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Intelligence Officers

Earnings

Intelligence officers with bachelor's degrees generally start at levels equivalent to GS-7 to GS-11, which corresponded to a salary range of $49,960 to $73,939, at the Step 1 level, in 2025. Candidates with advanced degrees may start at the GS-12 level, which paid $88,621 to $115,213 in 2025. Experience and additional qualifications, such as knowledge of a rare foreign language, bring higher salaries. Those in senior executive and scientific and professional positions may earn salaries at the GS-15 level, which ranged from $146,481 to $190,424 a year in 2025.

Officers who work abroad receive free housing, special allowances, and other benefits. Those deployed in covert or hazardous situations also receive additional compensation. Overseas operatives and military intelligence personnel are generally allowed to retire earlier than civilian intelligence officers.

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