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What is the base salary range for entry-level ICE agents in 2025?
Executive summary
Available reporting shows multiple, conflicting figures for entry‑level ICE pay in 2025: USAJobs listings and several news outlets show a starting advertised range for Deportation Officers of roughly $49,739 to $89,528 per year (with bonuses possible) [1] [2] [3], while other outlets and federal pay‑grade references point to much lower GS‑5 starting figures around ~$29,350 per year [4] [5]. ZipRecruiter and salary‑aggregators show broad market estimates with medians near $62,000–$75,000 but large regional and role‑based spread [6] [7].
1. How federal listings present entry‑level pay: advertised GS ranges and job posts
Official ICE job announcements on USAJobs cited in reporting list Deportation Officer openings that advertise salary bands that can start at roughly $49,739 and go up to $89,528 per year; those postings also highlight signing and retention bonuses of up to substantial sums tied to recruitment campaigns [1] [8] [9]. Journalists covering ICE hiring note a “starting salary is just $49,739” on at least one listing and that the agency has been using large recruitment incentives to reach hiring goals [3]. Snopes’ review of recruitment materials likewise summarized the advertised new‑hire range as $49,739–$89,528 in mid‑2025 [2].
2. The lower GS‑5 figure: pay‑grade context and alternative reporting
Several outlets and occupational databases report that some new ICE hires historically begin at GS‑5 — a General Schedule step that other sources convert to an annual pay near $29,350 for entry‑level hires in 2025 [4] [5]. Those pieces cite ONET and federal pay‑grade conventions to explain why some positions (or hires with minimal qualifications) could be classified at GS‑5 rather than higher grades, producing a much lower base than the revised USAJobs listings [4] [5].
**3. Private salary sites: medians, percentiles and regional variation**
Commercial aggregators like ZipRecruiter and Salary.com show different central estimates: ZipRecruiter’s national Ice‑agent pages report averages near $62,702 annually and percentile spreads (25th–75th) roughly $49,000–$82,500, and state pages show wide variation by location [6] [10] [11]. Salary.com’s ICE company profile gives a typical range of about $65,747 to $85,153 annually and an average around $74,836, reflecting a mix of roles and experience levels [7]. Those platforms combine employer postings, user‑submitted salaries and modeling — which inflates averages relative to a single job announcement and can include higher‑grade special agents or supervisory roles [6] [7].
**4. Why numbers differ: role definitions, GS grade, location, and bonuses**
Available sources indicate the discrepancy stems from several concrete factors: (a) ICE hires multiple job titles — “Deportation Officer,” “Special Agent,” “HSI agent” — with different GS grades [12] [13]; (b) USAJobs postings sometimes advertise a multi‑grade range that reflects the lowest and highest potential salaries for the announcement rather than a single starting pay [8]; (c) locality pay adjustments and sign‑on/retention/performance bonuses alter take‑home and advertised totals, and ICE in 2025 offered large bonuses as part of a national hiring push [1] [8] [3]; and (d) private aggregators blend entry and experienced figures, which raises median estimates versus the pure entry‑level floor [6] [7].
**5. What a job‑seeker should expect in 2025 when applying**
If you apply to an ICE entry posting in 2025, sources show two plausible outcomes: (A) the position may be advertised with a starting band at roughly $49,739 up to about $89,528 per year (often coupled with potential bonuses), representing commonly cited “starting” listings [1] [2] [3]; or (B) the hire could be placed at a GS‑5 level with pay closer to the low‑$30k range depending on qualifications and classification, per ONET‑based reporting [4] [5]. ZipRecruiter and Salary.com suggest market medians for ICE roles are generally higher, reflecting a mix of job types and locations [6] [7].
6. Competing perspectives and a practical recommendation
Reporting that emphasizes the USAJobs advertised bands and ICE’s recruitment messaging presents a higher starting picture [1] [3]; conversely, occupational pay‑grade analyses stress that some hires still begin at GS‑5 with much lower pay [4] [5]. For accuracy, check the specific USAJobs announcement for the vacancy you’re interested in — the posting will list the exact salary band, required grade and any sign‑on incentives for that role [8] [9]. If you need a quick ballpark: expect advertised entry bands around $49,739–$89,528 for many 2025 Deportation Officer listings (with bonuses possible) but be aware that GS‑5 classifications with pay nearer $29k–$30k also appear in other reporting and historical pay scales [1] [3] [4].
Limitations: Sources provided vary in scope (news stories, aggregator sites, USAJobs snippets) and sometimes conflate different ICE job titles and pay grades; available sources do not mention a single, uniform “base salary” that applies to every entry‑level ICE agent in 2025.