The Criminal Investigator position is undoubtedly among the most prestigious and sought-after federal law enforcement positions within the United States. Federal criminal investigators have been at the forefront of historical events throughout our history and the first Special Agents (SA) can trace their origins to the founding of the constitution. From the devastating to the infamous, Special Agents have been repeatedly called upon to keep our nation safe, dismantle some of the worst criminal organizations in history and instill our faith in a competent, well-trained, and virtually incorruptible workforce of dedicated public servants. Whether it be a terrorist attack at the Oklahoma City federal building, the successful manhunt of cartel leader “El Chapo” Guzman, the uncovering of the infamous swindler Charles Ponzi or the protection of our most important elected officials, Special Agents of the United States government are expected to perform their duties without fail, day or night. The mythology behind the criminal investigator position has been well exploited by Hollywood, yet few truly understand what it takes to successfully pursue a lifelong career in this unique endeavor. The best criminal investigators are indeed intelligent, relentless, and skillful risk-takers who share a common dedication to morality and public service. However, the small daily sacrifices, sometimes grueling work hours and meticulously detailed casework are rarely brought to light in the abbreviated media landscape. Additionally, Special Agents are a distinct law enforcement specialty with unique authorities, wide ranging job responsibilities and oftentimes responsibility to investigate crimes both within and outside the borders of the United States. 

The basic terminology surrounding the Criminal Investigator (CI) profession is unique and distinct to other federal law enforcement positions. Confusing a Special Agent with other federal law enforcement officers is as a rookie mistake and one that is not generally made among the criminal investigator ranks. Special Agents are acutely aware of the distinctive nature of their position and are proud of their hard-fought status among other federal law enforcement agents. Confusing the two is like confusing a doctor with a physician’s assistant, although both are medical professionals and wear similar white coats, there is a distinct difference in the requirements, training, responsibilities, and internal hierarchy.   

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has categorized the “Criminal Investigator” job within the 1800 series of the “Administrative Work in the Inspection, Investigation, Enforcement, and Compliance Group” and in typical federal bureaucratic fashion, assigned it the specific designation “1811” for pay and qualification purposes. Any individual who holds this criminal investigator series position is characteristically referred to as a “Special Agent,” (with limited exceptions) and within the federal law enforcement community, the term “1811” is a common colloquial descriptor. It is extremely important for all hopefuls to become familiar with the phrase “1811” and understand how it relates to their sought-after position.

An 1811 or special agent is primarily a plain clothed investigator within the U.S. Government. Special Agents have the statutory authority to carry firearms, conduct searches and seizures, and make arrests. “1811s” work for several federal law enforcement agencies such as the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms (ATF), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) and United States Secret Service (USSS). Even though the hiring preferences and missions vary greatly among these agencies, their 1811 series provides a common framework in training and authorities. In analogous terms, the patrol officer employed by the New York Police Department has similar job responsibilities (i.e. traffic, service calls, medical response) to an officer working for the Waco Police Department, even though their day-to-day environment and organizational capabilities may vastly differ. 

The pay for 1811s is determined by the OPM General Series (GS) chart. Entry level criminal investigators can be hired anywhere between the GS 5 – 10 pay band. The pay rate for each band has a built-in geographic variance, meaning a GS-5 in New York city will make significantly more than the same GS-5 stationed in Scottsdale, AZ. What makes the criminal investigator pay so different from every other federal law enforcement occupation in the country is that 1811s receive an additional 25% on top of their salary, to be available during irregular or unscheduled hours. This premium is known as the Law Enforcement Availability Pay or LEAP. Relatedly, the entry level pay varies from agency to agency and is also dependent on the applicant’s pre-existing education and skills. Most agencies offer a journeyman pay band of GS-13, which means their Special Agents progress to this pay band so long as they continue to meet all requirements. To progress beyond GS-13, a Special Agent must usually promote to a management position, which typically start at GS-14.   

1811 Criminal Investigators are usually, but not always, referred to as “Special Agents” by the various federal agencies and there can be a significant discrepancy in the actual job title adopted over time. For example, 1811 Criminal Investigators within the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) now traditionally refer to themselves as Postal Inspectors. Relatedly, the Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) refers to its domestically assigned 1811’s as Special Agents, however foreign posted criminal investigators are known as Regional Security Officers and fall under an analogous foreign service personnel delegation. Even more confusingly, the United States Marshals Service (USMS), which refers to all its law enforcement officers as Deputy U.S. Marshals (DUSM); uniquely hires all new deputies in the “GS-0082” series, however, they are later given the opportunity to convert to the 1811 series. The most important thing to remember is that the “true” criminal investigator is categorized in the 1811 series and is primarily a non-uniformed plain clothed law enforcement position.     

