You've probably seen the headlines or the recruitment ads. They make it sound like a straight path—sign up, wear the badge, and get a fat paycheck. But if you're actually looking at the numbers for 2026, the answer to how much do ice officers make is a bit like looking at a complex tax return. It’s not just one number. It’s a jigsaw puzzle of GS levels, locality adjustments, and a specific type of overtime that most people have never even heard of.
Honestly, the pay gap between a fresh recruit and a veteran is massive. We're talking about a range that starts around $48,371 for entry-level roles and can climb north of $167,000 for high-level supervisors.
But nobody actually makes the "base" salary. Not really.
The 2026 Pay Reality: The 3.8% Factor
This year is actually a weirdly good time to look at federal pay. Thanks to some recent policy shifts, federal law enforcement officers—including those at Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)—just saw a specific pay bump. While the rest of the federal workforce got a modest 1% base increase, ICE officers and other "front-line" personnel were carved out for a 3.8% total pay increase effective January 11, 2026.
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This wasn't just a random gift. The government is basically trying to fix a massive retention problem. They need people to stay.
Breaking Down the Grades
If you want to understand the money, you have to understand the "GS" and "GL" scales. ICE primarily uses the General Schedule (GS), but for certain law enforcement roles, they use the GL (Law Enforcement Officer) scale for the early years.
Starting Out (The GL-7 Grind)
Most new agents or deportation officers come in at the GL-7 level. In 2026, that base starts at roughly $48,371.
Wait.
Don't walk away yet.
That’s before locality pay. If you’re stationed in a place like San Francisco or New York, your "adjusted" salary jumps immediately. For example, a Deportation Officer in a high-cost area can easily see an entry-level range of $51,632 to $84,277 depending on their specific step and location.
The Mid-Career Jump
ICE is one of those rare agencies where you can "ladder" up quickly. You don’t stay at GL-7 forever. Most positions are "career ladder" roles, meaning you can move from GS-7 to GS-9, then GS-11, and eventually GS-12 without having to compete for a new job.
- GS-11/12: This is the sweet spot. By the time you hit GS-12, you're looking at a base of around $90,067.
- GS-13: If you move into a specialized role or a senior position, you’re looking at $109,383 to $142,199.
The "Secret" Money: LEAP and AUO
Here is where the math gets genuinely interesting. If you are an HSI (Homeland Security Investigations) Special Agent, you get something called LEAP.
Law Enforcement Availability Pay.
It’s an automatic 25% premium added to your base salary. Why? Because the government basically owns your schedule. You have to be "available" to work an average of two extra hours a day. If you’re a GS-13 making $120,000, LEAP kicks that up to $150,000. Just like that.
Deportation Officers (EROs) usually don't get LEAP. Instead, they often get AUO (Administratively Uncontrollable Overtime). It's similar but slightly more paperwork-heavy. It covers those times when you're in the middle of an operation and can't just clock out because it's 5:00 PM.
Location, Location, Location
Where you live matters more than your rank sometimes.
Seriously.
A GS-12 in a small town in Texas makes significantly less than a GS-12 in Los Angeles. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) sets these "Locality Pay Tables" every year.
In 2026, the highest paying areas continue to be:
- San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA
- New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA
- Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA
In these hubs, the locality adjustment can add 30% to 40% on top of the base pay. It’s the government’s way of acknowledging that $70k in D.C. buys you a cardboard box, while $70k in rural Mississippi makes you royalty.
The Bonus Check: Signing on the Dotted Line
Right now, ICE is aggressive with recruitment. In late 2025 and heading into 2026, they’ve been dangling signing bonuses up to $50,000 for certain high-priority locations or roles.
They also have a student loan repayment program. If you're sitting on $60,000 of debt from a CJ degree, having the agency wipe that out is arguably better than a salary bump. It’s tax-free "income" in a way.
What Most People Miss: The Retirement Math
You can't talk about how much do ice officers make without talking about the "Law Enforcement Officer" (LEO) retirement status. It is a golden handcuff.
Most federal employees retire at 60 or 62. LEOs can retire at age 50 with 20 years of service. And they get a higher percentage of their salary in their pension than a regular office-dwelling federal worker.
Plus, there's the TSP (Thrift Savings Plan). It’s basically a 401k with a 5% match. If you’re smart and you max that out over a 25-year career, you're looking at a multi-million dollar nest egg.
Is the Pay Worth the Stress?
The job is heavy. You’re dealing with deportations, criminal investigations, and a lot of political scrutiny.
It’s not for everyone.
Some people quit within the first two years because the "work-life balance" is a myth in some units. You might be making $130,000, but you're working 60-hour weeks and missing birthdays.
Actionable Next Steps if You're Interested
If these numbers look good to you, don't just go to a general job board.
- Check USAJOBS.gov specifically for "Series 1811" (Criminal Investigator) or "Series 1801" (Deportation Officer). These are the core law enforcement codes.
- Look for "Direct Hire Authority" (DHA) announcements. These bypass some of the soul-crushing federal waiting periods.
- Get your transcripts ready. If you have a 3.0 GPA or higher, you might qualify for "Superior Academic Achievement," which lets you start at GS-7 instead of GS-5. That's a roughly $10,000 mistake if you don't claim it.
- Watch the locality tables. If you're willing to move to a high-cost area for a few years, you can "lock in" a higher grade and then transfer to a cheaper area later while keeping a higher step level.
The 2026 pay scale reflects a government that is desperate for bodies and willing to pay for them. Between the 3.8% raise and the LEAP premiums, it’s one of the highest-paying civilian law enforcement paths in the country.