Fact check: How does ICE employee pay compare to other federal law enforcement agencies in 2025?

1. Summary of the results

Based on the available analyses, ICE employee pay in 2025 appears to be competitive but potentially lower than some other federal law enforcement agencies. The data reveals conflicting salary ranges for ICE positions:

• Current ICE salary ranges vary significantly between sources: one analysis shows $49,739 to $89,528 per year ^[1], while another indicates $88,621 to $144,031 with a $50,000 signing bonus for returning officers ^[2]
• ICE offers additional incentives including overtime opportunities and location-dependent pay adjustments ^[1]
• Federal law enforcement maximum base pay is capped at $75,000 before regional cost-of-living adjustments ^[3]
• All federal employees, including ICE, received a 2% pay raise for 2025, consisting of a 1.7% across-the-board increase and an average 0.3 percentage point increase in locality pay rates ^[4]

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The analyses reveal significant gaps in direct comparative data between ICE and other federal law enforcement agencies:

• Limited comparative benchmarks: Only one source provides a comparison to the New York Police Department, which offers rookies starting salaries of just over $60,000, rising to over $125,000 in less than six years, suggesting ICE pay may be lower than some local law enforcement agencies ^[5]
• Federal law enforcement pay structure complexity: The analyses mention Law Enforcement Officer (LEO) Locality Pay Tables for 2025 ^[6], but don't provide specific comparisons between agencies
• Enhanced benefits disparity: Many federal police officers don't receive enhanced pay and retirement benefits ^[7], which could affect overall compensation comparisons
• Recruitment challenges: ICE is experiencing recruitment difficulties ^[3], which may indicate compensation issues compared to other agencies

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original question itself does not contain misinformation or bias - it's a straightforward inquiry about comparative pay. However, the lack of comprehensive comparative data in the available sources makes it impossible to provide a definitive answer. The analyses suggest that:

• ICE may be struggling with competitive compensation, as evidenced by aggressive recruitment efforts and signing bonuses ^{[2] [3]}
• Pay ranges vary dramatically between sources, indicating potential inconsistencies in how ICE positions are classified or advertised
• The focus on recruitment challenges in multiple sources ^{[3] [5]} suggests ICE may not be offering competitive compensation compared to other federal law enforcement agencies

The absence of direct, comprehensive salary comparisons across federal law enforcement agencies in the analyses prevents a complete assessment of ICE's competitive position in 2025.