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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Role overview

This is an entry-level, full-time Border Patrol Agent (BPA) role with a confidential client — a federal law enforcement agency operating within Customs and Border Protection. The position offers formal academy training, career progression (GL-5 → GL-7 → GL-9 → GS-11 → GS-12), competitive federal benefits, and recruiting/retention incentives (up to $60,000 depending on qualifications and assignments).

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What You’ll Do

As a Border Patrol Agent you will help protect the nation by preventing illegal entry and deterring illicit activity along U.S. borders. Typical duties include:

• Detecting, questioning, and inspecting people, documents, and possessions to determine citizenship or violations.
• Preventing and apprehending undocumented noncitizens and smugglers using surveillance, covert observation, and night-vision equipment.
• Interpreting and following tracks, marks, and other physical evidence of illegal entry.
• Conducting farm checks, building checks, traffic checks, city patrols, and transportation checks.
• Patrolling international boundaries and coastal waterways using vehicles, horses, vessels, ATVs, snowmobiles, motorcycles, and other government assets as required.

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Salary & Benefits

• Annual base salary for newly appointed BPAs at GL-5 / GL-7: $51,632 – $92,912 per year (grade-dependent; locality pay and law-enforcement differentials may increase total pay).
• Estimated local midpoint (example): $85,588 per year (estimate shown on source listing).
• Recruitment Incentive: Up to $20,000 for newly appointed BPAs (first $10,000 upon Academy graduation; remaining $10,000 for accepting a prioritized location where applicable).
• Retention Incentives: May qualify for up to $40,000 additional incentives distributed over the first four years.
• Federal benefits package including health/dental insurance, generous leave accrual, participation in the Thrift Savings Plan (retirement), and law enforcement retirement provisions.

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Duty Locations

Duty assignments are determined by the agency at the time of offer and may include Southwest Border and other mission-critical stations. Relocation may be required. Examples of duty sectors and mission stations include (non-exhaustive):

• Big Bend Sector – Presidio, Van Horn, Sanderson, Sierra Blanca, Alpine, Marfa
• Del Rio Sector – Del Rio, Brackettville, Comstock, Eagle Pass, 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
• Laredo Sector – Laredo, Hebbronville, Freer, Zapata
• Rio Grande Valley Sector – Rio Grande City, McAllen, Brownsville, Weslaco, Harlingen
• San Diego Sector – Campo, Chula Vista, Imperial Beach, Murrieta, San Clemente
• Tucson Sector – Ajo, Tucson, Nogales, Douglas, Sonoita, Casa Grande, Three Points, Willcox
• Yuma Sector – Blythe, Yuma, Wellton
• Additional northern and northeastern sectors (Buffalo, Grand Forks, Havre, Houlton, Spokane, Swanton) as operationally required

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Qualifications

You may qualify for GL-5 (entry) OR GL-7 depending on experience and education.

GL-5 (qualifies with one of the following):

• One year of general work experience demonstrating the ability to take charge, make sound decisions, remain composed in stressful situations, learn regulations/methods through training, and gather concise information through questioning/observation; OR
• A bachelor’s degree (four-year) in any field from an accredited college/university; OR
• A combination of general work experience and college education (evaluated from resume and transcripts).

GL-7 (qualifies with one of the following):

• One year of specialized work experience showing ability to: make sound judgments in use of firearms; deal courteously and tactfully with people in law-enforcement contexts; analyze information rapidly and make prompt decisions; OR
• Education substitution such as superior academic achievement in a bachelor’s degree (GPA/class standing/honor society) or one full year of graduate-level education in law-enforcement-related fields (criminal justice, homeland security, forensic technology, etc.); OR
• A combination of specialized experience and education (evaluated via resume and transcripts).

Note: Applicants with prior law enforcement or military law enforcement experience may qualify at higher grade levels (GL-9 / GS-11). Qualifications will be determined per the agency’s announcements and vacancy criteria.

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Other requirements & important notes

• U.S. citizenship required.
• Primary U.S. residency for at least 3 of the last 5 years is required.
• Age limitation: Candidates must be referred for appointment before reaching their 40th birthday in accordance with law enforcement retirement provisions (exceptions may apply for certain prior federal law enforcement service or veterans’ preference). This is a legally mandated condition for coverage by law-enforcement retirement provisions.
• Formal training: Successful hires will attend the agency's Border Patrol Academy for approximately six months of intensive instruction (immigration and nationality laws, law enforcement operations, driver training, physical techniques, firearms). Spanish language proficiency is highly valued; the Academy provides language training as part of the program.
• This is a career-ladder, law-enforcement role with potential for promotion based on time-in-grade and successful completion of required training.
• Duty assignments may include prioritized locations that carry additional recruitment/retention incentives. Locality and mission-critical differentials can affect total compensation.

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What We Value

• Integrity, sound judgment, and composure under stress.
• Strong observational and investigative skills.
• Physical fitness and willingness to complete rigorous academy and field training.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team in austere or remote environments.
• Respect for community and commitment to public safety.

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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.