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What is an intelligence officer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read

An Intelligence Officer is a trained professional responsible for developing and evaluating plans to gather information and intelligence. They carry out investigations in target areas by interviewing people they believe can provide them with the information they need. After gathering the required information, they write reports of their findings and ensure records are maintained.

Depending on their area of work, intelligence officers work with an array of stakeholders. They generally work with researchers, intelligence analysts, the police, security agencies, and intelligence agencies. An intelligence officer can get employed by law enforcement agencies, the military, intelligence agencies, and government organizations.

A successful intelligence officer should have a good understanding of information in order to make recommendations based on the information collected. He/she should also be analytical, communicative and should have an eye for detail. Intelligence officers typically work the normal office hours of 40 hours a week but are expected to be on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The job also involves a lot of traveling, and they may sometimes work in shifts.

ScoreIntelligence OfficerUS Average
Salary
7.3

Avg. Salary $93,740

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level
6.1

Growth Rate 3%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity
2.1
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.62%

Asian 4.35%

Black or African American 6.38%

Hispanic or Latino 11.35%

Unknown 6.07%

White 71.23%

Gender

female 18.03%

male 81.97%

Age - 34
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 34
Stress Level
6.1

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity Level
8.3

Complexity Level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance
6.3

Work Life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Intelligence Officer career paths

Key steps to become an intelligence officer

  1. Explore intelligence officer education requirements

    Most common intelligence officer degrees

    Bachelor's

    75.2 %

    Master's

    13.2 %

    Associate

    7.9 %
  2. Start to develop specific intelligence officer skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Personnel Security8.49%
    SCI7.76%
    Collection Management5.70%
    Law Enforcement4.99%
    Security Clearance4.84%
  3. Research intelligence officer duties and responsibilities

    • Manage two RFP processes - for technological and communications consultants.
    • Manage logistics within precinct, create monthly business plans, and develop sales tracking and development system for store.
    • Prepare all-source intelligence products to support the combat commander by establishing and maintaining systematic, cross-reference intelligence records and files.
    • Prepare and deliver classified oral briefings for the J2.
  4. Prepare your intelligence officer resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your intelligence officer resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an intelligence officer resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose From 10+ Customizable Intelligence Officer Resume templates

    Build a professional Intelligence Officer resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Intelligence Officer resume.
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    Intelligence Officer Resume
  5. Apply for intelligence officer jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for an intelligence officer job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How Did You Land Your First Intelligence Officer Job

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Average intelligence officer salary

The average Intelligence Officer salary in the United States is $93,740 per year or $45 per hour. Intelligence officer salaries range between $51,000 and $169,000 per year.

Average Intelligence Officer Salary
$93,740 Yearly
$45.07 hourly

What Am I Worth?

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How do intelligence officers rate their job?

5/5

Based On 1 Ratings

5 Stars

4 Stars

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2 Stars

1 Star

Intelligence Officer reviews

profile
5.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Nov 2019
Pros

If i got to work as an intelligence officer in any department around my city. I would love to use my psychology and sociology mind to help catch fugitives, also my toughness and speed to run and catch fugitives as well.

Cons

Nothing. it’s all amazing.


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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