Fact check: How do the starting salaries of ICE and Border Patrol agents compare to other federal law enforcement agencies in 2025?

1. Summary of the results

Based on the available analyses, the sources provide limited information to fully answer the question about how ICE and Border Patrol starting salaries compare to other federal law enforcement agencies in 2025.

ICE Agent Salaries:

• New ICE deportation officers receive starting salaries between $49,739 and $89,528 per year, depending on experience and education ^{[1] [2]}
• ICE is currently offering a $50,000 signing bonus and potential salaries of around $100,000 to returning officers, though this appears to apply to experienced personnel rather than new hires ^[3]

Border Patrol Agent Salaries:

• The average salary for U.S. Border Patrol agents is approximately $69,582 per year ^[4]
• Border Patrol has different grade levels with varying salary ranges, though specific starting salary figures are not provided in the analyses ^[4]

Federal Pay Context:

• Federal employees received an average 4.5% pay raise in January 2025 ^[5]
• There was a 2% average federal pay raise for civilian employees in 2025, with ongoing concerns about pay compression ^[6]

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The analyses reveal significant gaps in addressing the original question:

• No direct comparison data: None of the sources provide starting salary comparisons between ICE/Border Patrol agents and other federal law enforcement agencies such as FBI, DEA, ATF, or Secret Service agents ^{[1] [3] [2] [4]}
• Limited Border Patrol specifics: While one source mentions Border Patrol salary ranges by grade level, it doesn't specify starting salaries for new agents ^[4]
• Recruitment incentives context: The $50,000 signing bonus for ICE officers suggests the agency may be facing recruitment challenges, potentially indicating their base salaries are less competitive compared to other agencies ^[3]
• Pay scale structure missing: The analyses don't explain how federal law enforcement pay scales (GS levels) work or where ICE and Border Patrol fit within the broader federal law enforcement compensation framework ^[7]

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original question itself doesn't contain misinformation, as it's asking for factual salary comparison data. However, the question assumes that comprehensive 2025 salary comparison data between these agencies and other federal law enforcement would be readily available.

The analyses reveal that complete comparative data is not accessible through the sources examined, which could lead to incomplete or misleading conclusions if someone were to answer based solely on the limited information available. One source specifically notes that ICE starting salaries are "comparable to what a teacher might receive" ^[2], but this comparison lacks context about how teacher salaries vary significantly by location and experience level.

The recruitment bonus information ^[3] could potentially be used to suggest ICE offers highly competitive compensation, but this would be misleading since the bonus appears targeted at experienced returning officers rather than new hires.