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 (Homeland Security).

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

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Overview

Confidential Client is hiring entry-level Border Patrol Agents (BPA) to join a federal law enforcement career path. This is a full-time, career-track position with formal academy training, a graded pay ladder (GL-5 → GL-7 → GL-9 → GS-11 → GS-12), locality pay variations, and recruitment/retention incentives.

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What You’ll Do

Confidential Client mission-focused duties include:

• Detect and question individuals suspected of violating immigration and customs laws; inspect documents and possessions.
• Prevent and apprehend undocumented noncitizens and smugglers using surveillance, patrols, and investigative techniques.
• Conduct farm/building checks, traffic stops, city patrols, and transportation inspections.
• Patrol boundaries and coastal waterways using vehicles, horses, watercraft, ATVs, motorcycles, and other government assets.
• Use tracking, observation, and evidence interpretation to detect illegal entry or contraband.
• Perform covert and overt surveillance (including night operations with specialized optics).
• Work as part of multi-disciplinary teams and apply law enforcement procedures, including arrests where authorized.

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Who We’re Looking For (Qualifications)

Minimum qualifications differ by grade level. Candidates must be U.S. Citizens and meet residency and age requirements described below.

GL-5 (entry-level) — one of the following:

• One year of general work experience showing decision-making, composure under stress, learning ability, and information-gathering skills; OR
• A completed bachelor’s degree (any field) from an accredited college/university; OR
• A combination of education and experience (evaluated from resume/transcripts).

GL-7 — one of the following:

• One year of specialized experience demonstrating law-enforcement-related judgment, firearms use, arrest authority, and people-management in enforcement/security/military roles; OR
• A bachelor’s degree with superior academic achievement, OR
• One year of graduate-level study in a law-enforcement-related field, OR
• A combination of experience and education (evaluated from resume/transcripts).

Other baseline requirements:

• U.S. Citizenship required.
• Residency: primary U.S. residency for at least 3 of the last 5 years.
• Age: candidates must be referred before their 40th birthday per law enforcement retirement provisions, unless statutory exceptions apply (e.g., certain veterans or prior federal LEO service).
• Veterans’ preference and certain hiring authorities (VRA) may apply.
• Successful completion of the Border Patrol Academy (approx. 6 months) is required; academy training covers law, firearms, driver training, physical techniques, and language skills.
• Ability to learn/read Spanish is required; language training is provided during academy.
• Background checks, fitness standards, and required clearances apply.

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Compensation & Benefits

• Annual base salary range for newly appointed BPAs (GL-5 / GL-7): $51,632 – $92,912 per year (base pay varies by grade and locality).
• Locality pay: some locations may add up to ~25% in locality adjustments for federal law enforcement under applicable pay rules.
• Recruitment incentive: up to $20,000 (first $10,000 upon successful completion of the academy; remaining $10,000 for accepting a prioritized location).
• Retention incentive: eligible candidates may qualify for up to $40,000 distributed over the first four years.
• Federal benefits package including medical, dental, retirement (Thrift Savings Plan), generous leave, and other federal employee benefits.

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Duty Locations & Mobility

• Duty assignments may include Southwest Border and other mission-critical sectors. Prioritized locations (for incentives) include, for example: Sierra Blanca, Presidio, Sanderson, Comstock, Lordsburg, Freer, Hebbronville, Ajo, and others.
• A non-exhaustive set of sectors where agents serve: Big Bend, Del Rio, El Paso, El Centro, Laredo, Rio Grande Valley, San Diego, Tucson, Yuma, Buffalo, Grand Forks, Havre, Houlton, Spokane, Swanton, and more.
• Relocation may be required; assignment at time of offer is based on operational needs and may not match first-choice preferences.

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Selection & Career Development

• This is a career-ladder law enforcement role with scheduled grade progression for successful performance and time-in-grade.
• Candidates will be evaluated on experience, education (transcripts), and any required entrance exam(s).
• Academy completion and on-duty training are required for full operational assignment.
• Prior law enforcement or military police experience may qualify candidates for higher starting grade consideration.

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Important Legal & Compliance Notes

• This posting is for positions across multiple U.S. duty locations. Applicants must meet federal hiring eligibility and background standards.
• Where local/state pay-transparency rules apply, the base salary range is shown above.
• Confidential Client and Careertakes comply with applicable employment laws in each U.S. state where this role is posted.

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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.