Protective Service
DEA Special Agents
SOC 33-3021
Investigate drug trafficking organizations and enforce controlled-substance laws.
The job
Median pay
$94k
$69k to $121k typical range
Outlook, 2025 to 2035
Stable
+0.2% projected
Openings a year
8k
BLS projection
Typical education
Bachelor's plus fitness
Our model
AI displacement risk
High
How much of this job AI may do instead of the person
Works with AI
7/100
AI alongside the person rather than instead of them
AI exposure
79th pct
More exposed than 79% of occupations · modeled estimate · 51st pct in Microsoft's data
Future-proof
48/100
Key skills
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Reading Comprehension
- Critical Thinking
- Writing
- Active Learning
Pay and jobs by state
BLS OEWS May 2025, 51 states. Sorted by jobs; per 1,000 is jobs per thousand workers in the state; vs national compares that rate with the country's.
| State | Jobs | Per 1,000 | vs national | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 18,870 | 1.3 | 1.8× | $91k |
| California | 12,610 | 0.7 | 0.9× | $125k |
| New York | 9,600 | 1.0 | 1.4× | $101k |
| Florida | 6,440 | 0.6 | 0.9× | $77k |
| Arizona | 5,250 | 1.6 | 2.2× | $102k |
| Georgia | 5,070 | 1.0 | 1.4× | $65k |
| Pennsylvania | 3,370 | 0.6 | 0.8× | $98k |
| North Carolina | 3,360 | 0.7 | 0.9× | $63k |
| Illinois | 3,270 | 0.5 | 0.7× | $91k |
| Virginia | 3,180 | 0.8 | 1.1× | $113k |
All 51 states
| State | Jobs | Per 1,000 | vs national | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | 3,080 | 0.7 | 1.0× | $116k |
| Washington DC | 2,980 | 4.2 | 5.8× | $161k |
| Michigan | 2,220 | 0.5 | 0.7× | $91k |
| Ohio | 2,140 | 0.4 | 0.5× | $79k |
| New Mexico | 2,020 | 2.3 | 3.1× | $87k |
| Minnesota | 1,970 | 0.7 | 0.9× | $80k |
| Colorado | 1,930 | 0.7 | 0.9× | $105k |
| Tennessee | 1,860 | 0.6 | 0.8× | $77k |
| Washington | 1,850 | 0.5 | 0.7× | $116k |
| Louisiana | 1,740 | 0.9 | 1.2× | $60k |
| Wisconsin | 1,640 | 0.6 | 0.8× | $91k |
| Missouri | 1,600 | 0.5 | 0.7× | $76k |
| South Carolina | 1,470 | 0.6 | 0.9× | $63k |
| Alabama | 1,340 | 0.6 | 0.9× | $66k |
| Massachusetts | 1,300 | 0.4 | 0.5× | $110k |
| Indiana | 1,280 | 0.4 | 0.5× | $70k |
| Oklahoma | 1,220 | 0.7 | 1.0× | $80k |
| Kansas | 1,060 | 0.7 | 1.0× | $76k |
| Maryland | 1,010 | 0.4 | 0.5× | $127k |
| Connecticut | 940 | 0.6 | 0.8× | $95k |
| Mississippi | 810 | 0.7 | 0.9× | $59k |
| Kentucky | 720 | 0.4 | 0.5× | $72k |
| Idaho | 630 | 0.7 | 1.0× | $73k |
| Nevada | 590 | 0.4 | 0.5× | $94k |
| Arkansas | 560 | 0.4 | 0.6× | $55k |
| Maine | 550 | 0.9 | 1.2× | $88k |
| Utah | 550 | 0.3 | 0.4× | $79k |
| Oregon | 520 | 0.3 | 0.4× | $107k |
| Montana | 500 | 1.0 | 1.3× | $92k |
| Hawaii | 440 | 0.7 | 0.9× | $114k |
| North Dakota | 420 | 1.0 | 1.3× | $82k |
| Iowa | 410 | 0.3 | 0.4× | $80k |
| Rhode Island | 360 | 0.7 | 1.0× | $88k |
| Nebraska | 290 | 0.3 | 0.4× | $101k |
| New Hampshire | 290 | 0.4 | 0.6× | $89k |
| South Dakota | 250 | 0.5 | 0.7× | $78k |
| West Virginia | 220 | 0.3 | 0.4× | $92k |
| Vermont | 190 | 0.6 | 0.8× | $106k |
| Wyoming | 170 | 0.6 | 0.8× | $82k |
| Alaska | 140 | 0.4 | 0.6× | $115k |
| Delaware | 140 | 0.3 | 0.4× | $122k |
Top metro areas
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ7,580 jobs · $106k median
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV4,830 jobs · $157k median
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA3,240 jobs · $128k median
- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA3,070 jobs · $70k median
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA2,990 jobs · $125k median
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN2,290 jobs · $102k median
- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD2,160 jobs · $98k median
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL2,110 jobs · $99k median
Explore the rankings
Explore DEA Special Agents interactively →Pay and outlook from BLS (OEWS 2025, Employment Projections 2025-2035). Skills and work activities from O*NET 30.3. AI exposure and future-proof scores are modeled estimates. How these numbers are made.