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, Legal / Law Enforcement.

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

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Role overview

Confidential Client is hiring full-time, entry-level Border Patrol Agents (BPA) for Great Falls, MT and surrounding duty locations. This is a federal law enforcement career ladder position (GL-5 → GL-7 → GL-9 → GS-11 → GS-12) offering comprehensive benefits, formal academy training, and recruitment/retention incentives.

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What you’ll do

As a Border Patrol Agent you will help protect the nation by detecting, deterring, and apprehending individuals and contraband crossing our borders. Typical duties include:

• Detecting and questioning people suspected of violating immigration and customs laws; inspecting documents and possessions
• Maintaining surveillance and conducting covert operations (including nighttime operations using infrared scopes)
• Interpreting tracks, marks, and other physical evidence of illegal entry
• Performing farm, building, traffic, city, and transportation checks
• Patrolling international boundaries and coastal waterways using vehicles, horses, vessels, ATVs, snowmobiles, and motorcycles

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Salary & benefits

• Annual base salary range for newly appointed BPAs: $51,632 — $92,912 per year (GL-5 / GL-7)
• Estimated mid-level pay shown on listing: ~$66,996/year (estimate)
• Federal benefits: medical, dental, generous annual and sick leave, and participation in the Thrift Savings Plan (retirement savings)
• Pay may include locality adjustments and law-enforcement pay reforms that can increase total compensation in certain duty locations

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Incentives

• Recruitment incentive: eligible newly appointed BPAs may receive up to $20,000 (e.g., $10,000 after academy graduation + $10,000 for accepting prioritized locations)
• Retention incentive: eligible BPAs may receive up to $40,000 distributed over the first four years
• Incentive availability and amounts are subject to program rules and assignment to prioritized locations

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Duty locations & assignments

Duty assignments are based on operational needs and may require relocation. Assignments at time of offer may include mission-critical sectors and prioritized locations (examples below):

• Big Bend Sector — Presidio, Van Horn, Sanderson, Sierra Blanca, Marfa
• Del Rio Sector — Del Rio, Brackettville, Comstock, Eagle Pass, Carrizo Springs, Uvalde
• El Paso Sector — El Paso, Lordsburg, Santa Teresa, Las Cruces
• Laredo Sector — Laredo, Freer, Hebbronville
• Rio Grande Valley — McAllen, Brownsville, Rio Grande City
• Tucson Sector — Tucson, Ajo, Nogales, Douglas
• San Diego, Yuma, Spokane, Havre, Grand Forks, Swanton sectors and other mission areas

Locality pay and duty location both affect total compensation.

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Qualifications

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

GL-5 eligibility (one of the following):

• One year of general work experience demonstrating decision-making, composure under stress, ability to learn regulations/methods, and information-gathering skills; OR
• A bachelor’s degree (four-year) from an accredited college/university; OR
• A combination of relevant experience and education (evaluated from resume and transcripts)

GL-7 eligibility (one of the following):

• One year of specialized work experience demonstrating:
  • sound judgment and decision-making with firearms,
  • courteous and tactful interpersonal skills in law enforcement contexts,
  • ability to analyze information rapidly and make prompt decisions (including arrest actions) — experience from criminal enforcement, corrections, security, or military police is applicable; OR
• Bachelor’s degree with superior academic achievement (GPA/class standing/honors), OR
• One year of relevant graduate-level education, OR
• A combination of specialized experience and education (evaluated from resume/transcripts)

Note: Prior federal law enforcement or military law enforcement experience may qualify candidates for higher grade levels (GL-9, GS-11). Candidates are evaluated based on submitted documents and required entrance testing.

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Other requirements

• U.S. citizenship is required.
• Residency: primary U.S. residency for at least three of the last five years.
• Age restriction: applicants must generally be referred before their 40th birthday under federal law enforcement retirement provisions; exceptions apply for certain prior federal law enforcement service or Veterans’ Preference eligibilities.
• Formal training: newly hired agents attend an approximately six-month federal training academy for instruction in immigration and nationality law, law enforcement operations, driver training, physical techniques, firearms, and other topics. Spanish language proficiency is beneficial; language training is provided.
• Background checks, medical and fitness standards, and other federal hiring requirements apply.

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Preferred skills

• Experience in public safety, security, corrections, or military law enforcement
• Practical firearms experience and sound judgment under stress
• Ability to learn quickly, follow procedures, and work as part of a disciplined team
• Spanish language skills are a plus

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What to expect in the hiring process

This posting represents a federal-entry, full-time law enforcement opportunity with formal application and evaluation steps. Candidates are evaluated via resume review, supporting documentation (transcripts, certifications), and required entrance exams. Selected candidates will proceed through background investigation, medical/fitness screening, and academy training.

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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.