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 focused on border security.

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 recruiting entry-level Border Patrol Agents for full-time, career positions. As a Border Patrol Agent, you will join a team responsible for protecting the nation’s borders, deterring illegal activity, and supporting lawful trade and travel.

• Detect and question people suspected of violating immigration and customs laws; inspect documents and possessions.
• Prevent and apprehend undocumented noncitizens and smugglers using surveillance, covert observation, and night operations.
• Interpret and follow physical evidence (tracks, marks) of illegal entry.
• Conduct farm checks, building checks, traffic stops, city patrols, and transportation checks.
• Patrol international boundaries and coastal waterways using vehicles, horses, vessels, ATVs, snowmobiles, motorcycles, and other government assets.
• Use and maintain law enforcement equipment; follow established procedures for arrests, evidence collection, and reporting.

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Salary & Benefits

Annual base salary for newly appointed Border Patrol Agents varies by grade.

• GL-5 / GL-7: $51,632 – $92,912 per year (grade- and locality-dependent). An estimated average for this listing is ~$83,454/yr.
• Federal benefits include health, dental, and other insurance plans; generous annual and sick leave; and participation in the Thrift Savings Plan (federal retirement/savings program).

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Recruitment & Retention Incentives

Confidential Client is offering significant incentives for newly appointed agents:

• Recruitment incentive: Up to $20,000 (first $10,000 upon successful completion of the Border Patrol Academy; remaining $10,000 for accepting certain prioritized locations).
• Retention incentive: Eligible agents may receive up to $40,000 distributed over the first four years.
• Additional locality pay and pay‑reform adjustments may apply (a fully trained agent may be eligible for up to an additional ~25% of base pay depending on location).

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Duty Locations

Duty assignments may include the Southwest Border and other mission-critical locations. Candidates will indicate location preferences but final assignments are based on operational needs. Relocation may be required. Examples of sectors and stations (illustrative, not exhaustive):

• Big Bend Sector — Presidio, Van Horn, Sanderson, Sierra Blanca, Marfa, Alpine
• Del Rio Sector — Del Rio, Brackettville, Comstock, Eagle Pass, Carrizo Springs, Uvalde
• El Paso Sector — El Paso, Las Cruces, Lordsburg, Santa Teresa, Alamogordo
• El Centro Sector — El Centro, Indio, Calexico
• Laredo Sector — Laredo South, Cotulla, Hebbronville, Freer
• Rio Grande Valley Sector — Rio Grande City, McAllen, Brownsville
• San Diego Sector — Boulevard, Campo, Chula Vista, Imperial Beach, Murrieta, San Clemente
• Tucson Sector — Ajo, Tucson, Nogales, Douglas, Sonoita, Casa Grande
• Yuma Sector — Blythe, Yuma, Wellton
• Others across the U.S.

Duty location impacts pay and locality adjustments.

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Qualifications

You may qualify for one of the entry grades depending on your experience and education.

• GL-5 qualification (examples — meet one):

  • One year of general work experience demonstrating decision-making, composure under stress, ability to learn regulations and techniques, and information-gathering skills; OR
  • A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college/university; OR
  • A combination of general work experience and college education (evaluated from resume and transcripts).

• GL-7 qualification (examples — meet one):

  • One year of specialized work experience showing: sound judgment in use of firearms, effective people skills in law enforcement contexts, rapid analysis and decision-making (e.g., criminal code enforcement, corrections, security, military police); OR
  • A bachelor’s degree with superior academic achievement (GPA/class standing/honor society) OR one year of graduate-level education in a related field; OR
  • A combination of specialized experience and education (evaluated from resume and transcripts).

• Candidates with prior civilian federal law enforcement or military police experience may qualify at higher grade levels (GL-9 / GS-11). See the applicable announcement for higher-grade consideration.

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Other Requirements & Training

• Citizenship: You must be a U.S. citizen.
• Residency: You must have had primary U.S. residency for at least 3 of the last 5 years.
• Age: In accordance with law enforcement retirement provisions, candidates must be referred for selection before reaching their 40th birthday unless covered by specific exceptions (e.g., prior qualifying federal law enforcement service or veterans’ provisions).
• Veterans: Veterans’ preference and certain appointments (e.g., VRA) may apply and can affect age restrictions.
• Training: New agents attend approximately six months of intensive training at the Border Patrol Academy (including immigration and nationality law, law enforcement procedures, driver training, physical techniques, firearms, and language training).
• Language: Agents must be able to speak and read English; Confidential Client provides training to improve Spanish proficiency where required.
• Physical & Background: Final offer contingent on successful completion of background investigation, medical and physical fitness standards, and any required exams (e.g., entrance/test components).

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How Candidates Are Evaluated

Candidates are evaluated based on submitted application materials (resume, transcripts where required), questionnaires, and applicable entrance exams. Relevant public safety, security, military police, or law enforcement experience is viewed favorably.

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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.