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 & homeland 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 recruiting full-time, entry-level Border Patrol Agents (BPA) to support federal border security and homeland protection operations. This is a career-track federal law enforcement role that includes a formal academy, progressive grade increases, competitive base pay, comprehensive benefits, and eligible incentives up to $60,000 for qualifying hires.

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Salary & Benefits

Confidential Client offers:

• Annual base salary for newly appointed BPAs at GL-5 / GL-7: $51,632 – $92,912 per year
• Federal benefits including health and dental plans, generous annual and sick leave, and participation in the Thrift Savings Plan (a federal retirement plan)
• Eligibility for locality pay increases and career-ladder promotions (GL-5 → GL-7 → GL-9 → GS-11 → GS-12)

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Incentives

• Recruitment incentive: Up to $20,000 for newly appointed BPAs (first $10,000 upon successful completion of the Border Patrol Academy; remaining $10,000 for accepting a prioritized location)
• Retention incentive: Up to $40,000 distributed over the first four years for qualifying agents
• Note: Duty location impacts pay and incentive availability. Prioritized locations and Southwest Border assignments may be offered based on operational need.

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Duty Locations

Preferred and mission-critical duty locations include multiple sectors and stations across the U.S., including prioritized sites in Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and others. Duty assignment will be determined at the time of offer based on operational needs; relocation may be required.

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Key Responsibilities

As a Border Patrol Agent you will perform law enforcement duties to safeguard the border and support national security. Typical responsibilities include:

• Detecting and questioning individuals suspected of violating immigration or customs laws
• Inspecting documents and possessions to determine citizenship and violations
• Preventing and apprehending undocumented entrants and smugglers using surveillance, night operations, and covert positions
• Interpreting tracks, marks, and other physical evidence of illegal entry
• Performing farm checks, building checks, traffic and city patrols, and transportation checks
• Patrolling borders and waterways using government assets such as vehicles, horses, vessels, ATVs, and motorcycles

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Qualifications

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

• One year of general work experience demonstrating judgment, 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 experience and education (will be calculated from your resume and transcripts)

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

• One year of specialized work experience showing ability to make sound firearms decisions, interact courteously in law enforcement situations, analyze information quickly, and perform arrests after training (examples: criminal code enforcement, corrections, security, military police); OR
• A bachelor’s degree with superior academic achievement or one full year of relevant graduate-level education; OR
• A combination of specialized experience and education (evaluated from resume and transcripts)

Note: Candidates with prior or current federal civilian law enforcement or military law enforcement experience may qualify at higher grade levels (GL-9, GS-11). Submit accurate experience and education documentation for grade-level consideration.

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Other Requirements

• Citizenship: U.S. citizenship is required.
• Residency: Primary U.S. residency for at least 3 of the last 5 years.
• Age: Candidates generally must be referred before their 40th birthday per applicable federal law enforcement retirement provisions (exceptions apply for certain prior service or Veterans’ Preference).
• Veterans: Veterans may be eligible for excepted service appointments (age restrictions may not apply).
• Language & Training: Border Patrol work requires speaking and reading English; Spanish language proficiency is highly desirable and training is provided at the Academy.
• Background & Fitness: Successful completion of background checks, medical and fitness standards, and the BPA Entrance Exam will be required.

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Training & Career Progression

• Successful hires will attend the Border Patrol Academy (approximately six months) for intensive instruction in immigration and nationality laws, agency-specific operations, driver training, physical techniques, firearms, and related topics.
• This is a career-ladder position: promotion eligibility occurs after successful completion of required time-in-grade milestones.

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Recruiter Note

Careertakes is supporting this recruitment as a third-party platform. If selected, you will be employed directly by our client, Confidential Client. Applicants should ensure resumes and supporting documents (transcripts, prior employment documentation) are accurate and complete to facilitate grade-level evaluation.

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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.