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 hiring entry-level Border Patrol Agents to join a federal law enforcement career path. This full-time role offers structured academy training, a clear grade-progression career ladder, competitive base pay, federal benefits, and recruitment/retention incentives for selected locations. Candidates should be prepared for work that may include irregular hours, remote field assignments, and the potential for relocation based on operational needs.

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Salary & Benefits

• Annual base salary range for newly appointed BPAs (GL-5 / GL-7): $51,632 – $92,912 per year.
• Estimated midpoint shown by some sources: ~$72,785 per year.
• Federal benefits include health, dental, retirement (Thrift Savings Plan), generous annual and sick leave, and other standard federal employee benefits.
• Incentives:
  • Recruitment incentive: up to $20,000 (e.g., $10,000 after Academy + $10,000 for accepting a prioritized location).
  • Retention incentive: up to $40,000 distributed over the first four years for eligible hires.
• Note: Locality pay and pay reform provisions for federal law enforcement may increase total compensation for some duty locations.

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Duty locations & assignment notes

• Duty assignments may include mission-critical stations across the U.S., with prioritized locations that may carry additional incentives. Examples include (but are not limited to): Presidio, Sierra Blanca, Sanderson, Comstock, Lordsburg (NM), Freer, Hebbronville, Ajo (AZ).
• You will select preferred locations during the process, but final assignment is based on operational needs and may require relocation.
• Some duty locations may include remote, rural, border, or coastal assignments and may require use of specialized vehicles or assets.

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Typical duties & responsibilities

• Detect, question, and inspect individuals suspected of violating immigration and customs laws.
• Prevent and apprehend undocumented persons and smugglers using surveillance, patrols, and investigative observation (including night operations with infrared equipment).
• Interpret tracks, marks, and physical evidence of illegal entry or contraband.
• Conduct farm checks, building checks, traffic checks, city patrols, and transportation inspections.
• Patrol international boundaries and coastal waterways using vehicles, horses, vessels, ATVs, snowmobiles, motorcycles, and other government assets.

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Minimum qualifications

You must meet one of the qualifying standards for the grade level being applied to:

GL-5 (entry-level) — qualify if you have ONE of the following:

• One (1) year of general work experience demonstrating decision-making, composure under stress, ability to learn procedures, and information-gathering through observation or questioning; OR
• A bachelor’s degree (four-year course) from an accredited college/university; OR
• A combination of relevant experience and college coursework (evaluated from resume and transcripts).

GL-7 — qualify if you have ONE of the following:

• One (1) year of specialized work experience showing the ability to:
  • Make sound judgments and decisions in the use of firearms;
  • Interact courteously and tactfully in law enforcement contexts;
  • Analyze information quickly and make prompt decisions (including making arrests after required training);
  • OR equivalent law enforcement, corrections, security, military police, or related experience.
• OR a bachelor’s degree with superior academic achievement (GPA or class standing) or one year of graduate-level education in a law-enforcement-related field; 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 (e.g., GL-9, GS-11). Applications will be evaluated against the grade-specific announcement.

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Other legal & job requirements

• U.S. citizenship is required.
• Residency: primary U.S. residency for at least three of the past five years is required.
• Age: Applicants must generally be referred for selection before turning 40 due to federal law-enforcement retirement provisions; exceptions may apply for certain prior federal civilian law-enforcement service or Veterans’ Preference eligibilities.
• Training: Selected candidates will be detailed to a federal law enforcement academy (approximately six months) for intensive training in immigration/nationality law, law enforcement operations, firearms, driver training, physical tactics, and other mission-specific courses.
• Language: Ability to speak and read English is required; Spanish language proficiency is commonly used and training is provided to build Spanish competency where needed.
• This role involves physical, operational, and public-safety duties that require reliability, fitness, and the ability to work in challenging field conditions.

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What we look for (preferred skills & attributes)

• Strong decision-making and composure under pressure.
• Prior experience in public safety, security, military police, or law enforcement (beneficial but not always required).
• Good observation and investigative skills.
• Physical fitness and readiness for field assignments.
• Willingness to relocate and work irregular hours, including nights and weekends.
• Interest in a long-term federal law enforcement career and commitment to public service.

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Notes on application process & compliance

Careertakes supports the hiring process as a third-party recruiting platform. The confidential client manages official job announcements and application submission, and may require submission through government hiring systems for federal roles. This listing intentionally does not contain direct application instructions; follow the official announcement you receive via the Careertakes platform for required documentation (e.g., resume, transcripts).

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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.