In the United States, the median FBI salary for agents is $63,592 per year. Officers in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police are paid generally between C$53,144 ($42,660) and C$146,735 ($117,788), depending on rank and job function. Police officers employed in the United Kingdom make a median pay of £31,027 ($43,311) per year.
While in the Australian Federal Police, pay normally runs from AU$59,103 ($47,407) to AU$84,505 ($67,783) each year. The median pay for federal agents in Switzerland is CHF72,527 ($75,454) per year and for officers in the Central Government in Norway is NOK532,609 ($67,726).
FBI Salary Influencers
The FBI agent salary and that of complimentary law enforcement agencies from other countries are shaped heavily by experience and the ability to advance in rank. With higher rank comes greater supervisory responsibility and authority. In many countries, officers in national or federal law enforcement are paid based on the location of their field office or headquarters.
1. Industry
Law enforcement officers are predominantly employed by federal or national, state or provincial, and local governments. They are normally compensated based primarily on rank and scope of responsibilities. Funding from government can affect the pay for agents and officers of national or federal law enforcement agencies.
Agents and officers face long work hours, periods away from home and risk of injury or death while on duty. These conditions lead agencies to offer incentives and allowances to prospective and current agents and officers. Inducements may include relocation assistance and benefits to survivors of agents and officers.
2. Geographical Area
| FBI Agent Salary | US | Canada | UK | Australia | Switzerland | Norway |
| Hourly Wage | $21.45 | C$47.80 ($38.41) | £14.91* ($20.82) | AU$27.70 ($22.21) | CHF35 ($36.40) | NOK256 ($32.56) |
| Annual Wage | $63,592 | C$82,775 ($66,445) | £31,027 ($43,311) | AU$69,599 ($55,814) | CHF72,527 ($75,454) | NOK532,609 ($67,726) |
The (*) means that the hourly salary was extrapolated from the annual salary
FBI Salary in the US
According to PayScale, the median salary for agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation stands at $63,592 per year, while the hourly pay is $21.45. While pay ranges between $35,512 and $119,522.
FBI agent salary raises with every “Grade” and “Step”, these are the pay specific classifications. Therefore experience often shapes the pay grade and step.
FBI Salary in Canada
Officers with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police earn generally between C$53,144 and 86,110 as Constables. Pay typically increases with rank. For example, as of January 2016, corporals made C$90,842 at Step 1 and C$94,292 at Step 2. At the Inspector rank, salaries run from C$123,100 at Step 1 to C$127,567 at Step 2 and C$132,194 at Step 3.
FBI Salary in the UK
Indeed.co.uk reports that law enforcement officers in the United Kingdom’s National Criminal Agency earn about £55,224 per year. While Technical Threat Security Threat Intelligence officers received on average 26,234 per year.
FBI Salary in Australia
Under the AFP Enterprise Agreement for the period from 2012 to 2016, pay for ACT police officers stands at AU$56,398 during training and rises to AU$58,518 following graduation. Salaries for protective service officers start at $52,397 during live-in training and increase incrementally at one year after graduation from the training.
FBI Salary in Switzerland
SalaryExpert reports that the median salary for federal agents in Switzerland is CFH72,527 annually. While the pay per hour is CHF35.
FBI Salary in Norway
Also according to SalaryExpert, a federal agent gets around NOK532,609 per year, which translates to NOK256 per hour.
3. Experience
Salaries among national or federal-level law enforcement officers generally increase with experience and rank. Agencies typically promote officers based on longevity of work and achievement to seniority or supervisory positions.
In the Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI agent salary starts at “Grade 10.” As of 2017, base pay for starting agents runs between $49,218 (Step 1) and $63,510 (Step 10). Agents with no prior federal government work experience fall into Step 1, with those having previous experience in the government earning at the level of their service before becoming an agent.
With experience as an agent comes promotions up to Grade 13. Depending on the step, agents in this grade earn a base salary between $74,584 and $96,958. Also, those who are promoted to supervisory, management or senior roles can earn between $88,136 and $114,578 at Grade 14 and $103,672 and $134,776 at Grade 15.
According to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, entry-level Constables earn C$53,144. While at six months’ experience, pay rises to C$69,049 and goes to C$86,110 per year at 36 months.
Working Hours
As a general rule, federal police officers work full-time. However, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation allows special agents who have completed a probationary period to serve between 16 to 32 hours per week.
Law enforcement agents often work overtime and at irregular times such as nights, weekends and holidays. Officers must testify or otherwise be available for court and may travel to crime scenes.
Bonuses & Benefit Packages
Employees in the Federal Bureau of Investigation can access health, retirement and other benefits available to federal government employees. In addition, the FBI affords insurance benefits to survivors of FBI agents and compensation to beneficiaries of agents killed in the line of duty. Agents also get reimbursement for using public transportation to work and student loans up to $10,000 annually and a $60,000-lifetime maximum.
Officers in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police get full pension benefits after 25 years of service, with maximum benefits at 35. Those who draw at 20 years must pay an early withdrawal penalty. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police also offers maternity leave of 17 weeks at 93 percent of the officer’s weekly pay and a parental allowance for both parents of 93 percent of the weekly pay rate for 37 weeks.
The United Kingdom’s National Criminal Agency participate in the country’s civil service pension program and are eligible for benefits such as maternity and paternity leave and vouchers for childcare. Through superannuation, officers in the Australian Federal Police get employer-funded pension benefits.
Job Outlook
Government priorities in public safety and national security will sustain demand for FBI agents and police officers at the national level. In particular, law enforcement agencies work to thwart terrorists, drug or weapons traffickers, and others engaged in criminal enterprises.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that employment of police and detectives in the United States will rise seven percent through 2026. This is the same as the employment growth for all occupations. Among detectives and criminal investigators, employment will rise five percent. The physical demands and work conditions may account for the relatively low rates of job growth. Furthermore, if you are interested in the field, you can read more about the detective salary.
Conclusion
Pay of FBI agents and their counterparts in other countries depends on rank. Performance, skills, and experience allow officers to advance in rank, supervisory responsibility and, as a result, compensation. Therefore, to attract qualified recruits, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and national-level law enforcement agencies offer pensions, leave and allowances. At least certain provisions of typical compensation packages recognize the risks of injury or death to agents while on duty.
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