Special Agents

Pay and Benefits

Base Annual Salary Range For Year 2008:: $32,389 (Grade 5, Step 1) to $41,122 (Grade 9, Step 1) (Salary range excludes locality pay and the 25% Law Enforcement Availability Pay)
Locality Pay:: Locality pay provides for pay adjustments based on survey comparisons with non-Federal rates on a locality basis. Its goal was to narrow the pay gap between Federal and non-Federal salaries over a nine-year period and is payable within each locality determined to have a pay disparity greater than 5 percent.
The current range of locality pay is 13.18% to 32.53%
Law Enforcement Availability Pay (LEAP):: LEAP is a type of premium pay that is paid to Federal law enforcement officers who are criminal investigators. Due to the nature of their work, criminal investigators are required to work, or be available to work, substantial amounts of "unscheduled duty." Availability pay is generally an entitlement that an agency must provide if the required conditions are met.
Generally, all special agents receive the 25% LEAP, which is added to locality pay.
Promotion Potential:: The full performance level for this position is grade 13. Note: Promotions are based upon performance and must receive supervisory approval.
Salary tables and related information are available on the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) website at http://www.opm.gov/oca/08tables/index.asp

Annual leave (vacation time) is earned at the rate of 13-26 days per year, with a maximum accumulation of 240 hours per year.
Sick leave is earned at the rate of 13 days per year and may be accumulated without limit.
Paid holidays.
Low cost health insurance with the option to choose from a variety of plans.
Low cost life insurance.
Federal Employee Retirement System (FERS) benefits. Special agents may retire at 50 with 20 years of service. Age 57 is the mandatory retirement age, with 20 years of service.
Tax-deferred Thrift Savings Plan (TSP).
Health improvement (physical fitness) program.
The Foreign Language Award Program authorizes cash awards for ATF employees who possess and make substantial use of one or more foreign language(s) in the performance of their official duties. The cash award is based upon proficiency and substantial usage

Federal benefits and additional related information are available on the following websites:

Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) http://www.opm.gov/retire/html/library/fers.asp
Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHB) http://www.opm.gov/insure/health/index.asp
Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance (FEGLI) http://www.opm.gov/insure/life/index.asp
Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) http://www.tsp.gov/