What do secret service agents do

Company reviews. Find salaries. Upload your resume. Sign in. Career Development. This article has been approved by an Indeed Career Coach Secret service agents play a prestigious and important role within the law enforcement community.

What does a secret service agent do? Provide security for government figures such as the President, Vice President and former presidents as well as their families Protect buildings or act as security at events that require a national level of protection Investigate crimes that include identity theft, counterfeit and financial fraud Investigate computer hacking attempts that take place on national telecommunication devices as well as banking infrastructure Perform undercover work Write and deliver reports related to investigations or protection services.

Average salary of a secret service agent. How to become a secret service agent. Get a degree. Apply for an open secret service agent position. Complete the required training. Must be a U. Frequently asked questions about becoming a secret service agent. How long does the hiring process take to become a secret service agent?

What are the work conditions of a secret service agent? The President, Vice President, Speaker of the House of Representatives, and others in the presidential line of succession The President and Vice president's families Former presidents and their wives for as long as they live.

However, spouses who remarry lose Secret Service protection Former presidents' children until they turn 16 Under the direction of the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Secret Service agents provide security at national events Heads of state visiting the United States and family members accompanying them Recognizable presidential and vice presidential candidates and their family members days before a presidential election Other people requested by the President.

Secret Service agents investigate:. Potential agents need to be able to get Top Secret security clearance before they can even be considered for a position, and this six- to nine-month long process includes everything from credit checks to neighborhood references. Once cleared, new agent trainees will still need to complete their training program, subject themselves to polygraph examinations and successfully pass the Treasury Enforcement Agent TEA exam.

The application process begins by locating a position vacancy and filling out an online application through the United States Secret Service website. The application requires a number of supporting documents, including transcripts and military history, if applicable.

The Secret Service is directly accountable for the most valuable assets the United States has to offer, our money and our policy-makers, and that means that the power of the nation rests solely in the protective hands of this venerated organization. You must be logged in to post a comment. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Pierson — was appointed to lead the agency.

But of the more than 7, employees today, fewer than a quarter are women. The Service insists, though, that it's trying. Part of these efforts include visiting colleges, hosting information sessions, and participating in career fairs.

After Secret Service special agents spend three years in a field office and six years or more in a protective division, they move onto the final phase of their careers , which can include further protective assignments, further field office work, or a bump into specialty assignments including things like training new agents, getting into work on electronic crimes, or being assigned to a Congressional staff gig.

Sign up for our Newsletter! Mobile Newsletter banner close. Mobile Newsletter chat close. Mobile Newsletter chat dots. Mobile Newsletter chat avatar. Mobile Newsletter chat subscribe. During the chaos outside the Washington Hilton Hotel after the assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan, Secret Service Agent Robert Wanko left pulled out an Uzi submachine gun from a briefcase on the road in front of limo to cover Reagan's evacuation.

Training to become part of the Secret Service is intense and thorough. Training to become a special agent is even more scrutinized.

Only one in make it through.