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ATF salary estimate

$41,905yearly

$20.15 hourly rate

Entry-level salary
$21,000 yearly salary
Updated December 15, 2025

ATF Salary Overview

The average salary at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) is $41,905 annually. Salaries at ATF can vary significantly based on various factors such as location and department. For instance, positions in law enforcement often command higher salaries compared to administrative roles. Additionally, salaries can differ by state, reflecting local economic conditions and cost of living.

Highest Paying Positions

Some of the highest paying jobs at ATF include specialized roles in law enforcement and management. These positions typically require advanced training and experience, contributing to their higher compensation. Understanding these salary dynamics can help job seekers gauge their earning potential and make informed career decisions.

Departmental Salaries

In terms of departmental salaries, ATF's enforcement divisions generally offer the most competitive pay. Conversely, administrative roles tend to have lower salary ranges. This highlights the importance of understanding which department aligns with your career goals and financial expectations.

Highest paying jobs at ATF

The highest paying jobs at ATF are director of sales and marketing, investigative analyst, principal systems engineer, and chief of operations. Director of sales and marketing jobs at ATF earn an average yearly salary of $109,899, ATF investigative analyst jobs average $104,867, and ATF principal systems engineer jobs average $97,633.

The lowest paying ATF roles include general clerk and data entry clerk. ATF general clerk average salary is $25,615 per year. So while the average ATF salary is $41,905 there is a big variation in pay depending on the role.

Highest paying jobs at ATF

RankJob titleAverage ATF salaryHourly rate
1Director Of Sales And Marketing$109,899$52.84
2Investigative Analyst$104,867$50.42
3Principal Systems Engineer$97,633$46.94
4Chief Of Operations$96,797$46.54
5Branch Chief$90,782$43.65
6Government Contractor$76,210$36.64
7Program Analyst$74,929$36.02
8Program Manager$73,401$35.29
9Mortgage Underwriter$70,488$33.89
10Application Engineer$68,165$32.77
11Project Manager$65,214$31.35
12Supervisor$61,462$29.55
13Investigator$60,550$29.11
14Tobacco Warehouse Agent$56,983$27.40
15Repair Technician$56,938$27.37
16Consultant$56,011$26.93
17Operations Officer$55,125$26.50
18Explosive Specialist$53,285$25.62
19Mechanical Designer$52,994$25.48
20Fabric Designer$51,358$24.69

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Average ATF salary by state

ATF pays the highest salaries in District of Columbia due to higher costs of living and competition in the state.

RankStateAverage ATF salaryHourly rate
1District of Columbia$51,981$24.99
2Massachusetts$50,089$24.08
3New York$49,444$23.77
4Maryland$47,264$22.72
5Alaska$47,197$22.69
6Virginia$45,465$21.86
7Vermont$45,189$21.73
8Maine$44,504$21.40
9Michigan$44,227$21.26
10Montana$41,821$20.11
11North Carolina$41,765$20.08
12Texas$40,234$19.34
13Georgia$39,899$19.18
14Kentucky$39,756$19.11
15New Mexico$39,227$18.86
16Alabama$37,339$17.95
17Louisiana$36,845$17.71

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ATF salaries by department

Salaries at ATF vary depending on the department you work in. ATF salaries in the corporate management department are the highest with an average salary of $106,627. Employees in the engineering department at ATF receive relatively high salaries as well, with an average salary of $66,609 per year. Departments that don't pay as well at ATF include the administrative and the facilities organizational functions, with employees earning average salaries of $30,782 and $31,068, respectively.

Average ATF salary by department

RankDepartmentAverage ATF salaryHourly rate
1Corporate Management$106,627$51.26
2Engineering$66,609$32.02
3Sales$65,779$31.62
4Finance$65,182$31.34
5Construction$61,091$29.37
6Non Profit/Government$56,530$27.18
7Supply Chain$50,865$24.45
8IT$50,753$24.40
9Accounting$50,491$24.27
10Retail$50,401$24.23
11Marketing$50,236$24.15
12Human Resources$48,145$23.15
13Legal$45,796$22.02
14Plant/Manufacturing$36,994$17.79
15Customer Service$36,879$17.73
16Warehouse$34,245$16.46
17Facilities$31,069$14.94
18Administrative$30,782$14.80

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Best paying ATF plant/manufacturing salaries

RankPositionAverage ATF salaryHourly rate
1Assistant Plant Manager$64,219$30.87
2Production Manager$60,122$28.90
3Production And Operations Supervisor$54,631$26.26
4Explosive Specialist$53,285$25.62
5Quality Assurance Technician$50,212$24.14
6Maintenance Machinist$45,024$21.65
7Manufacturing Engineering Internship$43,202$20.77
8Pressman$36,487$17.54
9Co-Operations Internship$33,910$16.30
10Machine Set-Up$32,349$15.55
11Machining Department Supervisor$31,986$15.38
12Machine Operator$29,117$14.00
13Sorter Operator$28,114$13.52
14Quality Inspector$27,908$13.42
15Metal Polisher$26,360$12.67

Best paying ATF administrative salaries

RankPositionAverage ATF salaryHourly rate
1Records Analyst$54,175$26.05
2Office Manager$51,399$24.71
3Duplicating Machine Operator$44,027$21.17
4Secretary$37,616$18.08
5Administrative Assistant$32,912$15.82
6Office Assistant$32,158$15.46
7Student Internship$28,181$13.55
8Data Entry Operator$27,351$13.15
9Data Entry Clerk$25,911$12.46
10General Clerk$25,616$12.32

Best paying ATF facilities salaries

RankPositionAverage ATF salaryHourly rate
1Repair Technician$56,938$27.37
2Special Police$43,648$20.98
3Shop Technician$33,891$16.29
4Security Officer$30,404$14.62
5Security Guard$29,597$14.23

ATF competitors’ average salaries

Average salaries at ATF competitors, like National Institute Of Justice, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and Federal Bureau of Investigation, vary. National Institute Of Justice employees earn the highest salaries, with an average yearly salary of $62,139. The average salary at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is $62,012 per year, and the average salary at Federal Bureau of Investigation is $61,790 per year.

Highest paying ATF competitors

Frequently asked questions about ATF salaries

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Zippia gives an in-depth look into the details of ATF, including salaries, political affiliations, employee data, and more, in order to inform job seekers about ATF. The employee data is based on information from people who have self-reported their past or current employments at ATF. The data on this page is also based on data sources collected from public and open data sources on the Internet and other locations, as well as proprietary data we licensed from other companies. Sources of data may include, but are not limited to, the BLS, company filings, estimates based on those filings, H1B filings, and other public and private datasets. While we have made attempts to ensure that the information displayed are correct, Zippia is not responsible for any errors or omissions or for the results obtained from the use of this information. None of the information on this page has been provided or approved by ATF. The data presented on this page does not represent the view of ATF and its employees or that of Zippia.