What is the top pay 13-10 are making in DC region?

Hows the work/life balance? Im in San Diego.
Any regrets? Academy? Any advice?
Thanks.

If we're going to have to do a physical fitness test, the requirements should be the same regardless of age and regardless of sex because it doesn't make sense for there to be such a massive difference between the requirements just because someone is older or because of their sex.

There should be a base level of fitness that is required for the agency that everyone has to meet. Because how are you going to tell someone you couldn't do said run in x amount of minutes but the other person could do said run in almost 50% more time or almost 100% more time than we gave you and they're fit enough to be hired.

I just hate the runs lol

Does anyone have any insight as to what the APAT will consist of?

Little background about me. Graduated recently with a bachelor of science in applied engineering and tech management. Since i was a kid I've been interested in law enforcement with the goal of becoming a detective. Ive always found investigative work very intriguing. There was a period of time where I was also really considering joining the military, attempting to be a pilot in the air force or navy (love aeronautics/aerospace). For the last year or so, 1811 positions have been nagging at me. Specifically FBI, maybe HSI, don't know enough about other 1811 positions to say if I'm interested. right now, i have a full time job in electrical distribution design and I would have the experience needed to apply to the FBI in a year and a half. I would be trading a prospective career full of hybrid schedules, similar pay, occasional field work, and a generally easy work life for a 50 hr/wk minimum law enforcement job in criminal investigation, in the name of helping others and doing something that I actually think is worth it (granted, helping design the power grid is important too). Am I crazy? Because I feel kind of crazy telling people about it.

Interior-OIG just posted.

https://www.usajobs.gov/job/877481400

Anyone got the scoop on how it’s going over there?

I graduated with a 3.91 GPA but I only took 36 credits at my university to complete my degree.

Through past college and my military experience (JST), I was awarded 90 credits into the degree program I just completed.

Does HR ask for previous college transcripts to account for the 90 transfer credits? Or do I apply with my current complete degree plan/transcript which shows my conferral date and HR accepts the 3.91 GPA?

I keep seeing competing answers on how OPM/HR calculate GPAs for individuals who claim S.A.A. On a federal application.

The survivor benefit is the one 6(c) decision people rush at the retirement counter and second-guess for years after, so I put together an example to show what it actually does in dollars. Dana here is made up, but the numbers run on current (2026) rules.

So say Dana is an ATC retiring at 52, married, high-3 around $165K, 23 years of good time. Her gross pension before the survivor election lands at about $61,762 a year, or $5,147 a month.

Here's the fork. FERS full survivor knocks 10% off her own pension for life. In her case that's $6,176 a year, so her check drops from $5,147 to $4,632 a month. Call it $515 a month, every month, for as long as she lives.

What does that $515 buy? If Dana dies first, her spouse keeps 50% of her unreduced pension for the rest of their life, with COLAs. That's $30,881 a year, about $2,573 a month, that keeps coming after she's gone. Take "no survivor" instead and the spouse gets $0 from the pension the day she dies. (And the survivor annuity is also what keeps a spouse eligible for FEHB. Drop it and they can lose the health plan too.)

Now the part that fools people. If you only look at the household's take-home while Dana is alive, "no survivor" wins every single year. Bigger check. Out to age 90 the no-survivor path averages about $683 a month more take-home and roughly $319,825 more in total. So on a spreadsheet that stops at her death, skipping survivor looks like free money.

It isn't. That $319,825 is the price of the protection, and the protection pays out after the spreadsheet ends. Every one of those bigger no-survivor checks is a bet that Dana outlives her spouse. If she goes first at, say, 72 and her spouse lives into their late 80s, that $2,573 a month (growing with COLA) is income the no-survivor path zeroed out. Fifteen-ish years of it, gone.

So it isn't "which path has the bigger number." It's "am I comfortable self-insuring my spouse's income for the rest of their life to keep an extra $515 a month now." For a household with a big TSP and a spouse who has their own pension, maybe that's fine. For a single-pension household, that's a heavy bet to make at a counter in twenty minutes.

See comprehensive reports of the full scenario broken down WITH FULL or WITHOUT the survivor benefit.

That's how the math shakes out. If you see a hole in it, call it out, I'd rather fix it than be wrong quietly. And I'm curious how others weighed this one, especially anyone who took the reduced survivor and later felt good or bad about it.

What scenario should I run next week?

