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Job title · SOC 13-1199

Foreign Service Officer (diplomat)

Also known as: foreign service officer, diplomat

01

Overview

Sourced

All business operations specialists not listed separately.

O*NET definition of Business Operations Specialists, All Other (SOC 13-1199).

367,260
in government (SOC 13-1199)
34%
of this occupation works for government
$91,060
median pay in government
Federal
levels of government

Occupation figures cover every job classified under SOC 13-1199, including Child Support Officer, Emergency Management Specialist, Grants Specialist / Manager.

How people usually get in Editorial
FSOT + Foreign Service Officer Assessment (FSOA) + clearances. Requirements vary by employer; each employer page will list its exact rules.

Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 — national estimates by ownership; U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), O*NET 31.0 Database; GovJobs Wiki (editorial). Data captured September 30, 2026.

02

Requirements

Sourced
Typical entry requirements (BLS, SOC 13-1199)
Education needed to enter
Bachelor's degree
Related work experience
None
On-the-job training
None

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–35 — education and training assignments by detailed occupation (Tables 5.3, 5.4). Data captured September 30, 2026.

04

Academy and training

Sourced
Training to become competent (BLS)
SOC 13-1199
None

Academy length, curriculum and paid-training policies are set by each employer and state; they are part of the employer collection stage.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–35 — education and training assignments by detailed occupation (Tables 5.3, 5.4). Data captured September 30, 2026.

06

Promotion ladder

Editorial

Federal grade and step: federal grade × step (GS/FWS/agency bands: FAA ATC, TSA SV, VA nurse, LEO special rates). Typical structure for a foreign service schedule; titles, steps and timing differ by employer.

  1. FS-6/5/4 entry (grade set by education and experience)
  2. FS-3 (tenure by the Commissioning and Tenure Board)
  3. FS-2
  4. FS-1
  5. Senior Foreign Service (Counselor → Minister-Counselor → Career Minister)

Source: GovJobs Wiki (editorial).

07

Pay

Sourced
Federal
$102,670
State
$78,690
Local
$79,690
All government
$91,060
Private sector
$80,440

Median annual wage by employer type, national, May 2025. Federal includes the U.S. Postal Service; state and local include public schools and hospitals.

Employer typeWorkers10th pct.25thMedian75th90th
Federal197,160$67,200$81,790$102,670$126,940$156,040
State90,620$48,360$61,600$78,690$97,960$119,440
Local79,480$43,660$60,730$79,690$102,380$129,700
All government367,260$52,560$69,490$91,060$115,920$141,290
Private sector719,830$46,200$59,930$80,440$111,160$156,740

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 — national estimates by ownership. Data captured September 30, 2026.

13Derived
Child Support Officer
Same occupation code
Emergency Management Specialist
Same occupation code
Grants Specialist / Manager
Same occupation code
Accountant (government)
Same job family
Administrative Assistant (government)
Same job family
Budget Analyst
Same job family
CIA Officer (intelligence)
Same job family
City / County Clerk
Same job family
14

Exams and free practice tests

Sourced
ExamAdministered byUsed inTypeOfficial page
Foreign Service Officer Test (FSOT)
Revamped FSOT first given October 18-25, 2025: new logic and reasoning section, situational judgment section discontinued, job knowledge and English expression questions aligned to job requirements, personal narrative essays removed; registration through Pearson VUE.
U.S. Department of StateU.S. Department of StatewrittenOfficial page

Each exam is checked against its administrator's official page. Employers choose which exam they use; confirm with the hiring agency.

Source: Exam administrators and hiring authorities (per record), Official exam administrator pages. Data captured September 30, 2026.

Free practice tests

Source: Open Exam Prep, Open Exam Prep free practice tests. Data captured October 1, 2026. Each link was opened and its exam title checked on the date shown.

16

By state

Sourced

Median annual wage for Business Operations Specialists, All Other (SOC 13-1199) in each state, all employers (BLS state estimates do not separate government from private). Highest first.

