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.

---

What You’ll Do

Confidential Client is hiring entry-level Border Patrol Agents in Saco, ME. As a Border Patrol Agent (BPA), you will perform front-line federal law enforcement duties to protect borders, deter illicit activity, and support public safety.

Primary responsibilities include:

• Detect, question, and inspect individuals and possessions to determine citizenship or law violations.
• Investigate and apprehend undocumented noncitizens and smugglers using covert and overt surveillance methods.
• Interpret and follow tracks, marks, and other physical evidence of illegal entry.
• Conduct farm checks, building checks, traffic checks, city patrols, and transportation checks.
• Patrol boundaries and waterways using vehicles, horses, vessels, off-road vehicles, ATVs, snowmobiles, and motorcycles as required.
• Operate law enforcement equipment and, after training, use force and make arrests per policy.

---

Qualifications

Candidates may qualify at different grade levels depending on experience and education.

GL-5 (Entry-level) — one of:

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

GL-7 — one of:

• One (1) year of specialized work experience showing abilities such as: firearm judgment, effective people skills in law-enforcement contexts, rapid information analysis, or criminal code enforcement; OR
• A bachelor’s degree with superior academic achievement (e.g., GPA ≥ 3.0, class standing, or honor society) OR one year graduate-level study in a related field; OR
• A combination of specialized experience and education.

Note: Applicants with prior federal or military law enforcement experience may qualify at higher grade levels (GL-9 / GS-11). Your application and documentation (resume, transcripts) will determine grade placement.

Other requirements:

• Must be a U.S. citizen.
• Must have had primary U.S. residency for at least 3 of the last 5 years.
• Must meet age requirements for law enforcement retirement provisions (selection referral before 40th birthday unless exempt).
• Successful completion of background checks, medical exams, and fitness/physical requirements.
• Willingness to attend and complete formal training at the academy (approximately six months).
• Spanish language reading/speaking is valuable; training provided to reach proficiency.

---

Salary & Benefits

• Annual base salary (newly appointed BPAs): GL-5 / GL-7 range approximately $51,632 – $92,912 per year (varies by grade and locality).
• Locality and pay reforms can increase total compensation (a fully trained BPA may be eligible for up to an additional 25% locality pay in some locations).
• Newly appointed BPAs may be eligible for:
  • Recruitment Incentive: up to $20,000 (first $10,000 upon Border Patrol Academy graduation; additional $10,000 for accepting prioritized locations).
  • Retention Incentive: up to $40,000 distributed during the first four years.
• Federal employee benefits: health, dental, retirement (Thrift Savings Plan), generous annual and sick leave, and other standard federal benefits.

---

Duty Locations & Travel

Duty assignments are based on operational needs and may include Southwest Border and other mission-critical locations. Relocation may be required and duty location affects pay rates.

Examples of sectors/locations (candidates will select preferred locations but final assignment is operationally determined):

• Big Bend Sector — Presidio, Van Horn, Sierra Blanca, Sanderson, Alpine, Marfa
• Del Rio, El Paso, Laredo, Rio Grande Valley, Tucson, Yuma Sectors
• San Diego, El Centro Sectors
• Spokane, Grand Forks, Havre, Swanton, Houlton, Buffalo Sectors (Additional mission-critical stations and substations across multiple states.)

---

Training & Career Progression

• Successful candidates attend a ~6-month Border Patrol Academy covering immigration and nationality law, law enforcement operations, driver training, firearms, physical techniques, and Spanish-language instruction.
• BPA is a career-ladder position with progression through GL-5 → GL-7 → GL-9 → GS-11 → GS-12. Promotion to the next grade typically occurs after 52 weeks at the current grade when performance and time-in-grade requirements are met.

---

What We Look For

• Integrity, resilience, and commitment to public service.
• Ability to remain calm and decisive in stressful situations.
• Strong observational and communication skills.
• Physical fitness and willingness to operate in austere or remote environments.
• Teamwork and adaptability — ability to work with diverse teams under changing operational conditions.

---

Notes on Equal Opportunity & Privacy

This posting is inclusive and non-discriminatory. Candidates will be evaluated on job-related criteria only.

---

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.