CIA contracting officer jobs at the Central Intelligence Agency start at $82,396 a year on the GS 9 to 14 scale, for roles based in Washington, DC. Applications close January 31, 2027. This guide explains what the job actually involves, who qualifies, which degrees fit, and how to apply through the CIA careers site.
Can Pakistanis apply? No. This role requires United States citizenship. Dual-national United States citizens are eligible, but Pakistani citizens without United States citizenship cannot apply.
CIA contracting officer jobs carry real legal weight. Only the contracting officer is legally authorized to financially obligate the United States Government to acquire its products and services. You also need United States citizenship and a pass on a full background investigation, a polygraph, and medical and psychological exams.
- Role: Contracting Officer, Central Intelligence Agency
- Location: Washington, DC (on-site)
- Pay: $82,396 a year to start (GS 9 to 14)
- Closes: January 31, 2027
- Citizenship: United States citizenship required
- How to apply: through the CIA careers site, then MyLINK
By the ixjob.pk editorial team. Last verified November 2, 2026, against the official USAJOBS posting and the CIA careers pages.
This page summarizes the official posting. ixjob.pk is not affiliated with the CIA.
CIA contracting officer jobs at a glance
| Detail | What the posting says |
|---|---|
| Agency | Central Intelligence Agency |
| Start | Entry to full performance, GS 9 to 14 |
| Education | Bachelor’s or master’s degree in accounting, business, economics, or related fields |
| Security | Background investigation, polygraph, medical and psychological exams; Sensitive Compartmented Information clearance |
| Travel | 25% or less |
| Relocation | May be reimbursed under agency policy |
| Drug test | Yes |
| Financial disclosure | Yes |
| Job type | Permanent, full-time |
| Opened | September 1, 2026 |
Five terms to know.
- GS scale: the General Schedule, the federal pay scale. GS 9 to 14 is the grade range for this role.
- FAR: the Federal Acquisition Regulation, the rulebook for how the federal government buys products and services.
- DAWIA: the Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act, the certification system for federal acquisition staff.
- MyLINK: the CIA online system for submitting a resume and ranking jobs.
- SF-86: the paperwork for the security clearance background check.
What a contracting officer actually does
A contracting officer applies business skills to diverse programs for technical collection systems, construction projects, information technology initiatives, and more. The work runs alongside Agency and other Intelligence Community colleagues, and it provides critical support to United States national security. Each program needs buying decisions that are fast, lawful, and good value.
The authority is the point. At the CIA, only the contracting officer is legally authorized to financially obligate the United States Government to acquire its products and services. That signature carries weight, so the role demands care with every clause and every dollar.
The daily work is negotiation and management. You learn and use innovative business practices to streamline the acquisition process and maximize resources. You also negotiate and manage a wide variety of unique and complex contract types, such as fixed-price and cost-reimbursement contracts, to obtain the best value on behalf of the United States Government. For example, a fixed-price contract suits clear work, while a cost-reimbursement contract suits work where costs are hard to fix in advance.
The contracts a contracting officer manages
Two contract types dominate the work, and each shifts risk differently. The table below shows the difference in one view. For example, the choice between them changes who carries the risk when costs move.
| Contract type | How it works | When it fits |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed-price | The price is set before the work starts | Work with a clear scope and known costs |
| Cost-reimbursement | The government repays allowable costs plus a fee | Work where the scope or the costs are hard to fix in advance |
Contracting officers are hired at various experience levels, from entry to full performance positions. You get progressively more on-the-job experience and related training and development programs, so the role grows with you while you support mission needs. In fact, that progression is the point, since each level brings harder contracts and more responsibility.
What does a CIA contracting officer earn?
The USAJOBS posting lists CIA contracting officer jobs at GS 9 to 14, with pay starting at $82,396 a year. That figure is the starting point. Your exact step also depends on experience and education, so two new hires can start at different points inside the same wide range.
On benefits, the CIA careers page describes a federal package in general terms: competitive health care plans, retirement programs, generous time off, flexible schedules, fitness facilities, and chances to continue your education. The USAJOBS posting also states that relocation expenses may be reimbursed under agency policy. The posting itself gives no figures for bonuses or allowances, so this guide gives none either.
Who can apply for CIA contracting officer jobs?
CIA CIA contracting officer jobs set a short list of hard conditions. Miss one, and the application stops there. Run through each item before you spend time on the rest.
- Be a United States citizen and at least 18 years old. Dual-national United States citizens are eligible.
- Be physically in the United States or one of its territories when you submit your resume through MyLINK.
- Register for the Selective Service, if that applies to you.
Four more conditions completes the list.
- Be willing to move to the Washington, DC area.
- Pass a thorough medical and psychological exam, a polygraph interview, and a comprehensive background investigation.
- Pass a drug test.
- Qualify for Sensitive Compartmented Information clearance.
The posting lists no upper age limit. The only age rule is 18 or older.
Education is broad. You need a bachelor’s or master’s degree in Accounting, Business Administration, Communications, Economics, English, Finance, Management, Pre-Law, or Supply Chain Management. The posting asks for at least a 3.0 GPA on a 4-point scale. It also screens for strong analytic and critical thinking skills, exceptional customer service skills, excellent written and verbal communication, attention to administrative detail, and the ability to multi-task in a fast-paced environment.
