Ice pay grade
Executive summary
The pay grade for ICE positions follows the federal General Schedule (GS) and Law Enforcement Officer (LEO) structures: entry-level agents often start at GS-5 or GL/GS-7 depending on role and qualifications, with advertised recruitment ranges in recent hiring rounds roughly between about $49,000 and $90,000 and top career pay reaching GS-13 to GS-15 levels (and higher with locality, overtime, or bonuses) [1] [2] [3]. Federal pay tables, locality adjustments, and short‑term recruitment incentives (including advertised signing/retention bonuses up to $50,000) create wide variation in actual take‑home offers across states and job postings [4] [5].
1. What “pay grade” means at ICE — the mechanics
ICE uses the federal GS/LEO pay frameworks so each job is assigned a GS or GL grade and step that determines base salary before locality and law‑enforcement differentials; pay tables and LEO supplements published by OPM govern those base rates for 2026 and are the underlying mechanics of ICE compensation [5] [6]. Historically many new agents began at GS‑5 or GS‑7 depending on education and experience, while criminal investigator support and similar roles often align with GL‑7/GL‑9 classifications rather than an automatic GS‑13 entry [1] [6].
2. Typical entry pay versus career ceilings — ranges and data points
Public recruitment materials and salary aggregators paint a range: older references and some entries note GS‑5 starting pay in the $27–35k range historically, but modern advertised entry ranges and recent reporting put many entry agent salaries in the roughly $49k–$89k bracket after locality and recruitment packaging, while experienced agents commonly advance into GS‑13 pay zones (mid‑$70k) and senior GS‑15 roles can reach the six‑figure territory cited in recruiting guides [1] [2] [3]. Private salary aggregators (ZipRecruiter, Salary.com) show average ICE agent figures around $59k–$63k nationally with regional spreads (e.g., New York higher, Texas lower), reflecting locality adjustments and sample bias from job listings versus formal OPM tables [7] [8] [9] [10] [11].
3. Why advertised numbers differ so much — locality, overtime, and bonuses
Differences arise because federal base pay is adjusted for cost of living (locality pay) and can be materially elevated for LEO positions; overtime, premium pay, and one‑time or multi‑year signing/retention bonuses have recently been used heavily by ICE recruiters — some USAJOBS announcements list up to $50,000 in combined bonuses — which inflates advertised compensation relative to baseline GS tables [5] [4]. News outlets and ICE statements also report recruitment ranges of roughly $49,739 to $89,528 and stress that overtime and locality add further variation, which helps explain why private job‑site averages diverge from OPM base rates [2].
4. Political context and recruitment strategy that affects pay offers
Rapid hiring drives and “wartime recruitment” tactics during recent expansions have led DHS and ICE to use influencer campaigns, larger bonuses, and aggressive advertising — moves that insiders warn could change the applicant pool and push advertised pay packages upward to meet hiring targets [12]. Coverage and internal documents indicate the agency grew rapidly and leaned on cash incentives and outreach, which has a two‑fold impact: higher short‑term compensation offers, and debates about whether that changes long‑term workforce quality and behavior [12].
5. What reporters and public data do and do not resolve
Open reporting and job boards provide snapshots and ranges, but they do not replace OPM pay tables when asked for exact GS base rates by grade and step; several sources here are either historical or aggregate estimates [1] [7] [8]. Formal OPM/ICE job announcements remain the authoritative source for an advertised vacancy’s grade, locality pay, and any bonus — journalists and aggregators capture averages and marketing ranges but cannot definitively specify every individual pay grade without the actual job posting or OPM table [5] [4].