San Antonio FBI office is looking to hire K-12 teachers as special agents

Local teachers burnt out from the pandemic and looking for a new career path can now consider ditching their lesson plans for a badge and a gun.

The FBI's San Antonio office is now recruiting educators to become FBI special agents, according to a LinkedIn job listing posted last week. So far, 59 people with backgrounds in K-12 education have applied for the gig, according to the online networking website.

"Your methodological and analytical ability to simplify complex material and present it with clear explanations is highly valued at the FBI," the job listing reads. "Your education experience, whether K-12 or higher, can easily translate to a Special Agent career."

According to the listing, interested candidates will be subject to an intense application process that includes a thorough background check and polygraph test. All candidates must also meet physical fitness requirements.

If the prospective employee meets those requirements, then the teacher-turned-FBI agent will spend 19 weeks as a trainee at the FBI's academy in Quantico, Virginia.

Although it sounds far-fetched at first, the FBI is only one of several employers actively recruiting teachers. According a Wall Street Journal report, educators are being actively recruited to fill roles in sales, software development and healthcare due to their versatile and broad skill set.

What's more, most of those jobs pay more than a teacher's salary.

According to the LinkedIn job post, teachers hired as FBI Special Agents can expect a salary of $78,000 to $153,000 annually. The average teacher salary in Texas was $57,641 in 2021, according to the Texas State Teachers Association.

Those interested in serving in the FBI must be a U.S. citizen between 23 and 36 and have at least two years of work experience as a K-12 teacher.

Stay on top of San Antonio news and views. Sign up for our Weekly Headlines Newsletter.