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Fact check: What is the average annual salary of an ICE agent in 2025?
Executive Summary
The answer depends on which ICE role you mean: a May 2025 salary compilation lists the average Special Agent pay at $110,853, while agency hiring notices and aggregated data show broader ICE employee averages nearer $74,800 and advertised entry-level base ranges of $49,739–$89,528 in 2025. The divergence reflects differences by job title, locality pay, overtime, bonuses and agency recruitment incentives announced through mid‑2025 [1] [2] [3].
1. Sharp Disagreement in Public Data — Why the Headlines Differ
Multiple data snapshots from 2025 present contradictory headline numbers because they measure different populations and compensation elements. Salary.com’s May 2025 compilation reports a Special Agent average of $110,853, a figure that covers that specific occupation and likely includes sampled mid‑career and senior incumbents [1]. By contrast, an aggregated Salary.com listing labeled “U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Average Salaries” reports $74,836 as an organization‑wide mean, reflecting a wider mix of roles from administrative staff to law enforcement positions [2]. These two figures are not directly comparable without clarifying job classifications and sample frames, which explains the apparent conflict among published numbers.
2. Agency Advertised Pay Floors and Ceilings — The Hiring Range That Matters
Government hiring notices and agency briefings in 2025 show base salary windows for frontline enforcement roles substantially lower than the Special Agent average, with postings and summaries indicating starting and top base salaries ranging from $49,739 to $89,528, before locality pay, overtime and incentives [3] [4]. Those advertised ranges reflect grade‑level pay bands for entry and journeyman enforcement positions such as Deportation Officers and Criminal Investigator entry levels. The lower advertised base explains reporting that new recruits can expect $50k–$90k base pay, which remains distinct from averages that incorporate promotions, overtime, and senior pay steps [5].
3. Bonuses, Overtime, and Locality — The Hidden Drivers of Higher Averages
A critical reason some agents’ compensation exceeds advertised bases is the addition of overtime, locality adjustments and targeted bonuses. In 2025, DHS and ICE rolled out aggressive recruitment incentives — including signing bonuses up to $50,000 and student loan repayment offers — intended to recruit 10,000 agents and to re‑hire retirees, which inflate realized compensation for some cohorts [6] [7]. Further, certain duty stations carry substantial locality pay that can materially raise annual take‑home pay, and senior Special Agents typically receive more overtime and step increases, pushing their averages above advertised entry ranges [1] [3].
4. Role Definitions Matter — Special Agent vs. Deportation Officer vs. “ICE Employee”
Published figures conflate different occupational categories labeled under ICE, producing confusion. The Special Agent average cited at $110,853 (May 2025) pertains to sworn investigative personnel who generally occupy higher GS grades and accrue overtime and locality benefits [1]. The Deportation Officer and other frontline enforcement roles are often posted with $49,739–$89,528 base pay ranges, indicative of lower starting GS levels [4]. The organization‑level average near $74,836 represents a mean across many non‑investigative staff and should not be read as the typical pay for any single law enforcement role [2].
5. Timing and Reporting Sources — Watch the Publication Dates
The sources in question span the second half of 2025, and publication timing affects the narrative. Salary.com’s Special Agent figure is labeled May 2025 [1], DHS recruitment and pay‑increase reporting occurred around July 2025 [3] [5], and an organization‑wide Salary.com average is dated January 2025 [2]. The most recent mid‑2025 agency actions introduced incentives that can widen disparities between posted base pay and actual earnings reported later, so both the publication date and whether a figure reflects advertised or realized pay must be considered when answering “average salary in 2025.”
6. What a Straight Answer Looks Like — Synthesis of the Evidence
If the question targets Special Agents specifically, the best available published figure in mid‑2025 is an average of about $110,853 [1]. If the question intends all ICE employees, the organizational average reported is roughly $74,836 [2]. For new hires or entry‑level enforcement officers, advertised base pay in 2025 typically falls between $49,739 and $89,528, with the potential to exceed those amounts once bonuses, overtime and locality adjustments are added [3] [4] [5] [6].
7. Limits and Missing Context You Should Know
Available summaries omit a single, unified dataset that reconciles advertised pay bands, realized pay including overtime and bonuses, geographic locality differentials, and the effect of 2025 recruitment incentives on actual earnings. The figures cited reflect different methodologies — employer postings, role‑specific salary aggregations, and reporting on incentives — and none provide a fully reconciled 2025 payroll analysis for ICE as a whole [1] [2] [3].
8. Bottom Line for Users Seeking a Quick Number
Provide a role when asking for a precise figure: for Special Agents use ~$110,853 (May 2025), for all ICE employees expect ~$74,836 (early 2025 aggregate), and for entry‑level enforcement hires refer to the $49,739–$89,528 advertised band plus possible sizable bonuses [1] [2] [3] [4] [7]. Each number is supported by the cited sources but measures different populations and compensation elements; choose the one matching the job category you mean.