Federal Bureau of Investigation Jobs 2026 – Special Agent – Linguists/Foreign Language Background in Washington

Salary / Pay Package: $99,461 - $128,329 per year.

All applicants must have two years of full-time work experience and a bachelor's degree, or one year of full-time work experience with an advanced degree (master's or doctorate). Specialized Experience (SE) is required, defined as gathering and analyzing information, solving problems, organizing competing assignments, managing complex environments, and communicating effectively.

• Be a U.S. citizen.
• Have a bachelor's degree or higher from a U.S. accredited college or university.
• Possess full-time professional work experience (2 years with bachelor's, 1 year with advanced degree.
• Be eligible for a Top-Secret SCI Clearance.
• Be able to legally possess and carry a firearm.
• Be at least 23 years old and not have reached your 37th birthday on appointment (exceptions may apply.
• Meet FBI Employment Eligibility requirements.
• Meet medical and physical requirements.
• Possess a valid driver's license with at least six months driving experience.
• Be available for assignment to any of the FBI's 56 Field Offices.

Plan and conduct investigations of potential federal law violations.

• Exercise judgement, resourcefulness, and versatility in meeting investigative demands.
• Create and maintain effective liaison relationships with federal, state, local, tribal, territorial, and international law enforcement agencies.
• Coordinate and participate in searches, seizures, and arrests.
• Carry a firearm and be willing to use force, including deadly force, if necessary.
• Maintain physical fitness for law enforcement duties.
• Testify in court and translate during interrogations as needed.

Open the USAJOBS announcement and with your USAJOBS/Login.gov account.

• Complete the federal application questionnaire.
• Attach your federal resume (using the Resume Builder) and required documents: college transcripts, SF-50 (if current/former federal employee), and any Memorandum for Record for work performed outside assigned duties.
• Do not attach a cover letter or picture files (JPEG, TIFF, PNG, BMP).
• Submit your application before the closing date: December 30, 2026.

Salary includes base pay, locality pay for Washington D.C. area, and availability pay (25% of base+locality). Upon training graduation, salary adjusts to office assignment locality.

• Applicants must be U.S. citizens and consent to a complete background investigation, urinalysis, and polygraph.
• Review the Special Agent Selection Process guide before applying for helpful information.
• Travel may be required; agents must be available for assignment to any of the FBI's 56 Field Offices.
• Federal employees enjoy complete benefits package.
• For questions, contact Human Resources New Agent Staffing at [email protected].

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the principal federal investigative agency of the U.S. Department of Justice. Its mission is to protect national security and enforce federal laws through intelligence-driven investigations. This Special Agent role is part of the FBI's effort to recruit linguists who can apply foreign language skills in criminal and national security investigations. The FBI values cultural knowledge and language proficiency to enhance its investigative capabilities.