New report reveals average monthly salary in the Shin Bet and Mossad
The Ministry of Finance has published the salary report for defense system employees for the years 2023-2024, which reflects, among other things, the impacts of the war
The Ministry of Finance published the salary report for employees of the defense system for the years 2023-2024 on Wednesday, reflecting the effects of the war, the designated wage agreements, and the structural changes in the security bodies. The report also shows that the number of civilian employees in the IDF increased significantly during the war, and the representation rate of women continued to rise.
As stated, the data shows that the initial permanent salary of young service members in the IDF rose by 17 percent within two years, reaching 13,845 shekels ($4,600). It also shows that the average gross salary in the intelligence agencies—the Mossad and Shin Bet—in 2024 stood at 32,225 shekels ($10,800).
In addition, the average gross salary of employees at the Israel Institute for Biological Research (IIBR) stands at 31,932 shekels ($10,700), and for civilian employees of the IDF at 22,926 shekels ($7,694) in 2024.
In the same period, it stood at an average of 34,315 shekels ($11,516) for employees of supporting units (the Atomic Energy Commission), the overall average in the IDF was 18,756 shekels ($6,294), in the Israel Police—an average of 20,562 shekels ($6,900), and in the Israel Prison Service (IPS)—an average of 18,889 shekels ($6,339).
It is important to note that starting from mid-2024, significant salary increases were given in the police and the Prison Service, and they are expected to be reflected in the Defense System Salary Report for 2025.
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The number of civilian employees in the IDF increased significantly during the war. Their number rose over the past three years from about 6,600 to 8,000 in 2024, with the main growth in the number of employees occurring in the fields of intelligence, cyber, and technology. This also led to a drop in the average age from 50 (in 2021) to 44 (in 2024).
The significant increase in the salary of civilian IDF employees from 21,800 shekels ($7,300) (in 2021) to 25,700 shekels ($8,625) (in 2024) is also due to the increase in technological workers, the wage agreement signed in 2024, and the rise in the amount of overtime during the war.
Later in the report, it is stated that the average value of the military pension for IDF officers stands at nine million shekels, with an average retirement age of 45 and an average monthly pension of 20,019 shekels ($6,718). Additionally, the data shows concern regarding the convergence of the average pension for retirees to the target stipulated by the Permanent Service in the IDF (Pensions) Law towards the year 2025.
The data also shows that the proportion of women continued to rise—they now constitute about a third of all career soldiers in the IDF and 41.2% in the human resources directorate. However, the gender pay gap widened slightly in 2024, mainly due to additional compensation for activity level and combat roles, which are predominantly held by men.