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, Customs and Border Protection (Federal Law Enforcement).

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

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Overview

This posting is being managed by Careertakes on behalf of a confidential client in Customs and Border Protection (Federal Law Enforcement). We are sourcing qualified candidates for full-time, entry-level Border Patrol Agent (BPA) roles across multiple mission-critical locations. This role is a long-term federal law enforcement career path with training, advancement, and incentives available.

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Compensation & Benefits

• Annual base salary range for newly appointed BPAs (GL-5 / GL-7): $51,632 - $92,912 per year.
• Estimated pay shown on some listings (for reference): $71,364 per year (varies by duty location and locality pay).
• Up to $60,000 in additional incentives may be available:
  • Recruitment incentive: up to $20,000 ($10,000 after academy completion + $10,000 for accepting select prioritized locations).
  • Retention incentive: up to $40,000 distributed over the first four years.
• Federal benefits package: medical, dental, vision, generous annual/sick leave, Thrift Savings Plan (retirement), and other federal employee benefits.
• Locality and duty-location differentials may apply; fully trained BPAs can be eligible for additional pay under federal BPA pay provisions.

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What You’ll Do

• Detect, question, and inspect individuals suspected of violating immigration and customs laws.
• Prevent and apprehend undocumented noncitizens and smugglers using surveillance (including night-vision/IR equipment) and covert observation techniques.
• Interpret and follow physical evidence such as tracks and marks to locate illegal entries or contraband.
• Conduct farm checks, building checks, traffic stops, city patrols, and transportation checks as assigned.
• Patrol international boundaries and coastal waterways using vehicles, horses, vessels, ATVs, snowmobiles, and motorcycles when required.
• Work as part of a multi-disciplinary federal law enforcement team to safeguard borders and public safety.

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Locations

Duty assignments will be determined by the confidential client based on operational needs and may include Southwest Border duty stations and other mission-critical sectors. Some prioritized locations for recruitment incentives include (but are not limited to):

• Arizona: Ajo, Tucson, Nogales, Douglas, Casa Grande, Yuma, Blythe
• Texas and New Mexico prioritized locations: Sierra Blanca, Presidio, Sanderson, Comstock, Lordsburg, Freer, Hebbronville
• Additional sector stations nationwide (Big Bend, Del Rio, El Paso, El Centro, Laredo, Rio Grande Valley, San Diego, and others)

Note: relocation may be required and duty location affects pay (locality adjustments). You will be asked to list preferred locations, but final duty assignment is determined at the time of offer.

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Minimum Qualifications

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

• One (1) year of general work experience demonstrating sound decision-making, composure under stress, and ability to learn regulations and methods on the job; OR
• A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university; OR
• A combination of relevant experience and college coursework (evaluated via resume/transcripts).

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

• One (1) year of specialized experience showing the ability to make sound firearms judgments, deal tactfully with people in law enforcement contexts, analyze information rapidly, and carry out arrests after training; OR
• A bachelor’s degree with superior academic achievement or one full year of graduate study in a related field (criminal justice, homeland security, forensic technology, etc.); OR
• A combination of education and experience (evaluated via resume/transcripts).

Candidates with prior law enforcement or military police experience may qualify at higher grade levels (GL-9, GS-11). Please disclose relevant prior service and certifications.

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Other Mandatory Requirements

• U.S. Citizenship required.
• Must have maintained primary U.S. residency for at least 3 of the last 5 years.
• Age requirement: candidates must be referred for selection before their 40th birthday in accordance with applicable federal law enforcement retirement provisions, unless exempt due to prior covered federal civilian law enforcement service or eligible Veterans’ Preference exceptions.
• Background checks, medical/psychological evaluations, and drug screening are required after conditional offer.
• Formal training: selected candidates will attend the Border Patrol Academy (approximately six months) for law enforcement training, firearms, Spanish language proficiency training, defensive tactics, and other USBP-specific operations.
• Spanish language proficiency is important; formal language training is provided at the Academy to reach operational proficiency.

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Selection & Progression

• This is a career-ladder position with grade progression: GL-5 → GL-7 → GL-9 → GS-11 → GS-12. Promotions to the next grade typically occur after successfully completing required time-in-grade (e.g., 52 weeks per grade) without reapplying.
• Hiring includes application review, resume and transcript evaluation, and entrance exam(s). Conditional offers will be followed by required background investigations and medical/fitness evaluations.

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Preferred Experience & Skills

• Prior public safety, security, corrections, military police, or law enforcement experience.
• Ability to remain composed and make sound decisions in high-pressure situations.
• Strong observational and report-writing skills.
• Comfort with varied patrol environments (off-road, maritime, remote sectors).
• Willingness to relocate based on operational needs.

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What Careertakes Provides

• Confidential, third-party recruitment support to help you navigate the federal application and assessment process.
• Access to matched opportunities across federal law enforcement and related roles.
• Guidance on required application materials and documentation (resumes, transcripts, certificates).

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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.