Does the CIA hire people over 50?
The FBI and CIA don't specify age limitations for analysts, so odds are these organizations will hire you at age 40, 50 or 60 if you have the right skills.
1 answer. Minimum age requirement is 18 years old to apply. There's no maximum age limit for any role at the CIA with the exception of operations officers, which for them is 35.
The only automatic suitability disqualifier at CIA is any illegal drug use within the last 12 months. Apart from that, each situation is evaluated on a case-by-case basis using the whole person considerations found in the National Adjudicative Guidelines for Security Clearances.
CIA Agent Age Breakdown
Interestingly enough, the average age of cia agents is 40+ years old, which represents 67% of the population.
The average Central Intelligence Agency salary ranges from approximately $36,770 per year for Entry Level Technician to $217,719 per year for Chief Executive Officer.
a. Voluntary retirement at age 50 with 20 years of service and with the consent of the Secretary. Mandatory retirement at age 60. multiplied by the number of years of service; maximum annuity not to exceed 75% of base pay.
You must be at least 23 years old at the time of your appointment. You must also be younger than 37, unless you qualify for an age waiver available to veterans. See our qualification requirements webpage for more information on what it takes to become a special agent.
CSTs have a minimum of a bachelor's degree and several years of substantive business/work or military experience before applying, and are generally in the 25-35 year age range. The 35 year maximum age requirement can be waived on a case-by-case basis.
These assignments help in the training and field deployment. The 26-35 year old group goes through The Clandestine Service (CST) Program. This is an 18 month long program. The applicant must have a minimum of a bachelor's degree.
If you read the qualifications, you probably realize it's pretty tough to get into the CIA, especially if you want to be one of the 10% of CIA officers who are field operatives. Your chances will be much better if you've first been honest with yourself about who you are and what you're capable of.
What GPA Does the CIA require?
Candidates for CIA agent jobs in clandestine services must: Be a citizen of the United States. Be at least 18 years old. Possess a bachelor's degree with a minimum GPA of 3.0.
In addition to having at least a bachelor's degree and a fairly high GPA, the CIA expects candidates to be able to have good communication skills. “They are certainly looking at people who can write clearly and succinctly,” said Morgan. “You have to be able to write quickly and distill the information.

Aldrich Ames | |
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Country | United States |
Allegiance | Soviet Union Russia |
Agency | CIA |
Service years | 1962–1994 |
The salaries of Cia Agents in the US range from $15,700 to $419,096 , with a median salary of $76,346 . The middle 57% of Cia Agents makes between $76,351 and $190,212, with the top 86% making $419,096.
A bachelor's degree and a minimum of three years of experience in high-level investigative work and criminology is required to be considered for a CIA field agent position. An undergraduate degree in law enforcement provides excellent preparation for this job.
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These include:
- Biology.
- Chemistry.
- Computer science.
- Economics.
- Finance.
- International relations.
- Law.
- Nuclear engineering.
The CIA normally requires applicants for an agent position to have a GPA of 3.0 or higher from an accredited institution.
CIA officers must have a minimum of a bachelor's degree, and some roles require graduate degrees. Many different degrees can prepare you for a career at the CIA. Criminal justice and political science are the most common, but people with a wide variety of educational backgrounds are encouraged to apply.
CIA believes its strength lies within its people. We offer competitive salaries and excellent benefits, including paid time off, federal health and life insurance, retirement investment options, education and training, health services, and work-life programs and resources.
No, the majority of former CIA case officers work as consultants or contractors within the U.S. intelligence community. While returning to work as intelligence consultant is the norm, some few do forge a different path, applying lessons learned from government service to a new life in the private sector.
What is the job outlook for a CIA agent?
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Number Of CIA Agent Jobs By State.
We trust our employees to uphold the highest standards of conduct. Recent involvement in criminal or unethical behavior can disqualify you from getting a clearance. This includes pending criminal charges, felony convictions, and a dishonorable discharge.
The FBI may disqualify you at any time during the process if it is determined that you will reach age 37 before appointment. Potential Exceptions: Applicants with certain prior federal law enforcement service, applicants who are current FBI employees or preference eligible veterans may qualify for an age waiver.
Yes, there are education requirements to join the FBI. You must have a bachelor's degree to join the FBI as an agent, though there's no specification on what your major must be. That said, a major in a field like criminal justice or computer technology can be extremely useful in your role at the FBI.
Annual Salary | Weekly Pay | |
---|---|---|
Top Earners | $120,500 | $2,317 |
75th Percentile | $96,500 | $1,855 |
Average | $86,106 | $1,655 |
25th Percentile | $73,500 | $1,413 |
Top candidates spend at least six months at the Farm, the ultra-secret 9,000-acre military base in Virginia where spies master 007-style skills from shooting Glocks and M4s to parachuting, speed boating, and recruiting assets. It's not all about spooking and sleuthing, however.
Physical Examination & Health Information
In order to attend the CIA, it is a requirement to have a physical exam performed within the past year and obtain mandatory vaccinations.
About the Job
You will be expected to work long hours and deploy domestically or overseas for periods from 60 to 90 days in length. The amount of yearly travel is extensive, and you should expect to deploy as scheduled.
That's right. Some kids who have just graduated from high school can start working at the CIA. There's an even more extensive college internship program.
Agency overview | |
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Employees | 21,575 (estimate) |
Annual budget | $15 billion (as of 2013) |
Agency executives | William J. Burns, Director David S. Cohen, Deputy Director Kate Heinzelman, General Counsel |
Website | www.cia.gov |
Is CIA a hard school to get into?
Getting into CIA is moderately difficult. CIA evaluates applicants carefully based on multiple criteria to decide who to admit, and who to deny. In 2021, CIA **accepted . Schools that are moderately difficult to get into, like CIA, accept fewer than 85% of all applicants.
However, the Central Intelligence Agency's (CIA) website states, “tattoos will not disqualify you from gaining employment at the CIA, and all professionally-qualified persons are encouraged to apply.”
“People who come to the CIA are normal people, meaning they've had some difficulties in their life, perhaps a physical or mental disability, or went through a bad period. But as long as they meet our threshold, and they can perform the job while holding a security clearance, we will hire them.
'' The trend away from the Ivy League is supported by a recent C.I.A. internal study of what schools have provided the most recruits. Although Yale is still on the list, the top schools, in order, are Georgetown, George Washington University, the University of Maryland and American University.
There are five kinds of spy: The local spy, the inside spy, the reverse spy, the dead spy, and the living spy. When the five kinds of spies are all active, no one knows their routes - this is called organizational genius, and is valuable to the leadership.
- Virginia Hall. ...
- Klaus Fuchs. ...
- Belle Boyd. ...
- Francis Walsingham. ...
- Sidney Reilly. ...
- Harold “Kim” Philby. ...
- Oleg Gordievsky. ...
- Ursula Kuczynski. 1907–2000A German Jewish communist, Kuczynski committed to the cause from an early age.
If you read the qualifications, you probably realize it's pretty tough to get into the CIA, especially if you want to be one of the 10% of CIA officers who are field operatives. Your chances will be much better if you've first been honest with yourself about who you are and what you're capable of.
(Some travel may be necessary.) You must adhere to the CIA's strict no-drug policy, which includes marijuana. The CIA drug tests each applicant. You must be at least 18 years old.
You must be a U.S. citizen. You must have at least a bachelor's degree (and outstanding grades) to be considered for non-clerical positions. Being fluent in a foreign language would certainly help. You must complete and pass a medical exam, a polygraph, and an extensive background investigation.