DEA Careers – DEA Special Agent Career, Salary, and Training Info
With their diverse backgrounds, DEA Special Agents are the most highly regarded federal drug law enforcement agents in the world. The professional respect accorded DEA Special Agents is a direct result of the experience, commitment, and training associated with this career.
A large percentage of new trainees begin with prior law enforcement experience while about thirty percent are from a military background.
DEA Special Agent Requirements
Applicants must be at least 21 years of age and no more than 36 years of age at the time of appointment. Competitive candidates for these coveted positions have a bachelor’s or master’s degree with a GPA of 2.95 or higher. Preference may be given to candidates with degrees in certain disciplines such as finance, law, language, and as of recently, criminal justice.
The hiring process is multi-step and all candidates must complete each phase successfully to remain in the most competitive group and receive a final offer of employment. There is an initial qualifications review followed by a written, oral, and panel interview. Applicants must pass a medical examination which includes a test for drug presence.
A Physical Task test determines if you can withstand the physical rigors of training. If you fail the PT test you will have a second opportunity to pass it within 30 days.
Candidates will take a polygraph examination, undergo a psychological assessment, and a thorough background investigation will be conducted. This extensive application process may take up to a year to complete before a candidate is hired as a DEA Special Agent.
Education and Training
Basic training is a 16 week resident program with emphasis on leadership, ethics and human relations. The typical class size is 40 to 50 Basic Agent trainees.
The basics of report writing, law, automated info systems, and drug recognition are provided in the academic instruction. This academic focus is in addition to a rigorous 84-hour regiment in physical fitness and defensive tactics which prepares new Agents for compliant and non-compliant arrest scenarios.
In addition, students have 122 hours of firearms training ranging from basic marksmanship to tactical shooting and deadly force decision training.
Through the training of a DEA Special Agent, there is an emphasis on the respect for human life, leadership and ethics, human dignity and sound judgment in the use of deadly force.
As the training progresses, students must apply the classroom knowledge to a series of increasingly demanding practical exercises to test leadership, decisiveness, and procedural knowledge.
DEA Special Agent Salary
Salary includes federal Law Enforcement Officer base pay at the GS-7 or GS-9 level plus a locality payment which is based on duty station assigned.
After graduation from the DEA Training Academy, 25% Availability Pay is added to the base and locality pay. Starting salaries range from $49,746 for a GS-7 to $55,483 for a GS-9. DEA Special Agents can progress to the level of GS-13 after four years and earn about $92,500 or more per year.
DEA Career Opportunities
Special Agents are subject to transfer throughout their career so mobility is a condition of employment, but also an opportunity for those who enjoy exploring new areas of the country. You will receive your final duty station assignment between the 8th and 12th week of training.
In addition to relocation, as a DEA Special Agent you may be required to travel frequently with little advance notice. Ongoing individual training will allow you to focus and progress in areas where your individual talents, skills, and interests can best be utilized.
Take a look at other great Criminal Justice Careers.
{ 23 comments… read them below or add one }
My name is Austin Alder I am currently a student at Utah State University studying Sociology/Criminial Justice. We dont have an actual criminal justice program but do have all the required courses for the degree through the sociology department. I am also obtaining a Law and areas Certificate with a minor in business. I have been very interested in working somewhere in the federal government such as the DEA, ATF, ICE or possibly border patrol. I graduate next spring semester and am considering pursuing my masters degree, if I choose not to I was wondering what route I should do or the steps to take to become an agent in one of those fields. Any feedback would be much appreciated. Thanks
Austin,
I am always for more education. However, a Bachelor’s degree is mostly a requirement for nearly all Federal law enforcement agencies. So when you’re done at Utah State, consider your options. You can always apply for the position and since it takes a while to hear back (up to a year or longer) you can consider a Master’s degree. Heck, you can even get one in 12 months from one of the best criminal justice universities in the world – University of Cincinnati (no exaggeration there – check out usnews.com). If you plan to go on campus for your degree, it may take up to 3 years to complete it. If online, Boston University has an 18 month program, as does University of Cincinnati (along with its much more accelerated 1 year program). Pennsylvania State University as well as Michigan State University have wonderful programs online, too. Oh, and Northeastern University in Massachusetts is a great great choice in online education. All schools are regionally accredited, which is very important as you may know. Last, but not least, check out the State university system in Utah for options, or in case you want to move, check out any other State university in the U.S.. Some to consider: University of California and California State University, Washington State University, or Florida State University and University of Florida. Make sure to “Google” around for which specific university has the top program. I gauge a lot of these programs from the graduate rankings I obtained from U.S. News, The Princeton Review, forum posts, and personal experience. Hope this gives you some good ideas.
