Post job

Explore jobs

Find specific jobs

Explore careers

Explore professions

Best companies

Explore companies

OverviewJobsSkills

Demographics

Best CompaniesJob OutlookCompare

Drug enforcement agent demographics and statistics in the US

On this page
Drug enforcement agent demographics by:

Drug enforcement agent gender statistics

29.8% of drug enforcement agents are women and 70.2% of drug enforcement agents are men.
  • Male, 70.2%
  • Female, 29.8%

Drug enforcement agent gender ratio

GenderPercentages
Male70.2%
Female29.8%

Drug enforcement agent gender pay gap

Women earn 87¢ for every $1 earned by men

male-income
Male income
$66,675
female-income
Female income
$58,194

Drug enforcement agent gender ratio over time

This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in drug enforcement agent positions over time. Currently, 29.8% of drug enforcement agents are female.
Male
Female
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021

Drug enforcement agent gender ratio by year

YearMaleFemale
201072.16%27.84%
201172.84%27.16%
201268.86%31.14%
201368.86%31.14%
201470.99%29.01%
201568.26%31.74%
201669.84%30.16%
201766.21%33.79%
201868.61%31.39%
201969.99%30.01%
202068.22%31.78%
202170.25%29.75%

Drug enforcement agent related jobs gender ratio

We compared drug enforcement agents with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, deputy sheriff-k9 handler and fugitive investigator have the biggest gender ratio gaps.

Job titleMaleFemale
Matron8%92%
Deputy Treasurer19%81%
Unemployment Examiner29%71%
Drug Enforcement Agent70%30%
Town Marshal96%4%
Fugitive Investigator97%3%
Deputy Sheriff-K9 Handler98%2%
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
Deputy Sheriff-K9 Handler
Fugitive Investigator
Town Marshal
Drug Enforcement Agent
Unemployment Examiner
Deputy Treasurer
Matron
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%

Drug enforcement agent demographics by race

The most common ethnicity among drug enforcement agents is White, which makes up 62.3% of all drug enforcement agents. Comparatively, 17.2% of drug enforcement agents are Hispanic or Latino and 12.1% of drug enforcement agents are Black or African American.
  • White, 62.3%
  • Hispanic or Latino, 17.2%
  • Black or African American, 12.1%
  • Unknown, 5.0%
  • Asian, 2.8%
  • American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%

Drug enforcement agent race

Drug enforcement agent racePercentages
White62.3%
Hispanic or Latino17.2%
Black or African American12.1%
Unknown5.0%
Asian2.8%
American Indian and Alaska Native0.6%

Drug enforcement agent race and ethnicity over time

See how drug enforcement agent racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.

Drug enforcement agent race and ethnicity by year

YearWhiteBlack or African AmericanAsianHispanic or Latino
201067.49%11.67%2.61%15.63%
201165.78%13.90%1.98%15.05%
201265.42%12.74%3.03%16.00%
201364.69%13.48%1.97%17.60%
201468.02%11.81%1.79%16.02%
201566.14%10.97%2.76%17.16%
201665.30%11.67%3.07%17.18%
201765.24%12.24%2.81%17.33%
201863.99%12.59%2.96%16.96%
201965.47%10.47%2.50%18.56%
202061.59%11.71%3.01%19.24%
202162.25%12.05%2.83%17.20%

Drug enforcement agent wage gap by race

According to our data, asian drug enforcement agents have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Unknown drug enforcement agents have the lowest average salary at $61,691.
$74,000
$71,000
$68,000
$65,000
$62,000
$59,000
Unknown
White
Black or African American
Asian
Hispanic or Latino
EthnicitySalary
Unknown$61,691
White$66,325
Black or African American$62,698
Asian$73,044
Hispanic or Latino$70,321

Average drug enforcement agent age

See how the average age of drug enforcement agents varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female

Drug enforcement agent age by race and gender

RaceMale ageFemale age
Unknown4146.5
White4446
Black or African American4950
Asian48.5
Hispanic or Latino4340

Drug enforcement agent age breakdown

The average age of drug enforcement agents is 40+ years years old, representing 69% of the drug enforcement agent population.