Experience and credentials help a lot. Demonstrated experience with the Federal Acquisition Regulation and United States Government contracting is a desired qualification, as is federal or military contracting experience. The posting also lists certifications such as Certified Federal Contracts Manager, Certified Commercial Contracts Manager, Certified Professional Contracts Manager, and DAWIA certification, plus an advanced degree in Business, Public Administration, or Law. That mix matters, since contracting officers must explain complex terms to non-specialists as well.
How CIA hiring works, step by step
According to the CIA’s How We Hire page, CIA CIA contracting officer jobs follow the same eight stages. The Agency itself warns that the process may be lengthy. No fixed timeline is published, so plan for a slow process and do not count on a quick answer.
- Submit your resume through MyLINK.
- Receive an invitation to apply for a specific position.
- Complete screening, testing, and interviews.
- Receive a Conditional Offer of Employment.
- Complete and submit the conditional offer paperwork, including the SF-86.
- Complete security and medical evaluations as part of the clearance process.
- Receive the official job offer and onboarding information.
- Onboard.
Two practical points follow from those steps. First, the application starts on the CIA careers site, where you express interest in up to four jobs and then move to MyLINK to submit your resume and rankings. Second, the polygraph interview and the medical exams come after the conditional offer, as part of the security and medical evaluations, so an early interview is not a job offer. Readers weighing other federal paths can also look at the CIA student internship program in Washington, DC], which is a separate route for students.
Who should apply and who should wait
Apply for CIA contracting officer jobs when the checklist above fits you cleanly. That means a degree in one of the listed fields, comfort with contracts and negotiation, and a record that can survive a full background investigation. It also means you accept the polygraph, the medical exams, the drug test, and the move to the DC area without hesitation.
Wait when any hard condition misses. Non-citizens cannot apply, and neither can anyone who cannot pass the background investigation or the medical exams. Waiting also makes sense when you dislike detail-heavy contract work or want a hiring decision within weeks. The process rewards patience, and forcing an application that fails a hard rule wastes months of your time.
One more group should think twice. If your main draw is the salary, compare it with the demands first. The pay is solid federal pay, but the job asks for exact work, legal responsibility, and a long clearance process. A reader who wants the mission itself will find those trade-offs easier to accept than a reader who wants only the paycheck.
Mistakes that cost applicants the role
The most common error is treating the role as general purchasing. A contracting officer signs for the United States Government, so the work needs knowledge of the Federal Acquisition Regulation and federal contracting rules.
A second error is weak attention to detail. The posting lists attention to administrative detail as a minimum qualification, so sloppy paperwork reads as a failed test. For example, a resume with typos tells the hiring team exactly what it needs to know.
A third error, and a common one for CIA contracting officer jobs, is following the wrong apply button. The USAJOBS listing is for viewing only; apply through the CIA careers site. Use the official route, because a resume sent to the wrong place never reaches the hiring team.
The last error is impatience. The CIA says the process may be lengthy, and applicants who press for fast answers do themselves no favors. Prepare one strong application, submit it through the right channel, and let the process run.
Watch out for fake CIA job offers
Apply for CIA CIA contracting officer jobs only through the official CIA careers site and MyLINK. No recruiter can sell you a place in the hiring process.
The FTC’s job scams guide states that it is always free to apply for a federal job. Any message that asks for money, bank details, or gift cards in exchange for a CIA job is a scam. Check any unexpected job message against the official site before you reply.
Fake federal job offers are a known pattern. The United States Federal Trade Commission keeps a plain-language guide to spotting them. Read the FTC guide to job scams] before you answer any recruiter who contacts you first. If an offer asks you to pay, share banking details, or move fast, walk away and report it.
Frequently asked questions
What does a CIA contracting officer do?
A CIA contracting officer applies business skills to programs for technical collection systems, construction projects, and information technology initiatives. Only the contracting officer is legally authorized to financially obligate the United States Government, and you negotiate and manage fixed-price and cost-reimbursement contracts.
How much does a CIA contracting officer make?
A CIA contracting officer makes $82,396 a year to start on the GS 9 to 14 scale.
What degree do you need to become a CIA contracting officer?
You need a bachelor’s or master’s degree in Accounting, Business Administration, Communications, Economics, English, Finance, Management, Pre-Law, or Supply Chain Management. A 3.0 GPA is required, and FAR experience and contracting certifications are desired.
Do you need FAR experience to be a CIA contracting officer?
No, FAR experience is not a minimum requirement. The posting lists demonstrated experience with the Federal Acquisition Regulation and United States Government contracting as a desired qualification, so it helps a lot but it is not a condition of employment.
How long does it take to get hired by the CIA?
The CIA says its hiring process may be lengthy and gives no fixed timeline. The steps are a resume through MyLINK, an invitation to apply, screening, testing, and interviews, a conditional offer, paperwork, security and medical evaluations, and then onboarding.
Can non-US citizens apply for CIA contracting officer jobs?
No. United States citizenship is required. Dual-national United States citizens are eligible, but non-citizens cannot apply for this role.
Sources
Pay, dates, duties, and requirements for CIA CIA contracting officer jobs above come from the official posting and the CIA careers pages linked here.
- USAJOBS Contracting Officer posting]: duties, requirements, education, and pay.
- CIA How We Hire]: minimum requirements and the eight hiring steps.
- CIA Careers]: the application route through MyLINK and the general benefits description.
- FTC Job Scams guide]: how to spot fake federal job offers.
The January 31, 2027 closing date comes from the supplied USAJOBS listing summary. The fetched posting text shows a September 1, 2026 publication date and no closing date, so confirm the date on the CIA careers site before you apply.
Related jobs: CIA student internship program in Washington, DC], job search websites], International Jobs].
