how much does ice pay

For “how much does ICE pay,” most recent public info suggests that many U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent and officer roles fall roughly in the mid–five‑figure to low–six‑figure range per year, with entry-level offers typically around the high‑$40,000s to $50,000s and more experienced roles advertised up toward $90,000 or a bit above before overtime or location boosts.
What “ICE pay” usually means
When people ask “how much does ICE pay” , they’re usually talking about:
- Federal law enforcement jobs like Deportation Officer, Special Agent, or related roles under the Department of Homeland Security.
- Pay that follows federal General Schedule (GS/GL) bands, plus locality pay, plus possible overtime and bonuses.
Typical salary ranges
Recent publicly listed ranges and reporting show:
- Many ICE agent/officer postings advertising base salaries around $49,700–$89,500 per year , before overtime or locality adjustments.
- Some recruitment pushes mentioning around $50,000–$90,000 for new hires , with higher figures for experienced returns and certain locations.
- Historical GS pay-band breakdowns for ICE criminal investigators and related roles running from roughly low $30,000s up into the $90,000s+ , depending on GS grade (GS‑5 through GS‑13/15).
Hourly and “average” figures online
Job‑aggregator sites and salary estimators (based on posted jobs and self‑reported data) show:
- “ICE immigration” or similar roles averaging around $35–$36 per hour , which is about $70,000–$75,000 per year in their models.
- Broader “ICE agent” categories appearing with average hourly rates around $30–$31 per hour across the U.S., with lower figures in some regions and higher in expensive metros.
These are estimates, not official government pay tables, but they align with the federal‑band ranges above.
What can increase ICE pay
Several factors can move pay up or down:
- Grade and step : Higher GS/GL grades (and more “steps” within a grade) mean higher base pay.
- Location : High‑cost areas (e.g., major California cities, Alaska) receive higher locality pay and often show higher average salaries.
- Overtime and availability pay : Many law‑enforcement roles earn extra through overtime and related premiums.
- Bonuses and incentives : Recent coverage mentions sign‑on bonuses up to around $50,000 in certain recruitment campaigns for ICE, especially targeting former agents to return.
Bottom line
- A common “new hire” band for ICE law‑enforcement roles today is roughly $50,000–$90,000 base , with the potential to go higher via experience, promotion, overtime, and locality pay.
- Aggregated salary data puts many ICE immigration/agent roles in the low‑ to mid‑$70,000s per year on average , though individual offers can be lower or higher depending on role and region.
Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.