40+ years

30-40 years

20-30 years


Drug enforcement agent age breakdown

Drug Enforcement Agent YearsPercentages
40+ years69%
30-40 years27%
20-30 years4%

Drug enforcement agent educational attainment

The most common degree for drug enforcement agents is bachelor's degree, with 61% of drug enforcement agents earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 17% and associate degree degree at 9%.
  • Bachelor's, 61%
  • Associate, 17%
  • Diploma, 9%
  • High School Diploma, 6%
  • Other Degrees, 7%

Drug enforcement agents by degree level

Drug enforcement agent degreePercentages
Bachelor's61%
Associate17%
Diploma9%
High School Diploma6%
Other Degrees7%

Drug enforcement agent jobs you might like

Drug enforcement agent wage gap by degree level

According to the data, drug enforcement agents with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $77,628 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, drug enforcement agents earn a median annual income of $73,643 compared to $60,187 for drug enforcement agents with an Associate degree.
$81,000
$76,000
$71,000
$66,000
$61,000
$56,000
$51,000
Master's Degree
High School Diploma or Less
Bachelor's Degree
Some College/ Associate Degree
EducationSalary
Master's Degree$77,628
High School Diploma or Less$55,093
Bachelor's Degree$73,643
Some College/ Associate Degree$60,187

Drug enforcement agent employment statistics

Company size where drug enforcement agents work

Below, you can see the size of companies where drug enforcement agents work.

< 50 employees

50 - 100 employees

100 - 500 employees

500 - 1,000 employees

1,000 - 10,000 employees

> 10,000

Drug enforcement agent jobs by employer size

Company sizePercentages
< 50 employees4%
50 - 100 employees29%
100 - 500 employees33%
500 - 1,000 employees8%
1,000 - 10,000 employees8%
> 10,000 employees17%

Drug enforcement agent jobs by company type

Employees with the drug enforcement agent job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most drug enforcement agents prefer to work at government companies over private companies.

Education

Public

Private

Government

Drug enforcement agent jobs by sector

Company typePercentages
Education5%
Public14%
Private36%
Government45%

Drug enforcement agent turnover and employment statistics

Drug enforcement agent unemployment rate over time

The unemployment rate for drug enforcement agents between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Drug enforcement agent unemployment rate by year

YearDrug enforcement agent unemployment rate
20101.65%
20112.50%
20122.26%
20132.05%
20141.64%
20151.40%
20161.43%
20171.22%
20181.60%
20191.17%
20201.05%
20211.42%

Average drug enforcement agent tenure

The average drug enforcement agent stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 148 drug enforcement agents resumes in Zippia's database.

Less than one year

1-2 years

3-4 years

5-7 years

8-10 years

11+ years

Drug enforcement agent tenure statistics

Number of yearsPercentages
Less than 1 year13%
1-2 years31%
3-4 years15%
5-7 years13%
8-10 years6%
11+ years22%

Drug enforcement agent LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs

Review the percent of drug enforcement agents that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
Job titleLGBTJob openings
Jailer/Training Officer5.55%77,185
Patrolman7.15%2,194
Drug Enforcement Agent8.65%-
Court Bailiff11.11%762

Similar drug enforcement agent jobs LGBT demographics

ProfessionPercentages of LGBT Job openings
Jailer/Training Officer5.55%77,185
Patrolman7.15%2,194
Court Bailiff11.11%762

Foreign languages spoken by drug enforcement agents

The most common foreign language among drug enforcement agents is Spanish at 76.9%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 15.4% and Italian is the third-most popular at 7.7%.
  • Spanish, 76.9%
  • French, 15.4%
  • Italian, 7.7%

Drug enforcement agent languages spoken

Foreign languagePercentages
Spanish76.9%
French15.4%
Italian7.7%

Drug enforcement agent jobs

Drug enforcement agent demographics FAQs

Have more questions? See all answers to common protective service questions.

Search for drug enforcement agent jobs

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse protective service jobs