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 (U.S. Customs and Border Protection).

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 (BPA) at GL-5/GL-7 grade levels for full-time, career roles. As a Border Patrol Agent you will join an operational federal law-enforcement team that protects the nation’s borders and deters illicit activity. Typical duties include:

• Detecting and questioning people suspected of immigration or customs violations and inspecting documents and possessions
• Preventing and apprehending undocumented noncitizens and contraband smuggling through surveillance and patrol
• Interpreting tracks, marks, and other physical evidence of illegal entry
• Conducting farm checks, building checks, traffic and city patrols, and transportation checks
• Patrolling international boundaries and coastal waterways using vehicles, horses, vessels, ATVs, and other government assets

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What We Offer

• Annual base salary range for newly appointed BPAs (GL-5 / GL-7): $51,632 – $92,912 per year
• Estimated local median for this listing: $75,047 per year (Adzuna estimate)
• Recruitment Incentive: Up to $20,000 (first $10,000 upon Border Patrol Academy graduation; remaining $10,000 for accepting a prioritized location)
• Retention Incentive: Eligible for up to $40,000 distributed over the first four years
• Federal benefits package including health and dental plans, generous leave accrual, and participation in the Thrift Savings Plan (federal retirement/savings)
• Career-ladder progression (GL-5 → GL-7 → GL-9 → GS-11 → GS-12) with promotion eligibility after required service periods
• Training, equipment, and professional development for a long-term federal law-enforcement career

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Who We’re Looking For (Qualifications)

You must meet one of the qualification paths for the grade level you apply to:

GL-5 qualification (one of the following):

• One year of general work experience demonstrating sound decision-making, composure in stressful situations, ability to learn regulations and methods, and to gather information through questioning and observation; OR
• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university; OR
• Combination of post-secondary education and general work experience (will be evaluated from resume and transcripts)

GL-7 qualification (one of the following):

• One year of specialized work experience showing ability to: make sound firearm judgments, deal courteously and tactfully with people on law-enforcement matters, analyze information rapidly and make prompt decisions, and perform arrests after required training; OR
• Bachelor’s degree with superior academic achievement (class standing, GPA ≥ 3.0, or honor society); OR
• One full year of relevant graduate-level education (criminal justice, homeland security, justice studies, forensic technology, etc.); OR
• Combination of experience and education (evaluated from resume and transcripts)

Additional requirements (job-specific; lawful and job-related):

• U.S. citizenship required
• Primary U.S. residency for at least three of the last five years
• Candidates must be referred for selection before reaching their 40th birthday unless an exemption applies (e.g., certain prior federal civilian law-enforcement service or Veterans’ Preference eligibility)
• Ability to speak and read English; Spanish proficiency is helpful and training is provided at the Academy
• Must meet standard federal law-enforcement background, medical, and fitness standards

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Training & Career Notes

• Selected candidates will attend the Border Patrol Academy (approximately six months) for intensive instruction in immigration and nationality law, law-enforcement operations, firearms, driver training, physical techniques, and Spanish language training as needed.
• This is a career-ladder federal law-enforcement position with defined grade progression and locality pay adjustments. Locality and duty location may affect pay rates (some duty locations include additional locality or pay reform adjustments).

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Duty Locations & Assignment Notes

Duty assignments are determined by operational needs at the time of offer and may include Southwest Border and other mission-critical locations. Prioritized locations may be eligible for higher incentives. Relocation may be required.

Example duty locations (selected list): Presidio, Sanderson, Sierra Blanca, Comstock, Lordsburg (NM), Freer, Hebbronville, Ajo (AZ), Laredo sector stations, Rio Grande Valley sector stations, Tucson, El Paso, Yuma, San Diego sector stations, and others across multiple states.

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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.