Protective Service

DEA Special Agents

SOC 33-3021

Investigate drug trafficking organizations and enforce controlled-substance laws.

Median pay

$94k

$69k to $121k typical range

Outlook

Declining

8k openings / yr

Education

Bachelor's plus fitness

AI exposure

78%

modeled estimate · 51th pct in Microsoft's data

Future-proof

53/100

Key skills

Active Listening
Speaking
Reading Comprehension
Critical Thinking
Writing
Active Learning

Where this ranks

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Pay and outlook from BLS (OEWS 2025, Employment Projections 2024-2034). Skills and work activities from O*NET 30.3. AI exposure and future-proof scores are modeled estimates. How we model AI exposure.