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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Overview

Confidential Client is hiring full-time Border Patrol Agents (entry-level, GL-5 / GL-7 grade levels). This is a federal law enforcement role focused on border security operations, offering structured career progression, competitive base pay, comprehensive benefits, and sign-on/retention incentives of up to $60,000 for qualifying candidates.

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What You’ll Do

As a Border Patrol Agent with our confidential client you will:

• Detect, question, and inspect people suspected of violating immigration and customs laws.
• Conduct surveillance and apprehensions near border areas, using covert observation and tactical equipment.
• Interpret tracks, marks, and other physical evidence of illegal entry.
• Perform farm checks, building checks, traffic and city patrols, and transportation inspections.
• Patrol boundaries and waterways using vehicles, horses, vessels, ATVs, motorcycles, and other government assets.
• Coordinate with team members to deter illicit activity and protect public safety.

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Salary & Benefits

• Annual base salary (newly appointed BPAs): GL-5 / GL-7 approximately $51,632–$92,912 per year (varies by grade and locality).
• Eligible for federal employee benefits including health, dental, retirement plan (Thrift Savings Plan), and generous leave programs.
• Career-ladder progression (GL-5 → GL-7 → GL-9 → GS-11 → GS-12) with promotion opportunities after required time-in-grade.

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Incentives & Relocation

• Recruitment Incentive: Up to $20,000 for newly appointed agents (e.g., portion paid after academy completion and for accepting prioritized locations).
• Retention Incentive: Eligible for up to $40,000 additional incentives paid over the first four years for certain assignments.
• Duty assignments may include mission-critical Southwest Border locations; relocation may be required. Locality pay and additional premium pay may apply depending on assignment.

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Duty Locations

Candidates will select preferred mission-critical locations but final duty assignment is based on operational needs. Examples of sectors and stations include (not exhaustive):

• Big Bend Sector — Presidio, Van Horn, Sanderson, Sierra Blanca, Marfa
• Del Rio Sector — Del Rio, Brackettville, Comstock, Eagle Pass
• El Paso Sector — Alamogordo, Clint, Deming, El Paso, Lordsburg
• El Centro Sector — El Centro, Indio, Calexico
• Tucson Sector — Ajo, Tucson, Nogales, Douglas, Casa Grande, Three Points
• Yuma Sector — Yuma, Blythe, Wellton

(Assignments may include locations across multiple states. Prioritized locations may be eligible for incentive payments.)

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Minimum Qualifications

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

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

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

• One year of specialized work experience demonstrating sound judgment with firearms, effective interpersonal skills in law enforcement settings, rapid information analysis and decision-making, or law enforcement/criminal justice/security experience; OR
• A bachelor’s degree with superior academic achievement or one year of graduate-level education in a law-enforcement-related field; OR
• A combination of experience and education (evaluated via application materials).

Note: Candidates with prior federal or military law enforcement experience may qualify at higher grade levels (GL-9, GS-11); please refer to applicable vacancy announcements for details.

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Other Requirements

• U.S. citizenship is required.
• Must have maintained primary U.S. residency for at least 3 of the last 5 years.
• Age requirement: Candidates must be referred for selection before reaching their 40th birthday in accordance with applicable federal law enforcement retirement provisions; exceptions may apply for certain veterans or prior federal law enforcement employees.
• Willingness to relocate and accept duty assignments as determined by the agency.
• Successful completion of pre-employment screening, background investigation, and the Border Patrol Academy (approximately six months).
• Ability to speak and read English; Spanish language training is provided at the Academy as needed.

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Training & Career Development

• New hires attend an intensive academy for training in immigration/nationality law, law enforcement operations, defensive tactics, firearms, vehicle operations, and other role-specific skills.
• Federal career ladder structure with defined time-in-grade requirements for promotion eligibility.
• Ongoing professional development and opportunities to rotate through specialty assignments.

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Why Apply

• Serve in a mission-driven federal law enforcement role protecting national security and public safety.
• Competitive pay, benefits, and structured career progression.
• Significant recruitment and retention incentives for qualifying assignments.

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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.