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

Entry‑level Border Patrol Agent (BPA) — Cedar Point, TX (and surrounding duty locations). This Confidential Client is hiring full‑time, entry‑level federal law enforcement personnel to train at the Border Patrol Academy and serve on operational teams. This role includes competitive base pay (GL‑5/GL‑7 ranges), federal benefits, and up to $60,000 in hiring and retention incentives.

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What You’ll Do

As an entry‑level Border Patrol Agent you will become part of a federal law‑enforcement team focused on safeguarding the border and public safety. Typical duties include:

• Detecting and questioning persons suspected of violating immigration and customs laws
• Inspecting documents and possessions to determine citizenship or violations
• Conducting surveillance (including night operations with infrared scopes) and covert observation
• 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 boundaries and waterways using vehicles, horses, vessels, ATVs, and other assets

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Salary & Incentives

• Estimated/typical pay (new appointees): GL‑5 / GL‑7 — $51,632 to $92,912 per year (pay varies by grade and duty location)
• Recruitment incentive: up to $20,000 (first $10,000 paid after Academy graduation; additional for accepting prioritized locations)
• Retention incentive: may qualify for up to $40,000 distributed across the first four years
• Eligible for federal benefits: health, dental, life insurance, annual/sick leave, and the Thrift Savings Plan (federal retirement savings)

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Duty Locations & Mobility

Duty assignments are determined at the time of offer and may include Southwest Border and other mission‑critical stations. Prioritized locations may require relocation. A fully trained BPA may be eligible for additional locality pay (up to ~25% in some locations). This is a career‑ladder position with progression from GL‑5 → GL‑7 → GL‑9 → GS‑11 → GS‑12 based on time-in-grade and successful performance.

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Qualifications

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

• One year of general work experience demonstrating decision‑making, composure under stress, and the 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 and transcripts)

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

• One year of specialized work experience showing skills to: make sound firearms decisions; deal tactfully with people in law enforcement contexts; analyze information rapidly and perform law enforcement tasks (arrests, enforcement actions); OR
• A bachelor’s degree with superior academic achievement or one year of relevant graduate‑level study; OR
• A combination of experience and education (evaluated from resume and transcripts)

Note: Candidates with prior federal or military law enforcement experience may qualify at higher grade levels (GL‑9 / GS‑11). Your resume and supporting documents determine grade placement.

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Other Requirements

• U.S. citizenship required
• Must have primary U.S. residency for at least three of the last five years
• Age restriction for law enforcement retirement provisions: candidates must typically be referred before their 40th birthday unless exempt by prior covered federal civilian LEO service or Veterans’ Preference eligibility
• Formal training: successful hires attend approximately six months at the Border Patrol Academy (Artesia, NM) covering immigration law, law enforcement procedures, driver/firearms training, physical techniques, and Spanish language proficiency training
• Spanish language proficiency is strongly encouraged; academy training will support language development

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Preferred / Helpful Experience

• Background in public safety, security, military police, corrections, or civilian law enforcement
• Experience with surveillance, search and seizure processes, or patrol operations
• Demonstrated ability to make rapid decisions under pressure and to exercise sound judgment with firearms and arrests

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What We Offer

• A long‑term federal career with training, progression opportunities, and strong benefits
• Competitive base pay with locality adjustments in certain duty locations
• Significant hiring and retention incentives for prioritized locations
• Career ladder promotions based on time‑in‑grade and performance

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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.