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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Role overview

Confidential Client is hiring full-time, entry-level Border Patrol Agents (BPA) to join a federal law enforcement team protecting the nation’s borders. This career-track opportunity includes structured promotions, training at the federal academy, strong benefits, and recruitment/retention incentives.

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Salary & benefits

• Annual base pay for newly appointed BPAs (grade GL-5 to GL-7): $51,632 – $92,912 per year.
• Eligible for federal benefits including health and dental insurance, generous annual and sick leave, participation in the Thrift Savings Plan (similar to a Roth 401(k)), and federal retirement benefits.
• Locality and law-enforcement pay adjustments may apply depending on duty location.

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Incentives

• Recruitment incentive: up to $20,000 (first $10,000 after successful completion of the Academy; remaining $10,000 for accepting a prioritized location).
• Retention incentive: may qualify for up to $40,000 paid over the first four years.
• In some locations a fully trained BPA may be eligible for up to an additional 25% of base pay per applicable pay rules.

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Duty locations & travel

• Duty assignments are determined by operational needs at the time of offer and may include mission-critical and border sectors across the U.S. Some prioritized locations may require relocation.
• Examples of sector/duty locations include stations across the Southwest Border, northern sectors, coastal waterways, and other regional stations. Location selection is requested during the application process but final assignment is made by the agency.

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Typical duties & responsibilities

As a Border Patrol Agent you will support the mission to detect and deter unlawful border activity. Typical duties include:

• Detecting and questioning people suspected of violating immigration/customs laws; inspecting documents and possessions.
• Preventing and apprehending undocumented noncitizens and smugglers; conducting covert and overt surveillance (night operations and use of specialized optics).
• Interpreting tracks, marks, and physical evidence of illegal entry.
• Performing farm checks, building checks, traffic checks, city patrols, and transportation checks.
• Patrolling land and coastal boundaries using vehicles, horses, vessels, off-road vehicles, ATVs, snowmobiles, and motorcycles as required.

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Minimum qualifications

You may qualify at GL-5 or GL-7 based on experience and/or education.

• GL-5 qualification (one of the following):

  • One year of general work experience demonstrating decision-making, composure in stressful situations, ability to learn regulations/methods, and information-gathering skills; OR
  • A bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution; OR
  • A combination of experience and education documented via resume and transcripts.

• GL-7 qualification (one of the following):

  • One year of specialized experience showing ability to use firearms with sound judgment, deal tactfully in law-enforcement matters, rapidly analyze information and make decisions (examples: criminal code enforcement, corrections, security, military police); OR
  • Bachelor’s degree with superior academic achievement or one year of graduate-level study in a related field (criminal justice, homeland security, forensic studies, etc.); OR
  • A combination of specialized experience and education documented via resume and transcripts.

• Applicants with prior federal or military law enforcement experience may qualify for higher grade levels (GL-9 / GS-11). Review specific announcements for those grade levels for details.

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Other legal & role requirements

• U.S. citizenship is required.
• Must have maintained primary U.S. residency for at least three of the last five years.
• Applicants must be referred for selection before reaching their 40th birthday per applicable law and agency directives, unless exempt (for example, certain prior federal civilian LEO service or Veterans’ Preference exceptions).
• Veterans’ Preference eligible applicants may be considered under special appointment authorities.
• Position requires successful completion of a federal background investigation and medical/fitness standards.

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Training & language

• New hires are detailed to the federal Border Patrol Academy for approximately six months of intensive instruction (immigration/nationality law, law enforcement operations, driver and firearms training, physical techniques, and Spanish language training).
• Ability to speak and read Spanish is advantageous; training is provided to achieve operational proficiency.

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Why consider this role

• Career-track federal law enforcement position with structured promotions and strong job stability.
• Competitive base pay plus locality and law-enforcement differentials in many duty areas.
• Significant recruitment and retention incentives available for qualifying candidates.
• Comprehensive federal benefits and retirement plans.

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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.