How do ICE agent base salaries compare to FBI and DEA special agents?
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Executive summary
ICE agents’ advertised base pay ranges from about $49,739 to $89,528, with private salary aggregates showing an average near $62,700 (ZipRecruiter) [1] [2]. Public and private datasets for FBI and DEA special agents show higher median/typical figures: FBI special-agent reported averages vary widely (Glassdoor and Indeed give different snapshots — Glassdoor covers broad FBI roles; Indeed lists Special Agent average ~$112,729) and ZipRecruiter reports an average FBI agent pay of about $68,989; DEA starting pay is reported roughly $49,746–$55,483 with growth to above $92,592 after several years [3] [4] [5] [6].
1. What the headline numbers say: advertised ICE pay vs. public-agent pay
ICE’s recruitment materials and reporting indicate advertised base salaries between $49,739 and $89,528, with the agency noting overtime and locality pay can raise take‑home compensation [1]. Independent salary aggregators put the ICE average near $62,702 annually as of December 2025 (ZipRecruiter) [2]. Those headline figures place many ICE agents in a similar entry-to-mid range as some federal law-enforcement entry grades, but do not by themselves capture locality pay, overtime, or specialized pays that affect total compensation [1] [2].
2. FBI: a broader and higher reported average, but with wide variance
Public salary snapshots for the FBI are inconsistent across sources. Glassdoor’s FBI-wide pay pages show a vast range across roles — from roughly $54,010 for interns up to six-figure executive pay — and do not isolate Special Agent base pay in a single authoritative band [3]. Job-site aggregators give higher averages for FBI Special Agents specifically: Indeed reports an average FBI Special Agent yearly pay of about $112,729 based on many postings and submissions, while ZipRecruiter reports an average FBI agent figure around $68,989 — illustrating major variance by source and methodology [5] [4]. Available sources do not mention a single government-published base salary band for FBI special agents in the provided set.
3. DEA: starting pay comparable to ICE entry levels, with faster step increases
DEA special agents’ starting salary is reported in these sources as roughly $49,746–$55,483, which overlaps ICE’s lower advertised range [6]. Wikipedia’s DEA summary also notes that after about four years DEA pay can rise above $92,592 [6]. That trajectory — lower starting band but notable increases within years — contrasts with ICE’s publicly advertised range that already spans into the high‑$80,000s for certain postings [1] [6].
4. Why direct comparisons are fraught: pay scales, locality, overtime and data sources
Comparing “base salary” across ICE, FBI and DEA is complicated: federal pay uses GS/other schedules, but agencies supplement with locality pay, overtime, law-enforcement availability pay, bonuses and recruitment incentives; job-aggregator sites mix self-reported data, postings and estimates [1] [2] [3]. The ICE advertised band explicitly cites overtime and location additions [1]. The FBI and DEA figures in these sources come from a mix of Glassdoor, Indeed, ZipRecruiter and Wikipedia summaries — each uses different samples and definitions of “agent” pay [3] [4] [5] [6].
5. Two competing narratives in coverage and what they reveal
One narrative emphasizes ICE’s newly publicized higher funding and hiring drive — which can translate into recruitment bonuses or increases in total compensation for ICE agents [1] [7]. Another narrative — drawn from DEA and FBI reporting/aggregators — suggests FBI special agents often earn more on average, especially after accounting for experience and supervisory pay, and DEA agents can rapidly out-earn starting levels after a few years on the job [5] [6]. Sources disagree on magnitude because of methodology: news reporting and agency adverts focus on bands and recruitment messaging; aggregators reflect reported and posted wages [1] [2] [5].
6. What the sources do not settle and remaining uncertainties
Available sources do not mention a single authoritative federal table in this set that directly maps ICE base-salary steps against FBI Special Agent and DEA Special Agent base steps for 2025–2026. They also do not provide detailed breakdowns of locality pay, law-enforcement availability pay (LEAP), or overtime averages by agency in these excerpts; therefore precise “take-home” comparisons are not possible from the current reporting [1] [2] [3] [6].
7. Takeaway for readers evaluating career or policy claims
If you read headlines claiming one agency “pays more,” check what’s being compared: advertised base bands (ICE), self-reported averages (ZipRecruiter/Indeed/Glassdoor), or multi-year pay trajectories (DEA after four years) [1] [2] [6] [5]. For occupation decisions or policy debates, the most relevant measures are base-step tables, locality adjustments and overtime norms — items not fully available in the current set of sources.