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.

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Role Summary

Confidential Client is recruiting full-time Border Patrol Agents (BPA) at GL-5 / GL-7 grade levels for mission-critical duty stations. This is an entry-level federal law enforcement career path with a structured grade progression, competitive base pay, comprehensive federal benefits, and recruitment and retention incentives of up to $60,000 for qualifying appointments.

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What You’ll Do

As a Border Patrol Agent for our client you will protect U.S. borders and support public safety by carrying out a variety of law enforcement duties in field environments. Typical responsibilities include:

• Detecting, questioning, and inspecting persons and property to determine compliance with immigration and customs laws
• Conducting surveillance, covert observation and nighttime operations using specialized equipment (for example, infrared scopes)
• Interpreting tracks, marks, and other physical evidence associated with illegal entry or contraband
• Performing farm checks, building checks, traffic enforcement, city patrols, and transportation checks
• Patrolling borders and waterways using vehicles, horses, vessels, ATVs, snowmobiles, motorcycles and other government assets
• Apprehending undocumented individuals and detaining or arresting violators in accordance with law and policy

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Salary & Benefits

• Annual base salary range for newly appointed BPAs (GL-5 / GL-7): $51,632 – $92,912 per year
• Estimated job-specific midpoint shown on some sources: $71,999 per year (estimate)
• Federal benefits package including medical, dental, vision, annual and sick leave accrual, and participation in the Thrift Savings Plan (comparable to a ROTH 401k)
• Potential locality pay and BPA pay reform differentials may increase total compensation in certain locations
• Recruitment Incentive: up to $20,000 for newly appointed BPAs (first $10,000 after successful completion of the Border Patrol Academy; remaining $10,000 for accepting a prioritized location)
• Retention Incentive: eligible BPAs may qualify for up to an additional $40,000 distributed over the first four years

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Duty Locations

Duty assignments are determined by operational needs at the time of offer and relocation may be required. Prioritized and mission-critical stations include, but are not limited to:

• Big Bend Sector – Presidio, Van Horn, Sanderson, Alpine, Sierra Blanca, Marfa
• Buffalo Sector – Wellesley Island
• Del Rio Sector – Del Rio, Brackettville, Comstock, Eagle Pass North & South, Carrizo Springs, Uvalde
• El Paso Sector – Alamogordo, Clint, Deming, El Paso, Fort Hancock, Las Cruces, Lordsburg, Santa Teresa, Ysleta
• El Centro Sector – El Centro, Indio, Calexico
• Grand Forks Sector – Pembina
• Havre Sector – Havre, Malta, Plentywood, Scobey, Sweetgrass
• Houlton Sector – Calais, Fort Fairfield, Jackman, Rangeley, Van Buren
• Laredo Sector – Laredo South, Cotulla, Hebbronville, Laredo West, Freer, Laredo North, Zapata
• Rio Grande Valley Sector – Rio Grande City, Fort Brown, McAllen, Brownsville, Falfurrias, Weslaco, Kingsville, Harlingen
• San Diego Sector – Boulevard, Brownfield, Campo, Chula Vista, Imperial Beach, Murrieta, San Clemente
• Spokane Sector – Colville, Curlew, Metaline Falls, Oroville
• Swanton Sector – Beecher Falls, Burke, Champlain, Newport, Richford
• Tucson Sector – Ajo, Tucson, Nogales, Douglas, Brian A Terry, Sonoita, Casa Grande, Three Points Substation, Willcox
• Yuma Sector – Blythe, Yuma, Wellton

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Qualifications

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

• One year of general work experience demonstrating judgment, decision-making, ability to learn regulations and techniques, and information-gathering through observation and document review; OR
• A bachelor’s degree (four-year) from an accredited college/university; OR
• A combination of general work experience and college coursework (calculated from your resume and transcripts)

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

• One year of specialized experience demonstrating the ability to make sound firearm judgments, handle law enforcement interactions courteously and tactfully, analyze information quickly and make prompt decisions leading to arrests or law enforcement actions; OR
• A bachelor’s degree with superior academic achievement (class standing, GPA 3.0+, or honor society membership) OR one year of graduate-level education in a related field (criminal justice, homeland security, forensic studies, etc.); OR
• A combination of specialized experience and education (evaluated from your resume and transcripts)

Note: Candidates with prior federal civilian law enforcement or military law enforcement experience may qualify at higher grade levels (GL-9, GS-11). Contact Careertakes for more details on possible grade placement.

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Other Requirements & Training

• U.S. Citizenship required
• Must have had primary U.S. residency for at least three of the last five years
• Age requirement: candidates must usually be referred for selection before reaching their 40th birthday per applicable federal rules (age exceptions may apply for certain veterans or current/former federal law enforcement employees)
• Veterans’ Preference and certain excepted service appointments may apply
• After hire, candidates attend approximately six months of intensive training at the Border Patrol Academy (Artesia, NM) covering immigration and nationality law, law enforcement operations, firearms, driver training, physical techniques, and additional USBP-specific instruction
• Spanish language proficiency is beneficial; language training is provided at the Academy to achieve required proficiency
• Must be able to pass background investigation, medical and fitness standards, and required clearances

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Why Join

• Meaningful career protecting communities and national security
• Clear promotion and career-ladder opportunities (GL-5 → GL-7 → GL-9 → GS-11 → GS-12) with eligibility for grade progression after required time-in-grade
• Competitive compensation, federal benefits, and structured incentives for recruitment and retention
• Extensive on-the-job and academy training with opportunity to develop law enforcement and technical skills

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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.