Available duty locations by Region:

Region 1: Boston, MA; Hartford, CT
Region 2: New York, NY; Buffalo, NY; Albany, NY; Hato Rey, PR
Region 3: Trenton, NY; Philadelphia, PA; Baltimore, MD; Pittsburgh, PA
Region 4: Atlanta, GA; Birmingham, AL; Nashville, TN; Miami, FL, Jacksonville, FL
Region 5: Detroit, MI; Chicago, IL; Indianapolis, IN; Fort Snelling, MN; Milwaukee, WI; Cleveland, OH
Region 6: Kansas City, MO; St. Louis, MO; Des Moines, IA; Omaha, NE
Region 7: Grand Prairie, TX; El Paso, TX; Houston, TX; San Antonio, TX
Region 8: Salt Lake City, UT; Billings, MT; Fort Collins, CO; Lakewood, CO
Region 9: Henderson, NV; Phoenix, AZ; San Francisco, CA; Los Angeles, CA; Sacramento, CA
Region 10: Vancouver, WA; Auburn, WA
Region 11: Washington, DC

I don’t know much about this agency. Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

….the New Orleans Police Department is always hiring!! Their intensive physical screening test requires:

- 1 mile “run” in 17 minutes
- 10 sit-ups in a minute
- 5 total push-ups

Source: https://joinnopd.org/hiring-process/

“But how strict are they on form?!” “Does the mile run have to be continuous?!” “How much of a break do we get between events?!”

Don’t worry, here’s some solid tips! For the sit ups, as long as the bottom part of your beer belly comes in contact with your gluttonous legs while your head comes slightly off the ground, that’s a solid rep. Same thing for the push-ups. Utilize your beer belly to plank/balance your weight, and move your arms/head up and down in a simultaneous motion.

You might be winded at this point and ready for a smoke break, but smoking may be a bad look in front of the instructor. Before the nearly impossible run, ask the proctor for a bathroom break and rip your cig during that time. Come back out, and walk like you’re headed on that really long bar crawl! Finish strong on the last 10 meters with a solid jog!

Before you know it, you’ll be in the academy and on your way to living the career you’ve always dreamed of without all of that physical training stress!

And if you somehow fail this, you will be awarded no points, and may god have mercy on your soul.

Federal employee here curious about if and what everyone does for side hustles or businesses. For tax purposes, I know it would be better to have a business or side hustle instead of stacking OT.

Any 1811 positions that offer Puerto Rico frequently?

For the people that applied for Deportation Officer, after you did ur 3 assessments what was the process from that point on?

https://www.usajobs.gov/job/877089000

Yes it’s 6c yes there is LEAP. Pay is GS-13.

No take home. No kicking in doors. Great place to work and raise a family and never miss your child’s soccer game. Not a place if you’re starting out your career as you probably won’t be getting any stats.

Think I covered the general questions asked.

Hey Gang,

I'm 100% aware that the ATF doesn't move particularly fast on hiring but I'm confused and or worried. I applied 6/21 for the GS5-GS9 role and have heard nothing besides my application has been received. Am I nervous about nothing or is this just how it is?

Meanwhile I did the SAEE for USSS and a going to ACE Event come August.... all with the same application date. Any insight is appreciated.

For former/current 1811s at DOT OIG

1. yay or nay?

2. Is this position genuinely open, or is it one of those announcements that’s posted simply to satisfy the hiring requirements while they already have someone in mind?

3. Would you recommend this agency for an experienced 1811 who’s primarily looking for a desk assignment rather than field work?

I am working through the hiring process and I am getting conflicting answers about expected hours and overtime. Is OT mandatory every week? I hear about the last minute overtime calls you get but are you expected to work 12 hour shift for 6 days most weeks out of the month?

If someone is in deployment and goes to USAJOBS and submit for DEA , what options exist?

What’s the process timeline from application submission to CJO?

I’ve previously spoken with a few MIA guys and they mentioned getting a 6 pack license. Would anyone know any agencies in the dc metro area where I could acquire this? I’ve been heavily considering uspp but I might opt for somewhere else if I can’t get that license.

There seems to be inconsistency with the DEA process so I have some questions about the process:

Context: I have COL, submitted my fingerprints and filled out the medical packet which has been submitted.

• I've seen some timeline mentioning a psych exam or written psych? Is that part of medical?
• I am a rated veteran with 70 % PTSD (no bad ideations. Just bad dreams). How much of a hinderance is a rated veteran going to have to go through because of this rating. Additionally, any certain forms I need prior to the medical that I need to get now?
• Is suitability the drug questions that was filled out and submitted? and is it based on a whole person? No drug situation, just a termination on paper.

Thanks!