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.

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

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Overview

Confidential Client is recruiting entry-level Border Patrol Agents (BPA) for full-time, career positions. This role offers structured academy training, a clear career ladder (GL-5 → GL-7 → GL-9 → GS-11 → GS-12), competitive federal benefits, and substantial recruitment and retention incentives for qualifying hires.

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What You’ll Do

• Protect the nation by detecting, apprehending, and processing individuals who violate immigration and customs laws.
• Conduct surveillance (including night operations using infrared/optical scopes) and investigate suspected illegal entry or smuggling activity.
• Inspect documents, interview individuals, and analyze evidence such as tracks and marks to determine violations.
• Perform farm checks, building checks, traffic and transportation inspections, and city patrols.
• Patrol international boundaries and coastal waterways using vehicles, boats, horses, ATVs, snowmobiles, and motorcycles as needed.
• Work collaboratively as part of an operational law enforcement team and follow established policies and procedures.

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Who We’re Looking For

We seek candidates who are decisive, adaptable under stress, physically fit, and committed to public service. Prior experience in public safety, security, military police, or law enforcement may help you qualify at higher grade levels, but motivated entry-level applicants are welcome.

Preferred attributes:

• Strong judgment and decision-making skills
• Effective verbal and written communication
• Ability to work outdoors in varied and sometimes austere environments
• Team orientation and willingness to follow structured training

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Compensation & Benefits

• Annual base pay for newly appointed Border Patrol Agents (GL-5 / GL-7): $51,632 – $92,912 per year (grade- and location-dependent).
• Up to $60,000 in hiring and retention incentives for qualifying new hires:
  • Recruitment incentive: up to $20,000 (first $10,000 paid after Academy graduation; remaining $10,000 for accepting a prioritized location).
  • Retention incentive: up to $40,000 distributed over the first four years for eligible hires.
• Access to comprehensive federal benefits including health and dental insurance, generous annual/sick leave, and participation in the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP).

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Location & Duty Assignments

Duty assignments are determined at the time of offer based on operational needs and may include Southwest Border stations and other mission-critical sectors across the U.S. You will be asked to indicate preferred locations; however, relocation may be required.

Examples of prioritized and mission-critical locations include (not exhaustive):

• Presidio, Van Horn, Sanderson, Alpine, Sierra Blanca, Marfa
• Laredo, Del Rio, El Paso, Rio Grande Valley sector stations
• Tucson, Yuma, San Diego, and other sectors listed in the full announcement

Note: Duty location affects locality pay. A fully trained BPA may be eligible for up to an additional 25% of base pay depending on locality and pay reform provisions.

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Qualifications & Requirements

Minimums for GL-5 (entry-level):

• U.S. citizenship required.
• Residency: primary U.S. residency for at least 3 of the last 5 years.
• One (1) year of general work experience demonstrating responsibility, composure under stress, and ability to learn procedures; OR
• A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college/university; OR
• A combination of experience and education (evaluated via resume and transcripts).

Minimums for GL-7:

• One (1) year of specialized experience showing ability to make sound firearms judgments, deal courteously and tactfully with people in law enforcement contexts, analyze information rapidly, and perform arrests after training; OR
• Education substitution such as bachelor’s degree with superior academic achievement or one year graduate-level coursework in a related field; OR
• Combination of experience and education (evaluated via application materials).

Other important requirements:

• Age restriction: candidates must generally be referred before their 40th birthday unless exempt (e.g., certain federal law enforcement service or Veterans’ Preference eligibility).
• Formal training: new hires attend approximately six (6) months at the Border Patrol Academy (Artesia, NM) for intensive instruction — immigration laws, operations, driver training, physical techniques, firearms, and Spanish language training.
• Spanish language proficiency is important; training will be provided to reach required proficiency.
• Veterans and those with prior federal law enforcement or military police experience may qualify at higher grade levels (GL-9/GS-11).

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Selection & Next Steps

This is a competitive federal selection. Applicants are evaluated on resume, supporting documents (transcripts, etc.), and required testing. If you progress in the process, you will be guided to apply to the relevant federal Job Opportunity Announcement (JOA).

(Per platform rules, application instructions and direct apply links are provided through the Careertakes application flow and the client’s applicant system. This posting omits step-by-step application instructions.)

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Key Keywords for Candidates

• Border Patrol Agent
• Entry-level federal law enforcement
• Border Patrol Academy training
• Recruitment and retention incentives
• GL-5 GL-7 BPA pay

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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.