About Careertakes

👉 Important disclosure: Careertakes is a third-party recruiting platform supporting this hiring process. If selected, you will be employed directly by our client, Federal law enforcement (Homeland Security / Border Protection).

Applicants for this role may also receive access to additional matched opportunities through the Careertakes platform.

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Position Overview

Confidential Client is hiring entry-level Border Patrol Agents (BPA) for Amarillo, TX and surrounding mission-critical duty locations. This full-time federal law enforcement career is a multi-grade, career-ladder opportunity (GL-5 → GL-7 → GL-9 → GS-11 → GS-12) with competitive base pay, benefits, training at the Border Patrol Academy, and hiring/retention incentives (up to $60,000 total).

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What You’ll Do

As an Entry-Level Border Patrol Agent, you’ll join a professional law enforcement team protecting the nation’s borders. Typical duties include:

• Detecting and questioning people suspected of violating immigration/customs laws
• Inspecting documents and possessions to determine citizenship or violations
• Conducting surveillance (including night operations using IR scopes)
• Interpreting tracks and physical evidence of illegal entry
• Performing farm checks, building checks, traffic checks, and patrols
• Patrolling boundaries and waterways using vehicles, horses, watercraft, ATVs, and motorcycles

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Key Qualifications

Minimum qualifications for initial grade consideration — carefully review each grade level below and provide supporting documentation (resume, transcripts, etc.):

U.S. Government hiring requirements (applicable and lawful):

• U.S. citizenship required
• Must have had primary U.S. residency for at least 3 of the last 5 years
• Age restriction: must be referred for selection before reaching your 40th birthday unless you qualify for statutory exceptions (e.g., prior federal civilian LEO service or Veterans’ Preference eligibility)
• Willingness to relocate and accept duty assignments that meet operational needs

Grade-specific qualifications: GL-5 (Entry) — one of the following:

• One year of general work experience showing ability to take charge, make sound decisions, and learn on the job; OR
• A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college/university; OR
• A combination of experience and education (evaluated from resume and transcripts)

GL-7 — one of the following:

• One year of specialized work experience demonstrating skills such as firearm judgment, effective public interaction in law enforcement contexts, rapid information analysis, arrests, or related criminal code enforcement; OR
• Bachelor’s degree with superior academic achievement (GPA, class standing, or honor society), or one full year of graduate study in a law-enforcement-related field; OR
• A combination of experience and education (evaluated from resume and transcripts)

Note: Applicants with prior or current law enforcement or military law enforcement experience may qualify for higher-grade consideration (GL-9 / GS-11). Provide documentation to support higher-grade claims.

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Preferred / Helpful Qualifications

• Experience in public safety, security, corrections, military police, or law enforcement
• Basic Spanish language ability (training provided at the Academy)
• Valid driver’s license and good driving history
• Physical fitness and readiness for Academy training and duty requirements

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Compensation & Benefits

• Annual base salary range for newly appointed BPAs (GL-5 / GL-7): $51,632 – $92,912 per year (varies by grade and locality pay)
• Estimated midpoint (example shown on source posting): ~$69,971 per year
• Recruitment incentive: up to $20,000 (first $10,000 on successful Academy graduation; remaining $10,000 for accepting a prioritized location)
• Retention incentive: up to $40,000 distributed over first four years (may apply)
• Federal benefits: health, dental, retirement plan (Thrift Savings Plan), generous annual and sick leave, and other federal employment benefits
• Opportunity for locality pay increases (BPA Pay Reform Act considerations) and grade progression without reapplication after established service durations

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Training & Career Path

• New hires complete approximately six (6) months of intensive training at the Border Patrol Academy in Artesia, NM (immigration & nationality law, law enforcement operations, driver and firearms training, physical techniques, and Spanish language instruction).
• Career-ladder promotion opportunities: GL-5 → GL-7 → GL-9 → GS-11 → GS-12 based on time-in-grade and performance.

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Duty Locations & Assignment Notes

Duty assignments support mission needs and may include the Southwest Border and other nationwide sectors. Prioritized and mission-critical locations may be offered and could affect relocation and pay (locality). Examples of mission areas include (but are not limited to):

• Big Bend Sector (Presidio, Van Horn, Sierra Blanca, Sanderson, Alpine, Marfa)
• Del Rio, El Paso, Laredo, Rio Grande Valley, Tucson, Yuma, San Diego Sectors
• Other sectors across the U.S. (see full list in the original posting)

Relocation may be required. Candidates should be prepared to accept assignments that meet operational requirements.

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Other Important Requirements & Hiring Notes

• Formal, documented application materials are required (resume; transcripts for education claims; proof of prior service if claiming higher-grade eligibility).
• Applicants will be evaluated on resume, supporting documents, and BPA Entrance Exam performance.
• Lawful job prerequisites (citizenship, residency, age rules) are based on federal statute and agency policy; exceptions may apply (e.g., Veterans’ Preference).
• This position will require physical fitness, background investigation, drug screening, and successful completion of Academy training.

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What Careertakes Will Do

Careertakes will: present qualified applicants to the Confidential Client, provide transparency about the hiring process, and offer access to other matched opportunities on the Careertakes platform. Careertakes supports candidates through pre-screening guidance and will not make final hiring decisions — those are made by the Confidential Client.

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Equal Opportunity & Hiring Transparency

Careertakes and our client are Equal Opportunity Employers committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce. We prohibit discrimination or harassment of any kind. To support a fair and efficient hiring process, AI tools may be used to assist with application review or resume screening. These tools do not replace human decision-making. Final hiring decisions are made by people.

If you have questions about how your data is used, please contact us directly.