StateWorkers10th pct.Median90th pct.
District of Columbia37,790$64,110$108,160$194,420
Maryland39,820$58,240$101,500$162,680
Washington51,650$63,360$100,360$166,820
Alabama6,990$61,110$100,240$164,280
Delaware1,600$56,970$95,040$172,850
Alaska2,020$66,780$94,740$133,470
Oklahoma5,700$61,110$93,640$136,990
Massachusetts17,910$55,550$93,270$147,200
Hawaii4,030$52,900$92,620$133,860
Colorado45,670$55,850$92,520$153,830
New Jersey34,210$53,300$91,060$151,170
Rhode Island2,240$51,850$88,130$140,610
California155,000$46,410$87,570$169,160
Connecticut5,630$55,630$85,530$141,520
South Dakota940$61,110$85,340$129,960
Virginia45,160$46,650$85,200$156,750
New Hampshire1,920$45,810$83,740$135,450
New York28,790$45,960$83,450$144,870
Kansas9,810$49,410$83,350$134,950
Arizona12,210$53,330$83,280$140,160
Illinois32,940$46,360$82,070$137,100
Michigan20,940$50,180$81,810$131,730
Texas104,270$47,310$80,820$135,450
Pennsylvania27,250$48,280$80,590$138,710
North Dakota1,810$51,870$80,500$131,620
Iowa9,900$49,770$80,470$134,200
Missouri15,770$49,150$80,420$135,030
North Carolina41,180$48,370$80,230$139,030
UtahNot published$43,110$80,190$129,960
Florida66,230$43,710$79,650$150,090
Ohio31,690$46,560$79,350$132,720
South Carolina8,910$48,310$79,110$142,680
New Mexico8,450$48,860$79,100$130,200
Indiana6,290$47,790$79,030$132,470
Maine4,230$51,360$78,830$120,430
Tennessee11,790$45,880$78,690$146,850
Georgia67,450$43,860$78,410$153,100
Nebraska2,540$40,310$77,980$127,650
Minnesota16,410$50,890$77,820$133,910
Oregon14,920$50,250$77,170$128,210
Mississippi4,130$46,790$76,980$125,590
Idaho2,740$50,740$76,400$122,890
Montana4,760$49,870$74,990$109,300
Kentucky5,870$51,450$74,690$119,430
Wyoming1,770$51,260$74,060$126,440
Vermont2,440$51,100$71,710$114,690
West Virginia4,070$41,410$69,240$125,050
Wisconsin12,210$33,280$67,370$108,150
Nevada9,140$37,430$67,330$125,180
Louisiana17,010$37,150$63,220$116,060
Arkansas8,200$37,390$61,240$115,500

51 states with published estimates.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 — state estimates. Data captured September 30, 2026.

Not yet collected

These dimensions are part of every job page. We publish them only once they are sourced from official documents such as job postings, pay plans, union contracts and state standards.

  • 03 Hiring process
    The steps in order and how long they take: application, written and physical tests, oral board, background check, polygraph, psychological and medical exams, eligibility list
    Not yet collected
  • 05 Probation
    Probation length and what ends it
    Not yet collected
  • 08 Schedule
    Shift patterns (24/48, 4/10, 5/8, split), seniority bidding, holidays and mandatory overtime
    Not yet collected
  • 09 Benefits and pension
    Pension plan and formula, retirement age and years, DROP, retiree health, Social Security coverage, 457(b) and PSLF eligibility
    Not yet collected
  • 10 Union contracts
    Bargaining unit, union and the current contract, with its source and effective dates
    Not yet collected
  • 11 Transfers and lateral entry
    Lateral entry policy, certification reciprocity, lateral bonuses and moves between agencies
    Not yet collected
  • 12 Day-to-day work
    What the work involves day to day, from sourced task lists
    Not yet collected
  • 15 Employer directory
    Every public employer that hires this job, with its own pay and rules
    Not yet collected