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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Position Overview

Confidential client is recruiting entry-level Border Patrol Agents (BPA) at GL-5 / GL-7 grade levels for full-time, career positions. This role is a frontline federal law enforcement position focused on safeguarding the nation’s borders, detecting and deterring illegal activity, and protecting communities. Candidates with prior public safety, security, military police, or law enforcement experience may qualify at higher grade levels.

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Salary & Incentives

• Annual base salary for newly appointed BPAs: GL-5 / GL-7 — $51,632 to $92,912 per year (varies by grade and locality).
• Recruitment incentive: Up to $20,000 for newly appointed BPAs (first $10,000 after academy completion; remaining $10,000 for accepting a prioritized location).
• Retention incentive: May qualify for up to $40,000 across the first four years.
• Additional locality/LEO pay: A fully trained BPA may be eligible for up to an additional 25% of base pay under applicable pay provisions.
• Federal benefits: health, dental, retirement (Thrift Savings Plan), generous annual and sick leave, and other federal employee benefits.

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Typical Duties & Responsibilities

As a Border Patrol Agent you will:

• Detect, question, and inspect people and possessions to determine citizenship or immigration violations.
• Prevent and apprehend undocumented noncitizens and smugglers using surveillance, patrol, and investigative techniques.
• Conduct farm and building checks, traffic and transportation inspections, city patrols, and other enforcement activities.
• Interpret and follow tracks, marks, and other physical evidence of illegal entry or contraband.
• Patrol boundaries, coastal waterways, and remote terrain using vehicles, horses, vessels, ATVs, motorcycles, and other government assets.
• Use night-vision/infrared surveillance and other detection tools when required.

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Qualifications

You may qualify at GL-5 by meeting one of the following:

• Experience: One year of general work experience showing ability to take charge, make sound decisions under stress, learn regulations and methods, and gather concise information through questioning and observation.
• Education: Bachelor’s degree (or full four-year course of study) from an accredited college/university.
• Combination: A combination of general work experience and college-level education (evaluated from resume and transcripts).

You may qualify at GL-7 by meeting one of the following:

• Experience: One year of specialized experience demonstrating skills such as sound firearms judgment, effective interpersonal skills in law enforcement contexts, rapid information analysis, and arrest/incident handling experience (criminal enforcement, security, corrections, military police, etc.).
• Education substitution: Bachelor’s degree with superior academic achievement (GPA, class standing, or honor society), or one year of graduate study related to law enforcement (criminal justice, homeland security, etc.), or equivalent combination of experience and education.

Note: Applicants with prior civilian or military law enforcement experience may qualify at GL-9/GS-11 levels — refer to the applicable BPA announcements for those grade levels.

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Other Requirements & Important Notes

• Citizenship: Must be a U.S. citizen.
• Residency: Must have maintained primary U.S. residency for at least 3 of the last 5 years.
• Age: Must be referred before reaching 40th birthday per law enforcement retirement rules (exceptions may apply for certain prior federal LEO service or Veterans’ Preference).
• Language: Ability to speak and read Spanish is valuable; training to improve Spanish proficiency is provided at the Academy.
• Training: New hires attend approximately six months at the Border Patrol Academy (intensive instruction in law enforcement, immigration/nationality law, driving, firearms, physical techniques, and USBP operations).
• Evaluation: Candidates are evaluated on resume, supporting documents (transcripts, etc.), and the BPA entrance exam.
• Operational assignments: Duty assignments are set based on operational needs; relocation may be required. Duty location affects locality pay.

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Duty Locations (examples of mission-critical locations)

Duty assignments may include Southwest Border and other sectors. Prioritized locations that may be eligible for incentives include (not 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, Cotulla, Hebbronville, Freer, Zapata
• Rio Grande Valley Sector: Rio Grande City, McAllen, Brownsville, Weslaco, Harlingen
• San Diego Sector: Boulevard, Campo, Chula Vista, Imperial Beach, Murrieta
• Tucson Sector: Ajo, Tucson, Nogales, Douglas, Brian A Terry, Sonoita, Casa Grande, Willcox
• Yuma Sector: Blythe, Yuma, Wellton

(USBP determines final duty assignments at time of offer. Prioritized locations may offer additional incentives. Relocation may be required.)

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Career Path & Advancement

• Career-ladder progression typically follows GL-5 → GL-7 → GL-9 → GS-11 → GS-12, with eligibility for promotion to the next grade after successfully completing 52 weeks in each grade level (no reapplication required).
• On-the-job experience, training, and successful performance create opportunities for advancement into specialized roles and higher grade levels.

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What We Look For

• Strong judgment, composure, and decision-making under stress.
• Commitment to public service and federal law enforcement mission.
• Physical fitness and willingness to complete rigorous academy training.
• Effective communication and the ability to work as part of a team.
• Willingness to accept duty-location assignments based on operational needs.

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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.