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 recruiting entry-level Border Patrol Agents (BPA) — GL-5/GL-7 — for full-time, career positions based in Tempe, AZ and other mission-critical locations nationwide. This is an operational federal law enforcement role that includes intensive academy training followed by field assignments. The position offers competitive base pay, strong federal benefits, and recruitment/retention incentives (up to $60,000 total in qualified cases).

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Salary & Benefits

• Annual base salary (newly appointed BPAs): GL-5 / GL-7 range: $51,632 – $92,912 per year.
• Estimated midpoint shown on some listings: ~$82,515 per year (estimate).
• Federal benefits package: health, dental, retirement (Thrift Savings Plan), generous annual and sick leave, and other federal employment benefits.
• Recruitment incentive: up to $20,000 (first $10,000 paid after successful completion of the Academy; remaining $10,000 for accepting a prioritized location).
• Retention incentive: may be eligible for up to $40,000 distributed over the first four years.
• Duty location and locality pay may affect total compensation; fully trained BPAs may be eligible for additional locality-based pay (up to ~25% in some locations).

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What You’ll Do (Key Responsibilities)

• Detect, question, and inspect individuals and possessions for immigration or customs violations.
• Patrol border areas and coastal waterways using vehicles, horses, vessels, ATVs, motorcycles, and other government assets.
• Conduct surveillance (including night operations using infrared and other sensors).
• Interpret and follow physical evidence such as tracks and marks related to illegal entry or contraband.
• Perform farm checks, building checks, traffic checks, city patrols, and transportation checks.
• Make arrests and process detainees after completing required training and certification.

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Qualifications

You may qualify at GL-5 if you meet ONE of the following:

• One (1) year of general work experience demonstrating responsibility, sound decision-making, composure under stress, ability to learn regulations/methods, and information gathering through observation and questioning; OR
• A bachelor’s degree (4-year) from an accredited college or university; OR
• A combination of relevant work experience and college coursework (evaluated via resume and transcripts).

You may qualify at GL-7 if you meet ONE of the following:

• One (1) year of specialized experience showing the ability to:
  • Make sound judgments in the use of firearms;
  • Interact courteously and effectively with the public in law enforcement contexts;
  • Rapidly analyze information and make prompt law-enforcement decisions (including arrests) — experience may come from criminal code enforcement, corrections, security, military police, or related roles; OR
• A bachelor’s degree with superior academic achievement (GPA/honors/class ranking), or one year of relevant graduate-level education, OR
• A combination of specialized experience and education (evaluated via submitted 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). Such prior experience should be documented on your application.

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Other Requirements & Conditions

• Citizenship: You must be a U.S. citizen to apply.
• Residency: Primary U.S. residency for at least three of the last five years is required.
• Age: Candidates must be referred before reaching their 40th birthday under applicable federal law enforcement retirement provisions, unless an exception applies (e.g., current/previous federal civilian law enforcement under certain statutes or Veterans’ Preference exceptions).
• Background & suitability checks, medical and fitness evaluations, and weapon/firearm qualifications are required.
• Formal training: After hire, you will attend an approximately six-month academy in Artesia, NM for intensive instruction (laws, operations, firearms, driver training, physical techniques, and more). The Confidential Client provides Spanish language training as needed to reach operational proficiency.
• Duty assignments: Offers may include assignments to Southwest Border locations and other mission-critical stations. Relocation may be required; duty assignment and locality pay will be determined by operational needs at time of offer.

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Duty Locations (Examples of mission-critical locations)

Candidates will select preferred locations, but final duty assignment is based on operational needs and may include prioritized sites. Examples include (not exhaustive):

• Big Bend Sector: Presidio, Van Horn, Sanderson, Alpine, Sierra Blanca, Marfa
• Del Rio Sector: Del Rio, Brackettville, Comstock, Eagle Pass, Carrizo Springs, Uvalde
• El Paso Sector: Alamogordo, Clint, Deming, El Paso, Fort Hancock, Las Cruces, Lordsburg, Santa Teresa
• El Centro Sector: El Centro, Indio, Calexico
• Tucson Sector: Ajo, Tucson, Nogales, Douglas, Casa Grande, Three Points, Willcox
• San Diego Sector and other national sectors listed for mission needs
• Additional sectors across the U.S. (you may be asked to select preferences; acceptance of some prioritized locations can impact incentive payments)

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Recruitment & Retention Incentives (Summary)

• Recruitment incentive: up to $20,000 (split as described above — part paid at Academy graduation, part for accepting prioritized locations).
• Retention incentive: up to $40,000 distributed over the first four years for eligible newly appointed agents.
• Incentive eligibility, amounts, and timing are governed by agency policy and subject to change.

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What We Value

• Commitment to public service and to the mission of protecting the nation’s borders.
• Strong judgment, integrity, and the ability to remain composed under pressure.
• Physical fitness and willingness to complete intensive academy and field training.
• Prior public safety, security, corrections, or military experience is valued but not required for entry-level appointment.

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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.