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 security).

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 for full-time, career roles focused on border security and public safety. This is a federal law enforcement opportunity with a structured career ladder (GL-5 → GL-7 → GL-9 → GS-11 → GS-12), formal academy training, and substantial hiring and retention incentives.

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Salary & Benefits

• Annual base salary (newly appointed BPAs): GL-5 / GL-7 — $51,632 to $92,912 per year.
• Recruitment incentive: Up to $20,000 (first $10,000 after Border Patrol Academy completion; remaining $10,000 for accepting prioritized locations).
• Retention incentive: Up to $40,000 distributed over the first four years for qualifying hires.
• Federal benefits package including health, dental, generous annual and sick leave, and participation in the Thrift Savings Plan (retirement savings).

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What You’ll Do

• Detect and question individuals suspected of violating immigration and customs laws; inspect documents and possessions to determine compliance.
• Prevent and apprehend undocumented noncitizens and smugglers through surveillance, night operations, and tactical response.
• Interpret physical indicators (tracks, marks) and follow investigative leads.
• Conduct farm checks, building checks, traffic stops, city patrols, and transportation inspections.
• Patrol borders and coastal waterways using varied government assets (vehicles, horses, vessels, ATVs, snowmobiles, motorcycles).

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Qualifications

You may qualify at different grade levels depending on experience and education:

• GL‑5 (entry qualifications — choose one):
  • One year of general work experience showing responsibility, sound decision‑making, composure under stress, and ability to learn procedures; OR
  • A bachelor’s degree (any field) from an accredited college or university; OR
  • A combination of education and general work experience (evaluated from resume and transcripts).
• GL‑7 (specialized experience or education — choose one):
  • One year of specialized work experience demonstrating:
    • Sound judgment and decision‑making in the use of firearms;
    • Effective, courteous interactions in law‑enforcement situations;
    • Rapid analysis and prompt decision‑making in situations that may require arrests.
  • OR a bachelor’s degree with superior academic achievement (GPA, class standing, or honor society), OR one year of relevant graduate‑level study in law enforcement fields; OR a combination of experience and education.

Previous or current law enforcement or military law enforcement service may qualify candidates for higher grade considerations (GL‑9 or GS‑11) — see client announcements for details.

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Other Requirements

• U.S. citizenship required.
• Must have been a primary U.S. resident for at least 3 of the last 5 years.
• Age restriction: Applicants generally must be referred before their 40th birthday under applicable federal law enforcement retirement provisions (exceptions apply for certain prior federal civil law enforcement service or Veterans’ Preference).
• Veterans: Veterans’ Preference eligibility may affect appointment type and age restrictions (e.g., Veterans Recruitment Appointment exceptions).
• Formal training: Successful candidates attend the agency’s Border Patrol Academy (approximately six months) covering immigration law, law enforcement operations, driver and firearms training, physical techniques, and Spanish language training.
• Language: Ability to speak and read Spanish is helpful; language instruction is provided at the Academy.
• Background checks, medical, and fitness standards apply.

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Duty Locations & Mobility

• Duty assignments are determined at time of offer based on operational needs. Assignments may include the Southwest Border and other mission‑critical locations.
• Relocation may be required. Duty location affects locality pay; fully trained agents may be eligible for up to an additional 25% locality pay under applicable pay reform.
• Examples of mission sectors and stations include (non‑exhaustive): Presidio, Sierra Blanca, Sanderson, Comstock, Lordsburg, Hebbronville, Ajo, Tucson, Yuma, San Diego, El Paso and many others across multiple U.S. sectors.

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What to Expect

• A career‑focused federal law enforcement role with intensive initial training and ongoing professional development.
• A physically and mentally demanding job that requires sound judgment, integrity, teamwork, and adaptability.
• Clear promotion path based on time‑in‑grade and performance.

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Keywords & Candidate Fit

Ideal candidates will have experience or strong interest in:

• Border security, patrol, and surveillance operations
• Law enforcement, corrections, military police, or related public safety roles
• Use of firearms, decision‑making under pressure, and community‑oriented enforcement
• Bilingual (English/Spanish) abilities are advantageous

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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.