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. Border Patrol / 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 full-time, entry-level Border Patrol Agents (BPA) to join federal law enforcement teams protecting U.S. borders. This is a mission-driven, career-oriented role that includes academy training and progressive grade advancement.

Typical duties include:

• Detecting, questioning, and inspecting people and property to enforce immigration and customs laws
• Patrolling boundaries and coastal waterways using vehicles, horses, vessels, ATVs, snowmobiles, and motorcycles
• Maintaining surveillance (including covert and night operations using infrared equipment)
• Interpreting tracks, marks, and other evidence of illegal entry or smuggling
• Conducting building checks, farm checks, transportation inspections, traffic checks, and city patrols
• Apprehending undocumented noncitizens and smugglers and processing arrests according to law and training

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Salary & Benefits

• Annual base salary for newly appointed Border Patrol Agents (grade GL-5 to GL-7): $51,632 – $92,912 per year.
• Estimated midpoint referenced in source material: ~$84,022 per year (varies by location and grade).
• Federal benefits package including health, dental, and vision plans; generous annual and sick leave; and participation in the Thrift Savings Plan (similar to a 401(k)/Roth).
• Locality and pay adjustments may apply; fully trained BPAs may be eligible for additional pay under BPA pay reform provisions.

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Incentives

Confidential Client may offer recruitment and retention incentives for qualifying hires:

• Recruitment incentive: up to $20,000 (e.g., $10,000 after Academy completion + $10,000 for accepting certain prioritized locations).
• Retention incentive: up to $40,000 over the first four years for qualifying agents. Note: Incentive details, eligibility, and payment schedules are determined at the employer’s discretion and are subject to program rules.

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Duty Locations

Duty assignments may include Southwest Border and other mission-critical sectors. Candidates should expect to be asked to select preferred locations from a list; final assignment is based on operational needs and may require relocation.

Sample sectors and station locations 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
• Tucson Sector – Ajo, Tucson, Nogales, Douglas, Sonoita, Casa Grande, Three Points, Willcox
• San Diego, Yuma, Rio Grande Valley, Laredo, Grand Forks, Spokane, Havre, Houlton, Swanton sectors and more

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Who Should Apply / Minimum Qualifications

You may qualify for appointment at different grade levels depending on experience and education.

GL-5 qualification (one of the following):

• One year of general work experience demonstrating responsibility, decision-making in stressful situations, and ability to learn procedures through training or on-the-job instruction; OR
• A bachelor’s degree (four-year) from an accredited institution; OR
• A combination of general work experience and college coursework (evaluated from submitted resume and transcripts).

GL-7 qualification (one of the following):

• One year of specialized work experience demonstrating abilities such as firearm judgment, law-enforcement-related decision-making, courteous and tactful interactions in law enforcement settings, rapid information analysis, and arrest procedures; OR
• A bachelor’s degree with superior academic achievement (GPA, class standing, or honor society), or one year of graduate-level education related to law enforcement; OR
• A combination of specialized experience and education (evaluated from resume and transcripts).

Candidates with prior federal law enforcement or military law enforcement experience may qualify at GL-9 or GS-11 grade levels under separate announcements.

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Other Important Requirements

• Citizenship: Must be a U.S. citizen.
• Residency: Must have had primary U.S. residency for at least 3 of the last 5 years.
• Age: Candidates must be referred for selection before their 40th birthday per applicable federal law-enforcement retirement provisions; certain exceptions apply (e.g., current or former federal civilian LEOs or Veterans’ Preference eligibles).
• Background: Successful completion of background investigations, fitness standards, medical and drug screening, and other pre-employment checks required for federal law enforcement positions.
• Language & Training: Ability to speak and read English; Border Patrol work benefits from Spanish language ability. Academy language training is provided as part of onboarding.
• Formal Training: Selected candidates attend approximately six months of intensive instruction at the Border Patrol Academy (immigration and nationality law, law enforcement operations, driver training, physical techniques, firearms, and more).
• Mobility: Relocation may be required. Duty assignments are based on operational needs.

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Career Progression

This is a career-ladder role with grade progression (GL-5 → GL-7 → GL-9 → GS-11 → GS-12). Promotion to the next grade level is possible after meeting time-in-grade and performance requirements (typically 52 weeks in grade) without reapplying.

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What Confidential Client Looks For

• Commitment to a mission-driven public-safety career
• Ability to perform under stress and make sound decisions
• Strong interpersonal skills and integrity
• Willingness to complete intensive academy training and to relocate if required
• Prior public safety, security, military police, or law-enforcement experience is beneficial but not required for entry-level appointment

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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.