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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What You’ll Do

Confidential Client is hiring entry-level Border Patrol Agents (BPA) for full-time, career positions. In this role you will help protect the public by enforcing immigration and customs laws, conducting surveillance, and performing patrol operations across diverse environments.

• Detect and question people suspected of violating immigration/customs laws; inspect documents and possessions.
• Prevent and apprehend undocumented noncitizens and smugglers using surveillance, patrols, and investigative techniques.
• Interpret and follow tracks, marks, and other physical evidence of illegal entry or contraband.
• Conduct farm checks, building checks, traffic checks, city patrols, and transportation checks.
• Patrol international boundaries and coastal waterways using vehicles, horses, vessels, ATVs, snowmobiles, and motorcycles as required.

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Salary & Incentives

• Annual base salary for newly appointed BPAs (GL-5 / GL-7): $51,632 – $92,912 per year.
• Estimated market salary for this posting: $70,428 per year (estimate).
• Recruitment Incentive: up to $20,000 (first $10,000 after completing academy; remaining $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, leave programs, Thrift Savings Plan (retirement), and more.

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Locations & Assignments

Duty assignments are determined by operational needs and may include Southwest Border and other mission-critical locations. Relocation may be required. Locality pay varies by location; a fully trained BPA may be eligible for up to an additional 25% of base pay under applicable pay reform provisions.

Example mission-critical sectors include (selection):

• Big Bend Sector (Presidio, Van Horn, Sanderson, Sierra Blanca, Marfa)
• Del Rio Sector (Del Rio, Brackettville, Comstock, Eagle Pass)
• El Paso Sector (El Paso, Lordsburg, Santa Teresa)
• Tucson Sector (Ajo, Tucson, Nogales, Douglas)
• Yuma Sector (Yuma, Blythe, Wellton)
• Additional domestic sector stations across multiple states

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Duties & Typical Assignments

• Conduct surveillance from covert positions; use night-vision/infrared as required.
• Make arrests and exercise sound judgment in the use of firearms following training and policy.
• Maintain situational awareness and rapidly analyze information for decisions in the field.
• Develop and maintain investigative contacts and use evidence to support enforcement actions.
• Operate a variety of Government assets and vehicles safely and effectively.

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Qualifications

You may qualify at GL-5, GL-7 (or higher if you have qualifying law enforcement/military experience):

GL-5 qualification (one of the following):

• One (1) year of general work experience demonstrating decision-making, composure under stress, and ability to learn regulations and procedures; OR
• A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college/university; OR
• A combination of experience and education (evaluated from resume/transcripts).

GL-7 qualification (one of the following):

• One (1) year of specialized work experience demonstrating ability to make sound firearms judgments, handle law enforcement interactions tactfully, analyze information rapidly, and perform arrests or criminal enforcement duties; OR
• Bachelor’s degree with superior academic achievement or one year graduate-level education in a related field (criminal justice, homeland security, etc.); OR
• Combination of specialized experience and education (evaluated from resume/transcripts).

Note: Applicants with prior federal or military law enforcement experience may qualify at GL-9 or above; review applicable announcements or contact a recruiter for guidance.

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Other Requirements (Legal & Administrative)

• U.S. Citizenship is required.
• Residency: primary U.S. residency for at least 3 of the last 5 years.
• Age: applicants must generally be referred before their 40th birthday in accordance with applicable federal law enforcement retirement provisions (exceptions may apply for certain prior federal civilian law enforcement or veterans’ preference eligibilities).
• Veterans: veterans may be eligible for special hiring authorities (e.g., Veterans Recruitment Appointment) and may be exempt from some age restrictions.
• Background: selection requires successful completion of background investigation, medical and fitness standards, and federally mandated clearances.
• Language: Border Patrol work requires reading and speaking English; training is provided to develop Spanish proficiency as needed.
• Training: successful candidates will attend the Border Patrol Academy (approximately six months) for intensive instruction in law enforcement, immigration law, firearms, driving, physical techniques, and agency-specific operations.

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Training & Career Progression

• Initial training at the Border Patrol Academy in Artesia, NM (~6 months).
• Career ladder progression: GL-5 → GL-7 → GL-9 → GS-11 → GS-12, with eligibility for promotion after successful completion of required time-in-grade (generally 52 weeks per grade).
• Opportunities for specialized assignments, professional development, and advancement within federal law enforcement.

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How Applications Are Evaluated

Applicants are evaluated on submitted resume, supporting documents (transcripts, veteran documentation where applicable), pre-screening questionnaire responses, and BPA entrance exam results. Be sure your application materials clearly document education and relevant work experience.

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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.