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 (Customs and Border Protection).

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

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Overview

Confidential Client is hiring full-time, entry-level Border Patrol Agents (BPA) to join federal law enforcement teams that protect borders, deter illicit activity, and support national security. This role is career-oriented, includes formal academy training, and offers base pay, benefits, and recruitment/retention incentives for qualifying hires.

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Salary & Benefits

• Annual base salary range for GL-5 / GL-7: $51,632 – $92,912 per year (grade- and location-dependent).
• Recruitment incentive: up to $20,000 for newly appointed agents (first $10,000 after Academy completion; additional $10,000 for accepting prioritized locations).
• Retention incentive: may qualify for up to $40,000 distributed over the first four years.
• Eligible for federal benefits: health/dental insurance, annual and sick leave, Thrift Savings Plan retirement contributions, and other federal employee benefits.
• Potential locality and pay differentials; a fully trained BPA may be eligible for up to an additional 25% of base pay per applicable pay rules.

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Duty Locations & Mobility

• Duty assignments may include mission-critical and prioritized locations (Southwest Border and other sectors). Examples of sectors and stations include Presidio, Sierra Blanca, Lordsburg, Ajo, Tucson, Yuma, Swanton, and many others across multiple states.
• Relocation may be required. Duty assignment and locality pay are determined by operational needs at the time of offer.
• This is a career-ladder position with progression: GL-5 → GL-7 → GL-9 → GS-11 → GS-12 (promotion eligibility after successful completion of required time in grade).

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Duties & Responsibilities

Typical assignments and responsibilities include:

• Detect, question, and inspect individuals and property to enforce immigration and customs laws.
• Prevent and apprehend undocumented persons and smugglers using surveillance, night operations, and field techniques.
• Interpret and follow tracks, marks, and other physical evidence of illegal entry of persons or contraband.
• Conduct farm checks, building checks, traffic stops, city patrols, and transportation inspections.
• Patrol international boundaries and coastal waterways using vehicles, horses, vessels, ATVs, snowmobiles, and motorcycles, as required.

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Qualifications

You may qualify at GL-5 if you have one of the following:

• One year of general work experience showing ability to take charge, make sound decisions, and perform under stress; or
• A bachelor’s degree (any field) from an accredited college or university; or
• A combination of relevant experience and college education (evaluated from resume and transcripts).

You may qualify at GL-7 if you have one of the following:

• One year of specialized experience showing skills such as firearms judgment, effective interpersonal communication in law enforcement settings, rapid information analysis, and experience making arrests or performing law-enforcement-related duties; or
• A bachelor’s degree with superior academic achievement (class standing, GPA ≥ 3.0, or honor society) or one year of relevant graduate-level coursework; or
• A combination of specialized experience and education (evaluated from resume and transcripts).

Note: Applicants with prior federal or military law enforcement experience may qualify for GL-9 or GS-11 grade levels. Review qualification announcements for higher-grade consideration.

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Other Requirements & Important Notices

• Citizenship: U.S. citizenship required.
• Residency: Must have primary U.S. residency for at least three of the last five years.
• Age: Candidates must be referred before reaching their 40th birthday per applicable federal law enforcement retirement provisions, unless exempt (e.g., prior covered federal civilian LEO service or certain veterans’ appointments).
• Veterans: Veterans’ Preference and certain excepted hiring authorities (e.g., VRA) may apply and can affect age restrictions.
• Formal training: New hires attend approximately six months at the Border Patrol Academy for instruction in law, operations, driver training, physical techniques, firearms, and other subjects. Spanish language proficiency is preferred; training to improve Spanish is provided.
• Equal opportunity: Hiring follows federal employment rules. Applicants will be evaluated based on qualifications, resume, supporting documents, and required entrance assessments.

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What Careertakes Will Do

• Present this opportunity and additional matched roles from our platform.
• Provide clarity on the recruiting timeline and next steps where possible.
• Support candidate questions about the process; final hiring decisions and offers are made by our client (Confidential Client).

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Keywords & Candidate Fit

This posting is targeted to candidates searching for: Border Patrol Agent, BPA, federal law enforcement careers, entry-level law enforcement, immigration enforcement jobs, and border security positions in Vermont and nationwide.

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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.