My name is Francisco and I would like to get some information on trying to become a DEA agent. I just recently served six years in the US Army and have been deployed twice in that span. In both those tours I have done some kind of related police work and was a Military Police officer for the military as well. I have a secret clearance with the government and will graduate with a BA in Security Management and get another degree in Criminal Justice by the end of this year. I wanted to see if you could help me in getting some help in becoming a DEA officer. Thank you so much. Hope to hear from you soon.
I can’t get you more help than you can get yourself. The best thing to do is to research the career position, visit the DEA website for current opportunities, and then apply. You seem to have a great resume, so use it to your advantage.
Hi im cindy. and i would like to know if theres a good chance for a female to become a dea agent?
I was just wondering where the DEA trains and what their dorms are like (shower,sink bathroom,.ECT)
hope to hear from you, thanks.
The DEA Training Academy is located at Quantico, Virginia. As for the showers, sinks, bathrooms, and etc. I am not quite sure how they are like. Hopefully someone who’s been there can chime in.
hi my name is Steve, i am a senior at my high school. i am very interested in becoming a DEA agent and i would very much appreciate if anyone could give me some advice on what classes i should take in college. Any information on how to be on the road on becoming a DEA agent would be very helpful to me.
Hi my name is Kyle. I am interested in becoming a DEA agent. I have four years experience in the Marine Corps and am currently attending college to attain my nursing degree. Would I need some kind of criminal justice degree to join the DEA or would nursing be practical?
The DEA has their degree “preferences” posted on their website — I think in the FAQ section, but last time I checked, DEA likes grads with a Criminal Justice degree… however, they do look for a diverse team and other college programs are accepted. I would worry most about your academic marks, character traits, credit rating, and giving it your best shot.
Hi my name is Cody.
I am currently attending Virginia Commonwealth University and I am in the Army ROTC program. I am majoring in criminal justice and minoring in homeland security and emergency preparedness. I was wondering what rank (or pay-grade) I would start at if I became a DEA special agent coming in as a 1LT or CPT in the Army.
Thank You
One thing has nothing to do with the other in regards to salary. I am an Army officer myself and it didn’t have an impact on how much I get paid with DEA. Being an officer will just give you an extra set of skills that can put you ahead of other applicants but you should think about learning another language or learning a new set of skills on top of your officership since there are plenty of applicants just like you.
Hi,
I’m Paige Self, and my husband is currently in the Marine Corps. However he gets out in October of this year, and was wanting to know his options. He has always been interested in DEA, but hasn’t gone to any college. From what I understand some of his courses taken during his Corps career do count as college courses and credit. What would be his steps in order to join the DEA team?
Thank you!
Sorry for the delay.. I don’t remember too well, but I think the DEA wants college grads — I could be wrong. Check out DEA.gov for more info and look under the Careers section.
I am currently awaiting a final hiring decision with DEA and have passed all phases and my BI is almost completed. With hiring freezes, and other budget limitations, the hiring process is taking a considerable amount of time. I am in the pool to make a class by 2013 and I applied in early 2010. To my knowledge, to become a DEA agent, one must possess at least a bachelors degree. Mine was in business paired with military service as well as currently being a federal correctional officer. The “total package” is what the DEA is looking for, not just a specific degree. I can say, though, that being in excellent physical condition is a must. The official DEA website has lots of great info. From looking over this thread, I can see a lot of eligible candidates for application. Good luck to you all.
JAYTEE, thanks for the insight and the good word. I know it will be of great help to others. Let us know how things turn out.
Hi my name is Mary Kate and I’m going to be a freshman at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in NYC. I was just curious as to how the job situation looks for prospective DEA’s. Is it a hard and competitive work field?
little slow right now (see JAYTEE’s comment above)
Hey im about to get my degree in Criminal Justice soon. I thought about federal jobs but i dont want to be on the move like every 3 years or so. Are there any agencies that dont require you to move i am open to suggestions thanks?
Hi,
I am currently attending college and majoring in criminal justice and also would like to be a DEA agent. I am 5 foot 3 inches and 110 pounds. Do you think that makes a difference? I am 20 years old and do not really have any experience in the criminal justice field. Do you have any suggestions for me on what I should work on?
My suggestion is get experience, a lot of DEA are ex-military / police that have a lot of experience in this field. No one wants to work with another person who does not know that job and is an expert at it. Get experience, that is the key!
Hello my name is Matt I am starting to look into the DEA a bit. I am a active duty Navy SEAL and have been in the Navy for 10 years and have done 4 overseas deployments. However I do not have a college degree, do you think that would prevent me from getting a job with the DEA or other Federal Agencies? Thank you
Hi, I got a quick question. I will be graduating with a GPA either at or above a 3.5, with a BS in criminal justice. My credit rating is messed up due to cosigning on to major purchases and being screwed over. Do I still have an honest shot at a job on the federal level?
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