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, a federal law enforcement agency (federal law enforcement / customs & border protection activities).

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

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What You’ll Do

Confidential Client is hiring entry-level Border Patrol Agents to join a frontline federal law enforcement team. Typical duties include:

• Detect, question, and inspect persons and possessions to determine citizenship, immigration, or customs violations
• Prevent and apprehend undocumented noncitizens and contraband near borders using surveillance, covert observation, and nighttime operations (including infrared)
• Interpret and follow tracks, marks, and other physical evidence of illegal entry
• Perform farm checks, building checks, traffic stops, city patrols, and transportation checks
• Patrol international boundaries and coastal waterways using vehicles, horses, vessels, off‑road vehicles, ATVs, snowmobiles, and motorcycles
• Work collaboratively with team members; prepare reports and testify when required

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Salary & Benefits

• Annual base salary (newly appointed BPAs): GL-5 / GL-7 range — $51,632 to $92,912 per year (varies by grade and locality)
• Estimated midpoint shown on job boards is illustrative; actual pay depends on grade, location, and locality adjustments
• Recruitment incentive: up to $20,000 total (first $10,000 after completing the 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, dental, life insurance options; generous annual and sick leave; retirement options and participation in the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP)
• Paid training: new hires attend an intensive Border Patrol Academy (approximately six months) with training in law enforcement operations, firearms, driver training, physical techniques, and related subjects

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Qualifications

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

GL‑5 qualification (entry level)

• One year of general work experience demonstrating the ability to take charge, make sound decisions under stress, learn methods and regulations, and gather information through questioning and observation OR
• A bachelor’s degree (any field) from an accredited institution OR
• A combination of relevant work experience and college coursework (evaluated from resume and transcripts)

GL‑7 qualification

• One year of specialized work experience demonstrating skills such as firearms decision-making, courteous and tactful law enforcement contact with the public, rapid analysis and prompt decision-making, arrests, criminal code enforcement, security, military police, or corrections OR
• Bachelor’s degree with superior academic achievement or one year of relevant graduate-level study in a law-enforcement-related field OR
• A combination of experience and education (evaluated from resume and transcripts)

Note: Applicants with prior or current law enforcement or military law enforcement experience may qualify at higher grade levels (GL‑9 / GS‑11). Applications are evaluated against official job opening announcements.

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Duty Locations & Assignments

• Duty assignments may include the Southwest Border and other mission-critical sectors. The agency assigns duty locations based on operational needs; relocation may be required.
• Prioritized locations (may affect recruitment incentive eligibility) include: Sierra Blanca, TX; Presidio, TX; Sanderson, TX; Comstock, TX; Lordsburg, NM; Freer, TX; Hebbronville, TX; Ajo, AZ.
• Other possible sector stations include (not exhaustive): Big Bend, Buffalo, Del Rio, El Paso, El Centro, Grand Forks, Havre, Houlton, Laredo, Rio Grande Valley, San Diego, Spokane, Swanton, Tucson, and Yuma sector locations.

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Other Requirements & Important Notes

• Citizenship: you must be a U.S. citizen to apply.
• Residency: primary U.S. residency for at least three of the last five years is required.
• Age: federal law enforcement retirement provisions apply; candidates must be referred for selection before reaching their 40th birthday unless exempt (examples of exemptions include certain prior federal civilian LEO service or Veterans' Preference eligibility as specified by law).
• Veterans: Veterans’ Preference and certain excepted hiring authorities (such as VRA) may apply and can affect age restrictions and hiring paths.
• Formal training: successful candidates will attend the Border Patrol Academy (approximately six months). Spanish speaking and reading ability is required for the mission; language training is provided during the Academy to reach proficiency if needed.
• This position is full‑time and part of a career-ladder structure (GL‑5 → GL‑7 → GL‑9 → GS‑11 → GS‑12) with promotion eligibility after meeting time-in-grade requirements.

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Preferred Skills & Attributes

• Demonstrated sound judgment and composure under stress
• Firearms experience and safe weapons handling (or equivalent training)
• Strong observational and investigative skills (track interpretation, surveillance)
• Ability to communicate clearly and work collaboratively in a team
• Spanish language skills (bilingual preferred; training provided to reach proficiency)
• Physical fitness and driver competency for varied vehicles and terrains

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How Careertakes Supports You

• Careertakes is a third‑party recruiting platform facilitating candidate matches and this hiring process. If you opt in, you may receive access to additional matched opportunities and recruiter support.
• Confidential screening and confidentiality protections apply; selected hires will be employed directly by our client.

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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.