The men and women who work for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) must be loyal to the United States, dedicated to their challenging jobs, and willing to defend the rights of Americans against all infiltrators. In addition to providing protection from terrorism and counterintelligence, FBI agents also intervene in criminal cases in a state or local jurisdiction as needed, along with enforcing federal legislation.
Vermont does not have its own FBI field office. However, FBI jobs in Vermont may be based out of the two Resident Agencies in the state that are under the jurisdiction of the Albany, New York field office: Burlington and Rutland. FBI agents in Vermont have been involved in a variety of cases, with topics including crisis negotiation; bomb analysis; evidence response and recovery; and investigations of armored car heists, computer hacking, murder, securities fraud, and aggravated assault on minors.
How to Become an FBI Special Agent in Vermont: Training and
Degree Requirements
Vermont residents who wish to seek employment with the FBI must first fulfill certain basic requirements. They are:
- U.S. citizenship
- Age between 23 and 36
- Possess at least a bachelor’s degree
- Possess at least two years of professional experience
- Amenable to being placed wherever the FBI needs agents – not just in Vermont
Skills and education that is necessary for those who want to become an FBI special agent in Vermont include:
- Computer (including security, hacking, information technology, engineering, forensics, network administration)
- Sciences (such as physics, chemistry, biology)
- Accounting
- Law
- Electrical engineering
- Detectives
- Military
- Pilots
- Intelligence
Applications to become an FBI agent in Vermont are accepted online at www.fbijobs.gov. In addition to special agent FBI positions, other jobs may be available in Vermont or other resident agencies of the FBI, such as linguist, translator, budget or finance analyst, and writer/editor.
New FBI special agents in Vermont can expect to earn $44,670 annually. This salary is calculated by adding the annual pay rate corresponding to a GS 10 entry-level salary of $43,441 as of 2013, plus the Office of Personnel Management (OPM)’s Vermont localized adjustment rate of 2.83 percent.
FBI Field Offices and Jobs in Vermont
Because of the small size of the state of Vermont, it does not house an FBI field office. However, there are two Resident Agencies located in Vermont that are under the Albany field office’s jurisdiction. FBI agents in Vermont are under the supervision of the supervisory senior resident agent in Burlington and are responsible for the cases in Vermont’s 14 counties. They are:
Burlington – FBI agents working in Burlington, Vermont are responsible for the counties of Washington, Orleans, Lamoille, Grand Isle, Franklin, Essex, Chittenden, Caledonia and Addison. Cases in the history of the Burlington agency have included:
- The unsolved (as of 2013) disappearance of a teenager in 2004
- Investigation of a serial killer in 2011 who murdered people in Vermont, Washington and Alaska
Rutland – FBI agents working in Rutland, Vermont are responsible for the counties of Windsor, Windham, Rutland, Orange and Bennington. Cases in the Rutland agency have included:
- The largest heist in Vermont’s history – a $1.9 million armored car theft in 2002
- Investigation and arrest of a pastor who helped a woman escape to Central America with her kidnapped daughter in 2009