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Which GS grade and series are ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Deportation Officers typically hired at in 2025?
Executive summary
ICE ERO Deportation Officers in 2025 are advertised at multiple GS entry points and can promote up to GS‑12; USAJOBS/ICE vacancy announcements commonly list GS‑9 as a qualifying grade for many full‑performance Deportation Officer postings and ICE guidance notes promotion potential to GS‑12 [1] [2]. Reporting and secondary sites vary: some outlets and archives say entry can start as low as GS‑5 or GS‑7 depending on experience/education, while recent direct‑hire vacancy postings and ICE job pages emphasize GS‑9 hiring and career ladders to GS‑12 [3] [1] [2].
1. What ICE itself says: full performance often GS‑9, promotion to GS‑12
ICE’s career FAQ and job pages state that Deportation Officer positions have promotion potential to the GS‑12 level and that officers may rise further via competitive promotion processes [2]. ICE vacancy language and sample USAJOBS postings circulated in 2025 list GS‑9 as a common grade for qualifying applicants [1]. ICE career pages also describe pay that “corresponds to your grade level” and reference continuous vacancy announcements through 2025 [4] [1].
2. Government hiring mechanisms shaping grade levels: direct‑hire and continuous announcements
ICE has used Direct Hire Authority and open continuous USAJOBS announcements for Deportation Officer recruitment in 2025; those mechanisms can standardize hiring at particular GS levels (sample NORs and the ICE “How to Apply” page) and are visible in ICE guidance for the period [5] [1]. The job listings shown in 2025 commonly present GS‑9 as the qualifying or “full performance” grade in those announcements [1] [6].
3. Alternative entry points reported by press and career sites: GS‑5 to GS‑7 claims
Several secondary outlets and career guides continue to report that entry‑level ICE law enforcement hires historically could begin at GS‑5 or GS‑7 depending on education and experience — for example, a 2025 consumer article and longstanding career sites cite GS‑5/GS‑7 as possible entry points [3] [7]. These sources reflect older hiring patterns or local/occupation‑specific announcements rather than the dominant 2025 ICE vacancy language that emphasizes GS‑9 [3] [7].
4. Why sources diverge: experience, lateral hires, reemployed annuitants, and special announcements
The variation across sources is tied to multiple realities: (a) lateral hires or highly experienced law‑enforcement applicants can be appointed at higher grades; (b) special appointment types (reemployed annuitants, direct‑hire authority, task‑force assignments) can appear as GS‑12 or other grades in specific listings [8] [5]; and (c) older or general career guides recount historically lower entry grades [7]. ICE’s 2025 surge hiring, bonuses, and direct‑hire postings also increased the volume and diversity of grade listings [9] [10].
5. What job announcements in late 2025 actually showed
Public USAJOBS/ICE postings captured in 2025 include GS‑9 as an advertised qualifying grade for Deportation Officer positions under open continuous announcements; some reemployed or specialized postings explicitly listed GS‑12 with corresponding salary ranges [1] [8]. Aggregators and job boards echo GS‑9 as the common advertised grade for full‑performance positions in 2025 [11] [6].
6. How applicants should read this: practical guidance
If you’re applying in 2025, treat current vacancy announcements as authoritative for grade and series: check the ICE USAJOBS posting for the listed pay‑band/GS grade and qualification requirements (education, specialized experience) rather than relying on older summaries [1] [5]. ICE explicitly ties salary and locality pay to the grade listed in the announcement, and promotion potential is noted up to GS‑12 on ICE career pages [4] [2].
7. Limitations, open questions, and competing narratives
Available sources show consistent messaging that GS‑9 is a common qualifying grade in 2025 postings and that promotions can reach GS‑12, but other outlets and archived guidance continue to state entry at GS‑5/GS‑7 in some cases — those may reflect historical norms, different hiring streams, or differing applicant qualifications [1] [3] [7]. Sources do not provide a definitive single‑number rule that applies to every hiring stream nationwide; local field offices and special appointment categories sometimes advertise different grades [8] [5]. Available sources do not mention a universal, single GS grade that applies to every Deportation Officer hire in 2025.
Bottom line: In 2025 most ICE ERO Deportation Officer vacancy announcements and USAJOBS direct‑hire postings show GS‑9 as the common qualifying/full‑performance grade with promotion potential to GS‑12, while historical and niche postings may list GS‑5/GS‑7 entry points or GS‑12 for special appointments — always consult the specific vacancy announcement for the authoritative grade/series and qualification rules [1] [2] [8].