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 (border security & public safety).

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

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Overview

Confidential Client is recruiting full-time, entry-level Border Patrol Agents (BPA) at GL-5 / GL-7 grade levels for mission-focused federal law enforcement work. These roles include on-the-job and academy training, federal benefits, and recruitment/retention incentives (up to $60,000). Positions may be assigned to duty locations across multiple sectors; relocation may be required.

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What You’ll Do

• Detect and question individuals suspected of violating immigration and customs laws; inspect documents and possessions to determine immigration status or violations.
• Prevent and apprehend undocumented noncitizens and smugglers through patrol, surveillance (including night operations with infrared), and covert observation.
• Interpret and follow tracks, marks, and other physical evidence of illegal entry.
• Perform farm, building, traffic, city and transportation checks.
• Patrol international boundaries and coastal waterways using vehicles, horses, watercraft, ATVs, motorcycles, and other government assets.

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Salary & Benefits

• Annual base salary for newly appointed Border Patrol Agents (GL-5 / GL-7): $51,632 – $92,912 per year.
• Estimated salary shown on some listings: ~$84,217 per year (varies by duty location and locality pay).
• Recruitment Incentive: Up to $20,000 (first $10,000 paid after successful completion of the Border Patrol Academy; remaining $10,000 for accepting a prioritized location).
• Retention Incentive: May qualify for up to $40,000 distributed over the first four years.
• Additional federal benefits: health and dental plans, paid annual and sick leave, participation in the Thrift Savings Plan (retirement savings), and federal law enforcement locality and pay adjustments (a fully trained BPA may be eligible for up to an additional ~25% of base pay under applicable pay statutes).
• Career-ladder progression: GL-5 → GL-7 → GL-9 → GS-11 → GS-12 (automatic eligibility for promotion after 52 weeks at each grade, when applicable).

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Duty Locations & Assignments

Important: duty assignments are made based on operational needs and may include the Southwest Border and other mission-critical locations. Relocation may be required. Locality pay varies by assignment and affects total compensation.

Preferred duty locations you may be asked to select from include (mission sectors listed with prioritized locations marked *):

• Big Bend Sector: Presidio*, Van Horn, Sanderson*, Alpine, Sierra Blanca*, Marfa
• Buffalo Sector: Wellesley Island
• Del Rio Sector: Del Rio, Brackettville, Comstock*, Eagle Pass North, Eagle Pass South, Carrizo Springs, Uvalde
• El Paso Sector: Alamogordo, Clint, Deming, El Paso, Fort Hancock, Las Cruces, Lordsburg*, Santa Teresa, Ysleta
• El Centro Sector: El Centro, Indio, Calexico
• Grand Forks Sector: Pembina
• Havre Sector: Havre, Malta, Plentywood, Scobey, Sweetgrass
• Houlton Sector: Calais, Fort Fairfield, Jackman, Rangeley, Van Buren
• Laredo Sector: Laredo South, Cotulla, Hebbronville*, Laredo West, Freer*, Laredo North, Zapata
• Rio Grande Valley Sector: Rio Grande City, Fort Brown, McAllen, Brownsville, Falfurrias, Weslaco, Kingsville, Harlingen
• San Diego Sector: Boulevard, Brownfield, Campo, Chula Vista, Imperial Beach, Murrieta, San Clemente
• Spokane Sector: Colville, Curlew, Metaline Falls, Oroville
• Swanton Sector: Beecher Falls, Burke, Champlain, Newport, Richford
• Tucson Sector: Ajo*, Tucson, Nogales, Douglas, Brian A Terry, Sonoita, Casa Grande, Three Points Substation, Willcox
• Yuma Sector: Blythe, Yuma, Wellton

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Qualifications

You may qualify at different grade levels depending on education and experience:

• GL-5 (minimum):
  • One (1) year of general work experience demonstrating responsibility, decision-making under stress, ability to learn regulations and techniques, and information-gathering (or)
  • A bachelor’s degree (four-year) in any field (or)
  • A combination of education and experience (evaluated from resume and transcripts).
• GL-7 (minimum):
  • One (1) year of specialized work experience demonstrating:
    • sound judgment and decision-making in the use of firearms;
    • effective interpersonal skills in law enforcement contexts;
    • rapid information analysis and ability to make prompt decisions, including making arrests after training; or
    • experience in criminal code enforcement, corrections, security, military law enforcement, or similar roles;
  • OR a bachelor’s degree with superior academic achievement (GPA 3.0+, class standing, or honor society) or one year of graduate-level education in a related field (criminal justice, homeland security, forensic tech, etc.) (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); please review applicable announcements for those opportunities.

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Other Requirements

• Citizenship: Must be a U.S. citizen.
• Residency: Must have had primary U.S. residency for at least three of the last five years.
• Age: Candidates must be referred for selection before reaching their 40th birthday per applicable federal law enforcement retirement rules, unless exempt (e.g., certain prior federal civilian law enforcement or veterans’ preference exceptions).
• Veterans: Veterans may be eligible for Veterans Recruitment Appointment (VRA) and may be exempt from age restrictions in some cases.
• Training: New hires attend the Border Patrol Academy (~6 months) for intensive instruction (immigration/nationality law, law enforcement operations, driving, firearms, physical techniques, Spanish training, and other mission-specific courses).
• Language: Ability to speak and read Spanish is beneficial; language training is provided at the Academy.

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What to Expect Next

If you meet the minimum qualifications, you will be evaluated on submitted application materials and the BPA entrance exam. Offers include duty assignment decisions based on operational needs and may include prioritized locations offering additional incentives.

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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.