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.

---

Overview

Confidential Client is hiring full-time, entry-level Border Patrol Agents (BPA) at GL-5/GL-7 grade levels. This is a federal law enforcement career focused on protecting borders, deterring illicit activity, and supporting national security. The role includes comprehensive training, competitive base pay, full federal benefits, and substantial recruitment and retention incentives (up to $60,000 total depending on eligibility and assignment).

---

Key Compensation & Benefits

• Annual base salary (newly appointed BPA): $51,632 – $92,912 per year (GL-5 / GL-7 range).
• Estimated midpoint shown on some listings: $79,183/year (site estimate).
• Recruitment incentive: up to $20,000 (first $10,000 upon successful completion of the Border Patrol Academy; additional $10,000 for accepting certain prioritized locations).
• Retention incentive: up to $40,000 distributed over the first four years for qualifying new hires.
• Federal benefits: health, dental, life insurance options; generous annual and sick leave; Thrift Savings Plan (retirement savings plan); and federal retirement provisions for law enforcement.
• Additional locality/LEO pay: some locations may include locality adjustments or law-enforcement-specific pay increases (up to ~25% for some assignments).

---

Duty Locations & Mobility

Confidential Client assigns duty locations based on operational needs. Candidates will select preferred mission-critical locations but should expect that relocation may be required. Prioritized locations (eligible for additional incentives) include, among others:

• Sierra Blanca, TX; Presidio, TX; Sanderson, TX; Comstock, TX; Lordsburg, NM; Freer, TX; Hebbronville, TX; Ajo, AZ

Other possible sectors include (selection representative, not exhaustive):

• Big Bend, Del Rio, El Paso, El Centro, Laredo, Rio Grande Valley, San Diego, Tucson, Yuma, Spokane, Havre, Houlton, Swanton, Grand Forks, Buffalo

Duty location affects pay (locality, LEO pay adjustments) and is determined at the time of offer.

---

What You’ll Do

As a Border Patrol Agent, you will be part of a federal law enforcement workforce responsible for safeguarding borders and the public. Typical duties include:

• Detecting, questioning, and inspecting individuals and belongings to determine immigration or customs violations.
• Preventing and apprehending undocumented noncitizens and smugglers via surveillance, vehicle/foot/horse patrols, and tactical operations.
• Conducting farm checks, building checks, traffic stops, city patrols, and transportation inspections.
• Interpreting tracks, marks, and other physical evidence of illegal entry.
• Operating and maintaining government assets: vehicles, ATVs, horses, watercraft, IR/vision systems, motorcycles, and other specialized equipment.

---

Qualifications

Minimum qualifications differ by grade level. Candidates may qualify for GL-5 or GL-7 based on experience, education, or a combination.

GL-5 (entry-level) — one of the following:

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

GL-7 — one of the following:

• One year of specialized experience showing the ability to: make sound firearms judgments; deal courteously and effectively with people in law enforcement contexts; analyze information rapidly and make arrests or law-enforcement decisions; OR
• A bachelor’s degree with superior academic achievement (GPA/class standing/honor society) 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 (evaluated from resume/transcripts).

Additional notes:

• Prior law enforcement or military police experience may qualify candidates for higher-grade consideration (GL-9 / GS-11).
• You must be a U.S. citizen.
• Residency: primary U.S. residency for at least 3 of the last 5 years.
• Age: candidates must be referred before their 40th birthday per law enforcement retirement provisions, unless exempt (e.g., certain prior federal LEO service or Veterans’ Preference exceptions).
• Language: Border Patrol work requires English and frequently requires Spanish; language training is provided at the Academy.
• You will be required to complete approximately six months of formal training at the Border Patrol Academy (Artesia, NM), including law, firearms, driver training, physical techniques, and operations.

---

Required Clearances, Testing & Conditions

• Passing background investigation and suitability/security checks as required for federal LEO employment.
• Medical, vision, and fitness standards applicable to federal law enforcement officers.
• Successful completion of the BPA Entrance Exam and any job-specific pre-screenings.
• Willingness to relocate to and serve in assigned duty locations, including remote or prioritized border sectors.

---

Training & Career Progression

• Intensive Academy training (~6 months) on immigration and nationality law, enforcement operations, firearms, driver training, Spanish language, and field tactics.
• This is a career-ladder position: progression typically follows GL-5 → GL-7 → GL-9 → GS-11 → GS-12 with eligibility for promotion after successful completion of time-in-grade requirements (e.g., 52 weeks per grade).
• Opportunities for lateral or specialized assignments and additional professional development are available within federal law enforcement.

---

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.