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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Overview

Confidential Client is hiring entry-level Border Patrol Agents (BPA) at GL-5 / GL-7 grade levels for full-time, career positions. This is a federal law enforcement opportunity with structured training, a career-ladder progression, comprehensive benefits, and significant recruitment/retention incentives (up to $60,000 total in some cases). Duty assignments are determined by operational needs and may require relocation.

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What You’ll Do

You will join an operational law enforcement team responsible for safeguarding borders, deterring illicit activity, and protecting communities. Typical duties include:

• Detecting and questioning people suspected of violating immigration and customs laws
• Inspecting documents and possessions to determine citizenship or violations
• Preventing and apprehending undocumented noncitizens and smugglers using surveillance and enforcement tactics
• Interpreting and following tracks, marks, and other evidence of illegal entry
• Performing farm checks, building checks, traffic checks, city patrols, and transportation checks
• Patrolling international boundaries and coastal waterways using vehicles, horses, vessels, ATVs, and other government assets

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Salary & Benefits

• Annual base salary for newly appointed BPAs varies by grade: GL-5 / GL-7 range approximately $51,632 – $92,912 per year (location and locality pay affect final rates)
• Eligible for federal benefits including health, dental, retirement (Thrift Savings Plan), generous annual and sick leave, and other standard federal programs
• Recruitment incentive: up to $20,000 (first $10,000 at successful completion of the Academy; additional $10,000 for accepting prioritized locations)
• Retention incentive: may qualify for up to $40,000 distributed across the first four years for eligible hires
• Fully trained BPAs may be eligible for additional locality/LEO pay increases under applicable pay reform provisions

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Duties: Locations & Assignments

Duty assignments may include Southwest Border and other mission-critical stations. You will be asked to select preferred locations, but final assignment is based on operational need and may require relocation. Prioritized locations (for certain incentives) include specific stations in TX, NM, AZ and others.

Examples of sectors and stations (non-exhaustive): Big Bend, Buffalo, Del Rio, El Paso, El Centro, Grand Forks, Havre, Houlton, Laredo, Rio Grande Valley, San Diego, Spokane, Swanton, Tucson, Yuma.

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Qualifications

You may qualify for GL-5, GL-7 (or higher with prior experience). Typical qualification paths include:

GL-5 (examples — meet one):

• One year of general work experience demonstrating decision-making under stress, learning through training/on-the-job instruction, and information gathering; OR
• Bachelor’s degree (any field) from an accredited institution; OR
• Combination of experience and education (evaluated from resume/transcripts)

GL-7 (examples — meet one):

• One year of specialized experience showing competence in firearms judgment, law enforcement interactions, rapid analysis/decision-making, arrests, corrections, security, military police, or related roles; OR
• Bachelor’s degree with superior academic achievement or one year of relevant graduate-level study; OR
• Combination of experience and education (evaluated from resume/transcripts)

Note: Candidates with prior federal or military law enforcement experience may qualify at higher grade levels (GL-9 / GS-11). Evaluation will be based on submitted resume, supporting documents, and transcripts where required.

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Other Requirements

• U.S. Citizenship required
• Must have had primary U.S. residency for at least 3 of the last 5 years
• Age restriction applies: candidates must be referred for selection before their 40th birthday per applicable federal law unless an exception applies (veterans’ preference or prior qualifying federal civilian LEO service)
• You will be required to complete formal Academy training (~6 months) covering immigration law, law enforcement operations, firearms, physical techniques, driver training, and other subjects
• Border Patrol work commonly requires proficiency in both English and Spanish; language training is provided at the Academy to reach operational proficiency

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Selection & Evaluation

Candidates are evaluated based on resume, supporting documents (transcripts, veteran documentation if applicable), and entrance exam performance. Prior public safety, security, military, or law enforcement experience is relevant and will be considered during grade-level qualification.

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What Makes a Strong Candidate

• Ability to make sound decisions under pressure and use good judgment with firearms and arrests
• Excellent interpersonal skills for tactful, lawful engagement with the public
• Strong observation, documentation, and investigative instincts
• Physical fitness, adaptability, and willingness to relocate for duty needs
• Willingness to complete intensive Academy training and ongoing professional development

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Notes & Compliance

This posting reflects a federal law enforcement career ladder position with grade progression (GL-5 → GL-7 → GL-9 → GS-11 → GS-12) and potential locality/LEO pay adjustments. Recruitments may include prioritized duty stations tied to incentive eligibility. Final hiring decisions, duty assignments, and incentive eligibility are determined by the Confidential Client and federal policy.

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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.