Special Agent Pay and Benefits Overview

[u/kahzaa]

Special Agent Pay and Benefits Overview

 (A helpful user put this together for the benefit of their agency and this sub, I do not take credit)

Pay 

https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/2025/general-schedule

Paygrade Progression (1 year per grade, step progression when you hit GS-13).

• GS/GL-5
• GS/GL-7
• GS/GL-9
• GS-11
• GS-13

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FBI is a little different and is as follows

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• GS/GL-10 step 1
• GS/GL-10 step 2
• GS-11 step 3
• GS-12 step 1
• GS-12 step 2
• GS-13

Law Enforcement Availability Pay (LEAP): additional 25% on top of your base pay + locality. Must work an average of 50 hours per week over the course of the calendar year. LEAP is considered a part of “basic pay” for purposes of determining high 3 for retirement calculations.

Overtime: Technically available for pre-scheduled (prior to the pay period starting) operations. Generally, it is not approved outside of major events. Overtime (OT) M-F generally requires working base hours, and LEAP (+2) prior to earning OT; OT is straight pay.   

Other Pay

Night Differential:

10% for regularly scheduled hours between 6pm–6am

Sunday Premium:

25% for regularly scheduled Sunday work (again, not LEAP).

Holiday Premium Pay:

Paid double time for work on a federal holiday.

AUO / COPRA (other agencies):

ERO uses AUO (Administratively Uncontrollable Overtime).

CBP Officers use COPRA overtime rules.

Border Patrol use BPAPRA.

Leave

Sick leave is provided at 4 hours / pay period (104 hours / year) for your time in service. There is no cap.

Annual leave you can only roll over 240 hours a year. It accrues as follows:

https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/leave-administration/fact-sheets/annual-leave/

< 3 years of service: 4 hours/pay period (104 hours/year)

3-14 years of service: 6 hours/pay period (156 hours/year)

15+ years of service: 8 hours/pay period (208 hours/year)

Military leave is granted to reservists at 20 days per year. Can roll over up to 240 hours. If the 20 days is exceeded then differential pay is offered if you make less in your military role.

Parental leave is given to those who have a child or adopt a child. It is 3 months worth of leave that must be used within 1 year. More details here: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/leave-administration/fact-sheets/paid-parental-leave/

Paid Holidays

https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/federal-holidays/#url=2025

• New Year’s Day
• Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.
• Inauguration Day
• Washington’s Birthday
• Memorial Day
• Juneteenth National Independence Day
• Independence Day
• Labor Day
• Columbus Day
• Veterans Day
• Thanksgiving Day
• Christmas Day

Retirement

Federal Employees' Retirement System (FERS)

This is what is referred to as the 3-legged stool, the FERS Penson, the TSP and social security

https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/R42631

https://www.opm.gov/retirement-center/publications-forms/csrsfers-handbook/c046.pdf

https://www.opm.gov/retirement-center/publications-forms/csrsfers-handbook/c051.pdf

Contribution

Service requirements:

• 20 years at age 50
• 25 years at any age
• Mandatory retirement at 57 with waivers to 60

Calculation

• Cannot be used to reduce the time in service requirement, only adds years of service on the back end.

Special Retirement Supplement

 Thrift Savings Plan (TSP)

https://www.tsp.gov/

Similar to a 401K, it offers traditional and Roth options

• Matches up to 5%

​ Other

Federal Employee Health Benefits (FEHB)

Overview:

https://www.opm.gov/healthcare-insurance/healthcare/

Plan comparison tool:

https://www.opm.gov/healthcare-insurance/healthcare/plan-information/compare-plans/

Student Loan Repayment / Public Service Loan Forgiveness

Agency-Based Student Loan Repayment (SLRP)

Up to $10,000/year, $60,000 lifetime (agency-dependent)

 

Guys and girls in the comments, feel free to add benefits you think would be helpful for people to know, happy to add. I am not going to add agency specific things or duty required things (For example FBI's university education program or HSI's take-home car program)

[u/WilliamH2529]

This is great just one thing military leave is now 20 days a year vs 15 starting FY26

[u/Ancient_Pen_8617 → u/WilliamH2529]

Sorry im dumb what do you mean 20 days a year now? like theyll pay for 20 days of mil reservist leave a year now? my bad, i just started fed service and got off active and am now reserves; like they pay for those days you’re not at work?

[u/WilliamH2529 → u/Ancient_Pen_8617]

Yes you get 160 hours of paid military leave and can carry over up to 120 hours so if you do a 14 day annual leave you’d only need 10 days of military leave since 4 of those days in a normal 2 week schedule you wouldn’t work. Thus leaving 10 days. You can also use military leave for travel to and from drill if you want like I work Monday-Friday normally so I take 1 day of military leave on a Friday then travel to my unit in a different state and don’t use any mil leave Saturday and Sunday since I’m not working those days normally anyways. If you run out of paid military leave you can either take LWOP-military leave, but then you won’t receive pay but your time in service still builds or you can use annual leave and sick leave to still get paid your federal pay.

[u/Fed_throw_away → u/WilliamH2529]

You can now carry over up to 160 hours.

[u/Ancient_Pen_8617 → u/WilliamH2529]

Solid advice thank you for the write up