Be Part of an Elite Law Enforcement Team – Uphold a Tradition of Honor

Career Path

Secret Service Uniformed Division Officers provide protection for the White House complex, the Vice President's residence, the main Treasury Building and Annex, and foreign diplomatic missions and embassies in the Washington, D.C., area. Additionally, Uniformed Division officers travel in support of presidential, vice presidential and foreign head of state government missions. Officers may, as their careers progress, be selected to participate in one of several specialized units, including the:

• Canine Unit – performing security sweeps and responding to bomb threats and suspicious packages
• Emergency Response Team – providing a coordinated tactical response for the White House and other protected facilities
• Countersniper Team – utilizing observation, sighting equipment and high-performance weapons to provide a secure environment for protectees
• Motorcade Support Unit – providing motorcycle tactical support for official movements of motorcades
• Crime Scene Search Unit – photographing, collecting and processing physical and latent evidence
• Office of Human Resources and Training – serving as firearms and classroom instructors or recruiters
• Special Operations Section – handling special duties and functions at the White House complex, including conducting the daily congressional and public tours of the White House

Qualifications

To be considered for Uniformed Division Officer positions you must:

• Be a U.S. Citizen
• Be at least 21 years of age and younger than 40 at time of appointment
• Have a high school diploma or equivalent
• Have uncorrected vision no worse than 20/60 binocular; correctable to 20/20 in each eye (NOTE: Lasik, ALK, RK and PRK corrective eye surgeries are acceptable eyes surgeries for applicants provided specific visual tests are passed. The following are the waiting periods before visual tests are conducted after the surgery: Lasik surgery–three months; PRK–six months; and ALK and RK–one year.)
• Be in excellent health and physical condition
• Complete interviews and pass a written test (the Police Officer’s Selection Test)
• Qualify for a Top Secret clearance and undergo a complete background investigation, to include driving record check, drug screening, medical and polygraph examinations

Benefits

In addition to federal employee benefits, Uniformed Division Officer benefits also include:

• Competitive starting salary
  
• Overtime compensation at the rate of time and one-half, or through compensatory time off
• Uniforms and equipment furnished at no cost
• Low-cost life insurance
  
• Individual or family membership in low-cost federal health benefit plans
  
• Annual leave earned at the rate of 13 to 26 days per year, based on length of employment (prior federal civilian or military service is credited, as authorized)
  
• Sick leave accumulated at the rate of 13 days per year without limit
  
• Paid holidays
  
• Reasonable moving expenses paid for out-of-area hires
  
• Comprehensive retirement benefits (retirement credit is granted for prior federal military or government service, as authorized)
  
• Eligibility for participation in Flexible Spending Account Program (a tax-favored program offered to employees to pay for eligible out-of-pocket health care and dependent care expenses with pre-tax dollars)

Conditions

Certain demands are required of all Uniformed Division Officers. These include, but are not limited to:  

• Working long hours in undesirable conditions on short notice
• Traveling away from home for periods up to 30 days and sometimes longer
• Carrying a firearm while performing duties and maintaining firearms proficiency

Maximum Age Entry Restriction

On August 26, 2009, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) published a memorandum for all Heads of Departments and Executive Agencies related to hiring of preference eligible veterans applying for federal positions with maximum entry-age restrictions.

As directed by OPM, the U.S. Secret Service will conduct an analysis of all Secret Service positions having maximum entry age restrictions to determine whether a maximum entry age requirement is essential to the performance of the position. Applicants eligible for veterans' preference who exceed the current maximum entry age requirement will continue to be processed during this ongoing analysis. No final determination regarding affected applicants will be made until completion of this analysis. If it is the determination of the U.S. Secret Service that the requirement is not essential to the position, then the Agency will waive the maximum entry-age requirement for veteran's preference eligible applicants for that position.

Proper notification to all affected parties will be published when the analysis has been completed.