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 (Border Protection).

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

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Position Summary

Confidential Client is hiring entry-level Border Patrol Agents for full-time, career positions. This role offers structured training at the Border Patrol Academy, a clear federal career ladder, competitive base pay, comprehensive benefits, and substantial hiring and retention incentives for eligible candidates.

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What You’ll Do

As an entry-level Border Patrol Agent you will be part of a federal law enforcement team that protects the border and supports public safety. Typical assignments include:

• Detecting and questioning people suspected of violating immigration and customs laws and inspecting documents and possessions to determine citizenship or violations
• Preventing and apprehending undocumented noncitizens and smugglers using surveillance (including night operations with infrared scopes)
• Interpreting and following tracks, marks, and other physical evidence of illegal entry
• Performing farm checks, building checks, traffic checks, city patrols, and transportation checks
• Patrolling international boundaries and coastal waterways using vehicles, horses, watercraft, off‑road vehicles, ATVs, motorcycles, and other government assets

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Recruitment & Retention Incentives

Confidential Client is offering hiring incentives for newly appointed Border Patrol Agents:

• Recruitment incentive of up to $20,000 (first $10,000 paid upon successful completion of the Border Patrol Academy; remaining $10,000 for accepting a prioritized location)
• Additional retention incentives of up to $40,000 distributed over the first four years
• Note: Duty location selection and prioritized locations will affect incentive eligibility

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Salary & Benefits

Annual base salary for newly appointed Border Patrol Agents varies by grade level:

• GL-5 / GL-7: $51,632 – $92,912 per year (grade-based; locality pay may apply)

Benefits include:

• Health, dental, and other insurance plans
• Generous annual and sick leave programs
• Participation in the Thrift Savings Plan (federal retirement savings)
• Career-ladder promotions (GL-5 → GL-7 → GL-9 → GS-11 → GS-12) with eligibility for promotion after required time in grade

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Duty Locations

Duty assignments are determined at time of offer based on operational need and may include mission-critical stations across multiple sectors (Southwest Border and nationwide). Relocation may be required. Prioritized locations (for incentives) include, but are not limited to: Sierra Blanca, Presidio, Sanderson, Comstock, Lordsburg (NM), Freer, Hebbronville, and Ajo (AZ).

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Qualifications

You may qualify for different grade levels based on experience and/or education:

GL-5 qualification (minimum):

• One year of general work experience demonstrating decision-making under stress, ability to learn rules and procedures, and skills in gathering information; OR
• A bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university; OR
• A combination of experience and education (evaluated from resume and transcripts)

GL-7 qualification:

• One year of specialized work experience showing skills such as firearms judgment, effective interpersonal skills in law enforcement contexts, rapid information analysis and prompt decision-making; OR
• A bachelor’s degree with superior academic achievement (class standing, GPA ≥ 3.0, or honor society) OR one year of relevant graduate-level study; OR
• A combination of experience and education (evaluated from resume and transcripts)

If you have prior or current (military or civilian) law enforcement experience you may qualify at higher grade levels (GL-9, GS-11).

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Other Requirements

• U.S. citizenship is required.
• Must have primary U.S. residency for at least three of the last five years.
• Age restriction: Candidates must be referred before reaching their 40th birthday per federal law enforcement retirement provisions; exceptions may apply for certain prior federal law enforcement service or Veterans’ Preference eligibility.
• Veterans may be eligible for special hiring authorities (e.g., Veterans Recruitment Appointment).
• After hiring, you will attend approximately six months of formal training at the Border Patrol Academy, including immigration and nationality law, driver training, firearms, physical techniques, and Spanish language training where needed.

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Preferred / Helpful Attributes

• Strong physical fitness and ability to complete academy training
• Comfort with fieldwork in remote and varied environmental conditions
• Ability to work irregular shifts, nights, weekends, and overtime
• Spanish language ability is valuable; training is provided to reach proficiency

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What to Expect Next

If you meet the qualifications and are invited to move forward, the selection process will evaluate your resume, supporting documents (transcripts, etc.), and performance on entrance assessments. Offers will include details on duty assignment, grade level, and incentive eligibility.

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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.