Special Agent Rank Structure

Special Agents have their own organizational hierarchy that is unique and can be confusing to those outside of the federal law enforcement community.

Below is a pyramid representation and typical pay grades:

* **Special Agent** (GS-5 to GS-13)
* **Supervisory Special Agent**/**Group Supervisor**/**Resident Agent in Charge** (GS-14 to GS-15)
* **Assistant Special Agent in Charge** (GS-15)
* **Deputy Special Agent in Charge** (GS-15)
* **Special Agent in Charge** (GS-15 or Senior Executive Service)

## Special Agent

Every field level criminal investigator, regardless of their years of service, is simply known as a Special Agent. Whether you are a brand new academy graduate or a senior investigator with 20 years on the job, this basic description is attributed to the working men and women that make cases happen. Special Agents are essentially the detectives of the federal law enforcement community. It takes on average 4 to 5 years for a Special Agent to reach GS-13, this can vary depending on agency and starting grade.

## Supervisory Special Agent

The first line supervisors are typically in the GS-14 range and have some variety in titles based on their locations. In a typical office with several Groups or Squads, Supervisory Special Agents (SSA) or Group Supervisors (GS) run an investigative unit of 5-10 Special Agents. However, at a small office where the first-line supervisor is also the highest ranking manager, they (GS-14 supervisors) are given the title of Resident Agent in Charge (RAC); which also comes with more authority. In comparing this position to State & Locals, the GS-14 is analogous to a Sergeant. An office run by a RAC is typically called an RAC Office.

## Assistant Special Agent in Charge

The second-line supervisors are known as Assistant Special Agents in Charge (GS-15) or ASAC; and are responsible for managing several groups (typically 3-5 investigative units). These ASAC positions are typically equivalent to Lieutenant and Captain billets within State & Local agencies. An office where the ASAC is the highest ranking manager in charge, is typically called an ASAC Office.

## Deputy Special Agent in Charge

The third-line supervisor is called a Deputy Assistant Special Agent in Charge (DSAC) and reports directly to the Special Agent in Charge (SAC). DSACs (also typically GS-15) are often responsible for enforcing discipline and executing SAC orders. The DSAC is essentially the Deputy Chief when compared to state and local agencies.

## Special Agent in Charge

The highest ranking criminal investigator in each region is the Special Agent in Charge (SAC). The SAC is the equivalent to the Chief of Police and runs all the sub-offices in his area. A typical SAC may be in charge of 100-200 personnel within 10+ offices located throughout a wide geographic area (i.e. 20+ counties). The SAC Office is the controlling location for all sub offices in the assigned geographic region. The SAC reports directly to officials at their respective agencies in Washington DC.

## Other Ranks

The Federal Bureau of Investigation also has the positions of Senior Resident Agent (SRA) held by the most senior GS-13 Special Agent at a smaller Resident Agency office, and Supervisory Senior Resident Agent (SSRA) held by a GS-14 or GS-15 Supervisory Special Agent at a large Resident Agency office.

## Information

Most large agencies (DEA, HSI, FBI, ATF, etc.) have some sort of a formal testing, interview and selection process for initial promotions from Special Agent (Field) to Supervisory Special Agent (Management). The smaller agencies typically only have an interview selection process.