How to Become A Dea Agent

DEA agents work tirelessly to bring those organizations and entities to justice, that are involved in the growing, manufacturing or distribution of controlled substances.   Becoming a DEA agent means that you can become part of this mission to serve your country.

Admission Procedure
The selection criterion is quite competitive and the whole process can take more than twelve months to complete. Some of the important steps for the admission procedure are:

• Qualifications Review
• Written Assessment and Panel Interview
• Urinalysis Drug Test
• Polygraph Examination
• Psychological Assessment

The above list is by no means exhaustive and there will be other assessments in the hiring process as well. One thing you should know is that all applicants must be older than twenty one and younger than thirty six years.

Although there are no strict degree requirements but applicants with college degrees and a high grade point average will have a better chance to be hired for DEA agent jobs. Moreover candidates are also given special consideration if they have a degree in Criminal Justice, Political Science, Computer Science, Information Systems, some fields of engineering or if they are fluent in Spanish, Russian, Arabic or Hebrew.

Once you are selected as a DEA agent you will then complete a compulsory eighteen week Basic Agent Training (BAT) PROGRAM at the DEA Training academy in Quantico, Virginia. In this program you will get hands on training in undercover, surveillance and arrest techniques, defensive tactics and firearms training. Other aspect of your instruction will include basics of report writing, law and drug identification and recognition.

DEA Career Outlook
These jobs are very promising in terms of finances. Agents are generally hired at the GS-7 or the GS-9 level depending on various factors like education and experience. If you are wondering about a DEA agent salary, you should know that upon graduating the starting salaries are around $49,476 for a GS-7 and $55,483 for a GS-9. After you have completed four years of service as a special agent you can move up to the GS-13 level where you will earn approximately $92,592 in a year.

Apart from a good remuneration you will also have access to federal benefits package. This means that you can enlist for programs like the Federal Employees Health Benefit (FEHB) and the Federal Employees Group Life Insurance (FEGLI) program which offers some excellent insurance options. Additional benefits include the Federal Employees Retirement System, relocation expenses and a Thrift Savings Plan (TSP).