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 (Customs and Border Protection).

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 focused on protecting U.S. borders and public safety. This full-time, career-track BPA role offers structured grade progression, comprehensive benefits, formal academy training, and recruitment/retention incentives (up to $60,000 in total incentives for qualifying hires).

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What You’ll Do

• Detect, question, and inspect individuals and goods to enforce immigration and customs laws.
• Conduct surveillance (including night operations using infrared scopes) and apprehend undocumented noncitizens and smugglers.
• Interpret tracks, marks, and physical evidence of illegal entry.
• Perform farm, building, traffic, city, and transportation checks.
• Patrol international boundaries and coastal waterways using vehicles, horses, boats, ATVs, snowmobiles, and motorcycles as assigned.

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Salary & Benefits

• Annual base salary range for entry-level hires (GL-5 / GL-7): $51,632 – $92,912 per year.
• Estimated midpoint shown on some listings: ~$75,229/year.
• Benefits include health and dental plans, generous annual and sick leave, and participation in the Thrift Savings Plan (federal retirement savings).
• Recruitment Incentive: Up to $20,000 (typically $10,000 after academy graduation + $10,000 for accepting certain prioritized locations).
• Retention Incentive: May qualify for up to $40,000 distributed over the first four years for eligible hires.
• Locality pay and duty-location differentials may apply; fully trained BPAs may be eligible for additional pay up to ~25% in some areas.

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Duty Locations & Mobility

• Duty assignments are determined at time of offer based on operational needs. Relocation may be required.
• Prioritized (incentive) and mission-critical locations include (partial list): Presidio, Sierra Blanca, Sanderson, Comstock, Lordsburg, Freer, Hebbronville, Ajo, and multiple sector stations across the Southwest, Northern border, and coastal regions.
• You will be asked to indicate preferred duty locations, but final assignment depends on mission requirements.

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Qualifications

You may qualify for a GL-5 if you meet one of the following:

• One (1) year of general work experience demonstrating decision-making, composure under stress, and ability to learn procedures and gather information; OR
• A bachelor’s degree (four-year) from an accredited college or university; OR
• A combination of relevant experience and college coursework (evaluated from resume and transcripts).

You may qualify for a GL-7 if you meet one of the following:

• One (1) year of specialized work experience showing you can make sound judgments with firearms, deal tactfully with people in law enforcement contexts, analyze information rapidly, make arrests after training, or perform criminal enforcement/security duties; OR
• A bachelor’s degree with superior academic achievement (GPA/honors/class standing) or one year of graduate-level study in a related field; OR
• A combination of specialized experience and education (evaluated from resume and transcripts).

If you have prior federal or military law enforcement experience you may qualify at higher grade levels (GL-9, GS-11); refer to specific announcements for those levels.

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Other Requirements

• U.S. Citizenship required.
• Primary U.S. residency for at least 3 of the last 5 years.
• Age requirement: Candidates generally must be referred before their 40th birthday due to law enforcement retirement provisions (exceptions exist for certain prior federal law enforcement or Veterans’ Preference eligibilities).
• Successful completion of background checks, medical/physical requirements, and other federal hiring clearances are required.

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Training & Career Progression

• New hires attend the Border Patrol Academy (approx. six months) in Artesia, NM for intensive instruction in immigration and nationality law, driver training, physical techniques, firearms, and USBP operations.
• Spanish language proficiency is valuable; training will support Spanish-language skills for mission needs.
• Career-ladder progression: GL-5 → GL-7 → GL-9 → GS-11 → GS-12. Promotion to the next grade typically occurs after successful completion of 52 weeks in each grade level (no re-application required).

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What We’re Looking For

• Candidates who want a long-term federal law enforcement career and can work in dynamic, often demanding operational environments.
• Demonstrated decision-making, integrity, teamwork, and commitment to public safety.
• Prior public safety, security, military police, or law enforcement experience may be advantageous but is not required for entry-level consideration.

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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.