Given the size and visible presence of the uniformed federal law enforcement community, it is common for members of the public to conflate the uniformed series or all federal law enforcement agents with 1811s. For example, the United States Border Patrol (BP) is primarily a uniformed agency composed of Border Patrol Agents (BPA). Additionally, BP does have some plainclothes investigators that further develop cases originating from the patrol division. Although these investigators deal with federal crimes, they are not 1811s but rather uniformed BP Agents (1895 series) working a plainclothes detail, analogous to detectives within a typical police department. To further complicate things, some agencies have both an 1811 and a uniform (1801) division such as the United States Secret Service (USSS). 1811’s assigned to the investigative and protective units are called Special Agents, whereas 1801 series federal officers are members of the Uniformed Division.  Remember, any federal law enforcement officer is a “federal agent,” however, only 1811s are criminal investigators or “Special Agents.” 

For those hoping to be 1811s, the list of available agencies is vast and varied. From the famously depicted Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to the relatively obscure Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), there are several distinct options to choose from, each with its own mission, culture, and unique hiring requirements. Applicants should try to match their skills with an agency where they are most likely to succeed. For example, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) has a hiring program that allows for applicants with substantive investigative experience to advance as the most qualified and often contains academy classes with predominately prior law enforcement candidates. In contrast, the FBI has allocated pools of hiring categories (ie. Legal, Accounting, Language) and may limit its law enforcement candidates to cultivate a more skills diversified academy class. Consequently, if you are a detective with extensive years of investigative experience, your chances of making it through the hiring process with HSI are significantly better than with the FBI. Conversely, if you speak a fluent foreign language (i.e., Chinese or Russian), you have an above average chance of quickly advancing through the application process with the FBI since they specifically seek out such applicants to help with their counterintelligence mission. The same candidate with this specialized language skills would not get automatic preference within the HSI hiring program. For this reason, savvy applicants are advised to truly understand the nuances among the various hiring programs prior to engaging in time consuming applications

The two major 1811 federal agencies are the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). The next largest group comprises of the United States Secret Service (USSS), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms (ATF), Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), United States Postal Inspection Service (USPS) and the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation (CI). The third tier (although not in the pejorative) become more obscure to the public due to their smaller sizes and limited jurisdictions. These organizations typically include the Military Criminal Investigative Services, the various Office of Inspector Generals (OIGs) and a hodgepodge of virtual unknowns such as the Office of Export Enforcement (OEE), U.S. Department of the Interior – Indian Affairs – Office of Justice Services, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service – Office of Law Enforcement. All are worth equal consideration and offer phenomenal careers in public service.   

The capabilities, budget, mission culture and size vary greatly among the various federal agencies. Furthermore, each offer unique upsides, lifestyles, career development opportunities, and casework associated to their primary investigative jurisdiction. A person with the passion, willingness, and skillset to conduct criminal investigations related to narcotics should strongly consider a career with the DEA; but should know that they (DEA) have a difficult fitness test, routinely work irregular hours, and are considered among the best in executing wiretap operations. Similarly, if you have an interest in extensive travel, prefer protective service operations over complex investigations, and want regular opportunities for overtime pay, consider the U.S. Secret Service; just know that many married USSS special agents find work-life balance difficult in this agency due to their operations centered mission. Conversely, if a prospective applicant wants to travel all over the world, Diplomatic Security Service could be the place to land as they have offices in virtually every embassy and consulate in the world. The career responsibilities and life you will have in each agency is extremely varied in nature, despite the similar 1811 position series. Some folks want to work on an aircraft carrier one day; those applicants should consider a career with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS); which uniquely offers an agent afloat program. Conversely, applicants that get seasick the minute they hit the water should wisely avoid applying to NCIS at all costs. That is why it is important to learn not only where you can maximize your chances for success but simultaneously what agency is best suited for your personality, skillset, and individual preferences; to avoid being disappointed upon arrival at your first assignment.