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.

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

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Position summary (provided separately)

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Why this opportunity matters

This Confidential Client (hiring for positions in the Customs and Border Protection industry) is recruiting entry-level Border Patrol Agents (BPA) for full‑time federal law enforcement careers. This role offers structured career progression, federal benefits, and significant recruitment/retention incentives — up to $60,000 in additional pay for qualifying hires.

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Key responsibilities

• Detect, question, and inspect individuals and property to enforce immigration and customs laws.
• Conduct surveillance, including covert night operations using specialized equipment.
• Interpret physical evidence (tracks, marks) and perform building/farm/traffic checks.
• Patrol borders and waterways using vehicles, horses, ATVs, boats, motorcycles, snowmobiles, and other government assets.
• Make arrests and take enforcement actions after required training while following federal law enforcement procedures.

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Who we’re looking for — qualifications

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

GL‑5 (entry-level) — one of:

• One year of general work experience showing decision-making under pressure, learning on-the-job, and gathering information via questioning/observation; OR
• A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college/university; OR
• A combination of experience and education (evaluated from resume and transcripts).

GL‑7 — one of:

• One year of specialized experience demonstrating: firearms judgment, effective people skills in law enforcement contexts, rapid information analysis and prompt decision-making (examples: criminal enforcement, security, corrections, military police); OR
• A bachelor’s degree with superior academic achievement or one year of graduate study in a law‑enforcement‑related field; OR
• A combination of experience and education (evaluated from resume and transcripts).

Higher grades (GL‑9 / GS‑11) may be available for candidates with prior law enforcement or military police experience.

Required/other important qualifications:

• U.S. citizenship required.
• Primary U.S. residency for at least three of the last five years.
• Must meet age requirements applicable to federal law enforcement retirement provisions (generally referred for selection before turning 40, with exceptions for prior covered federal civilian LEO service or Veterans’ Preference eligibility).
• Ability to complete roughly six months of academy training (immigration/nationality law, firearms, driving, physical techniques, Spanish language training).
• Ability and willingness to be assigned to duty locations based on operational needs; relocation may be required.

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Compensation & benefits

• Annual base pay for newly appointed BPAs varies by grade: GL‑5 / GL‑7 range approximately $51,632 to $92,912 per year (grade and locality pay affect final salary).
• Federal benefits package including health/dental insurance, generous annual and sick leave, participation in the Thrift Savings Plan (retirement savings).
• Additional locality pay and BPA Pay Reform adjustments may increase total compensation in some locations (up to ~25% in certain areas once fully trained).

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Incentives & duty locations

• Recruitment Incentive: up to $20,000 for newly appointed BPAs (first $10,000 paid after successful completion of the Border Patrol Academy; remaining $10,000 for accepting a prioritized location where applicable).
• Retention Incentive: eligible candidates may receive up to $40,000 in additional incentives distributed over the first four years.
• Important: duty assignments may include prioritized Southwest Border locations. The Confidential Client determines assignments at offer time based on operational needs. You will be asked to select preferred locations from a list of mission‑critical duty stations, but assignment is not guaranteed.

Example mission‑critical locations include (selection shown in source listing):

• Presidio, Sanderson, Sierra Blanca, Marfa, Van Horn (Big Bend Sector)
• Wellesley Island (Buffalo Sector)
• Del Rio, Eagle Pass, Uvalde (Del Rio Sector)
• Lordsburg, El Paso, Las Cruces (El Paso Sector)
• El Centro, Indio, Calexico (El Centro Sector)
• Tucson, Nogales, Ajo, Douglas (Tucson Sector)
• Yuma, Blythe, Wellton (Yuma Sector)
• And multiple additional sector stations across the U.S.

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Selection & training

• Selected candidates will attend a multi‑month Border Patrol Academy for intensive classroom and field instruction (approx. six months).
• Training includes immigration and nationality law, law enforcement tactics, firearms, driver training, Spanish language training, and other role‑specific courses.
• Candidates are evaluated on application materials, transcripts, and a BPA entrance exam, plus background and suitability checks per federal hiring processes.

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Screening requirements & legal notes

• Applicants must be U.S. citizens and meet residency/time‑in‑residence rules.
• Age and retirement provisions follow federal law enforcement statutes; exceptions apply for qualifying prior service or veterans’ preference.
• Certain positions require successful completion of medical, fitness, and background checks.
• Duty assignments and relocation requirements are determined by operational need.
• Careertakes acts as a third‑party recruiter; the Confidential Client makes the final hiring decisions and employs successful candidates directly.

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What makes a competitive applicant

• Demonstrated ability to make sound decisions and remain composed in stressful situations.
• Law enforcement, military, security, or related public safety experience (strengthens grade placement).
• Strong communication skills; ability to learn and use Spanish is a major asset (training provided).
• Openness to relocation and assignment to mission‑critical locations.

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What we do not include here

Per Careertakes posting guidelines, detailed application steps (How to Apply) are omitted from this listing. Applicants will be referred to the Confidential Client’s official federal job announcements for formal application instructions and required documents.

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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.