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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Position overview

Confidential Client is seeking motivated, entry-level Border Patrol Agents (BPA) to join a federal law enforcement team protecting the U.S. border. This full-time, career-position is an entry-level law enforcement role (GL-5 / GL-7 grade levels) with competitive base pay, federal benefits, and significant recruitment/retention incentives for qualifying hires. Training is provided at the Border Patrol Academy.

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What You’ll Do

Border Patrol Agents perform a range of operational law-enforcement duties focused on securing borders and preventing illegal entry and smuggling. Typical duties include:

• Detect and question people suspected of violating immigration and customs laws; inspect documents and possessions.
• Prevent and apprehend undocumented noncitizens and smugglers using surveillance, interdiction, and arrest when necessary.
• Use and interpret physical evidence (tracks, marks) to investigate illegal entry of persons or contraband.
• Conduct farm checks, building checks, traffic and transportation checks, and city patrols.
• Patrol boundaries and waterways using vehicles, horses, vessels, ATVs, motorcycles, and other government assets.
• Operate covert and overt surveillance tools (including night-vision/infrared equipment) as required.

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Salary & Benefits

• Annual base salary for newly appointed BPAs (GL-5 / GL-7): $51,632 – $92,912 per year (varies by grade and locality).
• Estimated midpoint/market example shown: ~$78,881 per year (estimate).
• Recruitment incentive: up to $20,000 (first $10,000 upon successful completion of the Border Patrol Academy; remaining $10,000 for accepting designated prioritized locations).
• Retention incentive: potential additional up to $40,000 distributed over the first four years.
• Federal benefits: health/dental insurance, generous annual and sick leave, participation in the Thrift Savings Plan (retirement savings), and access to other federal employee benefits.

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Locations & Assignments

Duty assignments are mission-driven and may include Southwest Border sectors and other mission-critical locations. Candidates will be asked to select preferred locations, but final duty assignment is determined at offer based on operational needs. Relocation may be required.

Representative duty locations include (not exhaustive): Presidio, Sierra Blanca, Sanderson, Lordsburg, Freer, Hebbronville, Ajo, El Centro, San Diego sector sites (including Chula Vista), Tucson sector sites (including Nogales and Tucson), Rio Grande Valley stations, Laredo, Del Rio, El Paso, Yuma, Spokane, Swanton, Grand Forks, and others across the U.S.

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Qualifications & Requirements

You may qualify at the GL-5 or GL-7 grade levels depending on experience and education.

Minimums for GL-5 (examples — meeting one of the following):

• One year of general work experience demonstrating the ability to take charge, make sound decisions under stress, learn rules and techniques in training/on-the-job, and gather concise information by questioning and observation; OR
• A bachelor’s degree (or equivalent four-year course of study); OR
• A combination of general work experience and college credit (evaluated from your resume and transcripts).

Minimums for GL-7 (examples — meeting one of the following):

• One year of specialized work experience demonstrating law-enforcement-related skills such as firearms judgment, effective public interaction on law-enforcement matters, rapid analysis and decision-making in enforcement contexts (e.g., corrections, security, military police); OR
• A bachelor’s degree with superior academic achievement or one year of graduate-level study in a related field; OR
• A combination of specialized experience and graduate/undergraduate education (evaluated from resume/transcripts).

Other mandatory requirements:

• U.S. citizenship required.
• Residency: primary U.S. residency for at least 3 of the last 5 years.
• Age: candidates must be referred before reaching their 40th birthday per applicable law for law-enforcement retirement provisions (exceptions may apply for prior federal civilian LEO service or Veterans’ Preference eligibles).
• Veterans’ Preference and certain excepted hiring authorities may apply.
• Ability to pass background checks, medical/physical fitness standards, and other federal suitability requirements.
• Ability to speak and read English; training will support Spanish language proficiency.

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Training & Career Progression

• New hires attend approximately six months of intensive training at the Border Patrol Academy covering immigration/nationality law, law enforcement operations, firearms, driver training, physical techniques, and other mission-essential skills.
• This is a career-ladder position with progression through GL-5 → GL-7 → GL-9 → GS-11 → GS-12 based on time-in-grade and successful completion of required periods of service.
• Additional specialized training and promotion opportunities are available throughout a BPA career.

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Important hiring notes

• Duty assignments and locality pay differ by location and are based on operational needs.
• Selection and final hiring decisions are made by Confidential Client (the hiring organization); Careertakes is a third-party recruiting platform facilitating the hiring process.
• This posting reflects an entry-level Federal law enforcement opportunity and does not include detailed application steps here. Candidates should ensure they meet mandatory eligibility requirements before applying.

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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.