Diplomat in 1524: Venice codifies the ambassador's report

In the United States it is the Foreign Service Officer Test, a written exam covering job knowledge, English usage and a personal narrative, followed for those who pass by a full-day oral assessment simulating real diplomatic scenarios. Combined pass rates historically run from the low single digits to around six percent, making it one of the more selective entry exams into any government career.

Diplomatic immunity is legal protection, codified in the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, that shields accredited diplomats from arrest, prosecution and most taxation in the country where they serve, and makes an embassy's premises, archives and diplomatic bag inviolable. It exists so a host government cannot pressure a foreign government by threatening its representative, not as a personal privilege.

It varies enormously by country and rank. A newly hired US Foreign Service Officer earns roughly $50,000–$60,000, while a senior career officer or ambassador can earn upward of $150,000–$200,000; in countries with smaller foreign services or lower public-sector pay overall, senior diplomat salaries can be a fraction of those US figures for comparable responsibility.