What is the average total compensation for an ICE agent including salary, benefits, and pension?
Executive summary
Average reported base pay for ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) agents varies widely by data source: Glassdoor shows an average “Special Agent” total pay around $137,376/yr (about $66/hr) [1], Salary.com lists roughly $110,853/yr (about $53/hr) for Special Agents [2], while several job-board aggregates list much lower averages for ICE officer/agent roles—ZipRecruiter and related pages report figures in the $60k–$66k/yr range or hourly rates near $30/hr [3] [4] [5]. Benefits, overtime, locality pay and pensions are mentioned in reporting but not consistently quantified across sources [6] [1].
1. Conflicting headline numbers: why reported averages diverge
Different outlets report very different “averages.” Glassdoor’s user-submitted estimate for a Special Agent is $137,376/yr [1]. Salary.com’s algorithmic estimate is $110,853/yr [2]. ZipRecruiter and similar job-aggregators report much lower averages (~$62,000–$66,000/yr or ~$30/hr) for ICE agent/officer roles [3] [4] [5]. These gaps reflect different job titles being aggregated (Special Agent vs. Deportation Officer or ICE officer), sample sizes and methodologies: Glassdoor and Salary.com combine employee self-reports and modeling, while ZipRecruiter uses job postings and third‑party data [3] [1] [2] [4].
2. Job title and rank matter: “Special Agent” vs. “Officer/Agent”
Sources implicitly separate senior investigative Special Agents from front‑line officers/deportation specialists. Glassdoor and Salary.com focus on “Special Agent” roles and show six‑figure averages [1] [2]. ZipRecruiter and job postings that list ICE “agents” or “officers” often show lower mid‑five‑figure averages typical of entry to midlevel federal field positions [3] [4] [5]. Newsweek’s reporting on USAJOBS listings for Deportation Officers cites advertised ranges of $49,739–$89,528/yr, illustrating that advertised base pay for many ICE field roles stays below the highest estimates [6].
3. Benefits, overtime and bonuses: significant but variably reported
Multiple sources note that total compensation can include overtime, locality pay, recruitment or signing bonuses, and standard federal benefits; these items push some individuals’ total compensation well above base pay [6] [1]. Newsweek reports overtime and location‑dependent additions and mentions performance/retention bonuses tied to recent budget packages, but it does not provide a single dollar figure for typical benefits value [6]. Glassdoor’s “total pay” captures additional cash compensation in its user reports, which helps explain its higher average [1].
4. Pension and federal retirement: present but not dollar‑specified
Sources confirm ICE employees receive benefits “in line with other government workers,” which for many federal hires includes the Federal Employees Retirement System [6]. Glassdoor users reference pensions as existing but with long vesting/length‑of‑service considerations [1]. None of the provided reports quantify an average annual pension value or present a comprehensive “salary + benefits + pension” total dollar figure for ICE agents [1] [6]; available sources do not mention a single, validated average total‑compensation number that bundles salary, benefits and pension into one metric.
5. Geographic and experience drivers: why location and tenure change pay
ZipRecruiter and Newsweek note substantial variation by city and cost‑of‑living adjustments: some cities pay above national averages and locality adjustments and overtime can materially alter take‑home pay [3] [5] [6]. Glassdoor’s range—from roughly $104k (25th percentile) to $183k (75th)—implies experience and rank strongly affect pay [1]. Salary.com explicitly warns that location, department and role specifics affect compensation estimates [2].
6. Bottom line for someone asking “average total compensation”
There is no single, consistently reported “average total compensation” across the provided sources. Reported averages range from roughly $49k–$90k for advertised officer/deportation roles [6], to ~$62k–$66k in job‑board aggregators [3] [4] [5], up to $110k–$137k for Special Agent titles in Glassdoor/Salary.com models [1] [2]. Benefits, overtime and pensions are acknowledged as meaningful components but are not universally quantified; none of the cited sources produces a single validated all‑in dollar figure that bundles salary, benefits and pension for a typical ICE agent [1] [6].
Limitations: sources differ in job definitions and methods; available reporting does not provide a standardized, source‑verified “salary + benefits + pension” total for ICE agents [3] [1] [6] [2] [4]. If you want a closer estimate for a particular ICE role, rank and location, specify the title and city and I will summarize which cited source best matches that profile.