treasury security force officers are also a part of the Secret Service Uniformed division. They are responsible for security at the main treasury building and the treasury annex and for security of the office of the secretary of the treasury. They have investigative and special arrest powers in connection with laws violated within the treasury building including forgery and fraudulent negotiation or redemption of government checks, bonds, and securities.
Related jobs are FBI special agent, CIA worker, and police officer.
Places of Employment and Working Conditions
Special agents may be employed at Secret Service headquarters in Washington, D.C., or at one of over 100 field offices and residential agencies throughout the United States. Uniformed officers and treasury security force officers work in Washington, D.C.
Special agents must be willing to work wherever they are assigned and are subject to frequent reassignment. Because the protective responsibilities of the Secret Service go on around the clock, all agents and officers perform some shift work.
Qualifications, Education, and Training
Each of these three Secret Service jobs has separate physical and educational requirements. All, however, require a comprehensive background investigation and top-secret security clearance.
Applicants for special agent appointments must be less than 35 years of age at the time of entrance to duty; be in excellent physical condition and pass a rigorous medical examination; have weight in proportion to height; and distance vision, uncorrected, of 20/20 in one eye and no less than 20/30 in the other.
Applicants must have a bachelor's degree in any major field of study, or three years' experience of which at least two are in criminal investigation, or a comparable combination of experience and education. A passing grade on the Treasury Enforcement Agent Examination, administered by area offices of the United States Civil Service Commission, is a prerequisite for consideration.
Only a limited number of the most qualified applicants reach the inter-view stage. They are rated on personal appearance, bearing and manner, ability to speak logically and effectively, and ability to adapt easily to a variety of situations. Applicants who achieve appointment must be prepared to wait an extended period of time for a vacancy to occur; it is usually during this period that background investigations are completed.
Once active duty begins, special agents receive general investigative training at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Brunswick, Georgia, and specialized training at Secret Service facilities in Washington, D.C. They study protective techniques, criminal law, investigative procedures and devices, document and handwriting examination and analysis, first aid, use of firearms, and arrest techniques. They also receive on-the-job training. Advanced in-service training programs continue throughout an agent's career.
Uniformed officers must be U.S. citizens, have vision of at least 20/40 in each eye (correctable to 20/20), have weight in proportion to height, and pass a comprehensive physical examination. They must have a high school diploma or equivalent or one year of experience as a police officer in a city with a population of more than 500,000. Applicants must pass a written examination and an in-depth personal interview and have a valid driver's license.
Uniformed officers undergo a period of training at Secret Service facilities in Beltsville, Maryland, and Brunswick, Georgia. They study legal procedures in law enforcement, first aid, community relations, self-defense, and the use and care of firearms. Additional on-the-job training takes place after assignment.
Potential and Advancement
From time to time the service may actively recruit for a specific job category, but, for the most part, job opportunities are limited. The extremely high public interest in this work means that only the most highly qualified applicants are considered for appointment. Even after acceptance, special agents must wait until a vacancy occurs before they begin active service. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not specifically list statistics for Secret Service Agents, but they predict that the demand for police officers in general will grow only by 4 percent between 2014 and 2024. Because of the exclusive nature of Secret Service roles, they will likely grow by an even slower pace.
Promotion depends on performance and the needs of the Secret Service.
Income
The Secret Service website, special agents have starting salaries between $44,000 and $75,000
