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 / border security.

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

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Position overview

This is an entry-level, full-time federal law enforcement opportunity for candidates interested in a long-term career in border security. Our confidential client is hiring Border Patrol Agents (BPA) at GL-5 / GL-7 grade levels to train at a federal law enforcement academy and serve in mission-critical locations. This role includes hands-on border patrol duties, investigative work, surveillance, and the potential to work with a wide variety of tactical assets.

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Compensation & incentives

• Annual base salary range for newly appointed Border Patrol Agents (GL-5 / GL-7): $51,632 – $92,912 per year (grade-dependent).
• Estimated average for this posting: ~$60,705 per year (estimated).
• 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: may qualify for up to $40,000 distributed over the first four years.
• A fully trained BPA may be eligible for up to an additional 25% locality pay in certain areas under BPA pay reform provisions.
• Federal benefits include health and dental plans, generous annual and sick leave, and participation in the Thrift Savings Plan (retirement savings).

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Key duties & responsibilities

Typical assignments include:

• Detecting, questioning, and inspecting persons and documents to determine citizenship or legal status.
• Preventing and apprehending individuals attempting unlawful entry and intercepting smuggling activity.
• Conducting surveillance (including night operations with night-vision/infrared equipment) and covert observation.
• Interpreting and following tracks, marks, and physical evidence related to illegal entry or contraband.
• Conducting farm checks, building checks, traffic stops, city patrols, and transportation checks.
• Patrolling international boundaries and coastal waterways using vehicles, horses, vessels, ATVs, motorcycles, and other government assets.

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Qualifications

You may qualify at GL-5 (entry level) by meeting one of the following:

• One (1) year of general work experience demonstrating decision-making under pressure, ability to learn regulations and methods via training or on-the-job instruction, and ability to gather concise information through questioning and observation; OR
• Bachelor's degree (four-year) from an accredited institution; OR
• A combination of general work experience and college education (evaluated from resume and transcripts).

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

• One (1) year of specialized experience demonstrating the ability to:
  • Make sound judgments and decisions in the use of firearms;
  • Deal effectively and tactfully with people on law enforcement matters;
  • Rapidly analyze information and make prompt decisions, including making arrests after required training; OR
• Education substitution such as superior academic achievement in a bachelor's degree (GPA/honors) or one full year of graduate-level study in a related field (criminal justice, homeland security, forensic studies, etc.); OR
• A combination of specialized experience and education (evaluated from resume and transcripts).

Note: Applicants with prior federal or military law enforcement experience may qualify for higher grade consideration (GL-9, GS-11) under separate announcements.

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Other requirements & training

• Citizenship: Must be a U.S. citizen.
• Residency: Must have had primary U.S. residency for at least three of the last five years.
• Age: Candidates must be referred for selection before reaching their 40th birthday in accordance with applicable law enforcement retirement provisions; exceptions may apply for certain veterans or current/previous federal law enforcement employees.
• Veterans: Veterans’ preference and certain excepted appointment authorities (e.g., VRA) may apply.
• Formal training: Selected candidates will attend approximately six months of intensive instruction at the Border Patrol Academy (federal law enforcement academy) covering immigration and nationality law, law enforcement operations, driver training, firearms, physical techniques, and other required coursework. Spanish language proficiency is beneficial; language training is provided.
• Fitness and background: Successful candidates must pass medical, fitness, and background investigations as required for federal law enforcement positions.

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Duty locations & mobility

• Duty assignments are determined by our confidential client based on operational needs and may include Southwest Border and other mission-critical locations. Relocation may be required.
• Prioritized locations may qualify for additional recruitment incentives; examples include (not exhaustive): Sierra Blanca, Presidio, Sanderson, Comstock, Lordsburg (NM), Freer, Hebbronville, Ajo (AZ).
• This is a career-ladder position with progression opportunities (GL-5 → GL-7 → GL-9 → GS‑11 → GS‑12) based on time-in-grade and performance.

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What we look for

• Candidates who seek a long-term, service-oriented federal law enforcement career.
• Strong decision-making under pressure, physical and mental resilience, integrity, and the ability to work in teams and independently.
• Experience in public safety, security, military police, or civilian law enforcement is valuable but not required for GL-5 entry.

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Important legal & hiring notes

• This posting is for U.S. federal employment; eligibility requirements include U.S. citizenship and other statutory conditions described above.
• Careertakes is a third-party recruiting platform; if selected you will be hired directly by our confidential client. Careertakes may provide access to additional matched opportunities.
• We do not include application instructions here. Please follow the application process provided by the platform where you found this posting.

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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.