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 Overview

Confidential Client is seeking motivated candidates for a full-time, entry-level Border Patrol Agent (BPA) opportunity. This federal law enforcement role is a career path with structured grade progression, formal Academy training, and significant incentive programs for qualified hires.

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What You’ll Do

As a Border Patrol Agent you will join a mission-focused federal law enforcement team responsible for protecting the nation’s borders, deterring illicit activity, and supporting lawful cross-border trade and travel. Typical responsibilities include:

• Detecting and questioning individuals suspected of violating immigration and customs laws
• Inspecting documents, possessions, and physical evidence to determine citizenship or violations
• Preventing and apprehending undocumented entrants and smugglers through surveillance and interdiction
• Conducting farm, building, traffic, city, and transportation checks
• Patrolling boundaries and waterways using vehicles, horses, ATVs, watercraft, and other government assets
• Using covert surveillance (including night-vision/infrared) and following tracks, marks, and other evidence
• Making arrests and applying law enforcement procedures after required training

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Salary & Incentives

Confidential Client offers competitive federal pay and benefits. Annual base pay for newly appointed BPAs varies by grade:

• GL-5 / GL-7: $51,632 – $92,912 per year (grade placement depends on experience/education)

Incentives and benefits:

• Recruitment incentive: up to $20,000 (first $10,000 after academy graduation; additional $10,000 for accepting a prioritized location)
• Retention incentives: up to an additional $40,000 over the first four years (may apply)
• Eligibility for locality pay adjustments and up to ~25% additional pay in certain locations per applicable pay rules
• Federal benefits: health, dental, retirement (Thrift Savings Plan), generous annual/sick leave, and more

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Duty Locations & Assignments

Duty assignments are determined at time of offer based on operational needs and may include Southwest Border and other mission-critical sectors. Relocation may be required. Candidates will be asked to select preferred locations from mission-critical sectors; assignments are not guaranteed to match preference.

Sample duty locations (non-exhaustive): Presidio, Sierra Blanca, Sanderson, Comstock, Lordsburg, Freer, Hebbronville, Ajo, Tucson, Yuma, El Centro, Del Rio, Laredo, Rio Grande Valley, San Diego, and others across multiple sectors.

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Qualifications

You may qualify for different grade levels depending on experience and education.

GL-5 qualification (one of the following):

• One year of general work experience demonstrating decision-making, composure under stress, ability to learn procedures, and basic investigative/questioning ability; OR
• A four-year bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution; OR
• A combination of experience and college coursework (evaluated from resume and transcripts)

GL-7 qualification (one of the following):

• One year of specialized work experience demonstrating law-enforcement-related judgment and skills (e.g., firearms judgment, arrests, criminal-code enforcement, security, corrections, military law enforcement); OR
• Bachelor’s degree with superior academic achievement (GPA, class standing, or honor society) OR one year graduate-level education in a related field; OR
• Combination of experience and education (evaluated from resume and transcripts)

Note: Candidates with prior civilian federal law enforcement or military law enforcement experience may qualify at higher grade levels (GL-9 / GS-11). Review the hiring announcement for specific grade-level eligibility.

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Other Requirements

• U.S. citizenship required
• Must have maintained primary U.S. residency for at least 3 of the last 5 years
• Age restriction: candidates must generally be referred before their 40th birthday per federal law enforcement retirement provisions (exceptions may apply for certain prior service or Veterans’ Preference eligibility)
• Candidates may be eligible for Veterans Recruitment Appointment (VRA) where applicable
• Ability to pass background investigation, medical, physical, and drug screening procedures required by federal agency policies

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Training & Language

• Successful hires will be detailed to the Border Patrol Academy (approx. six months) for intensive instruction in immigration and nationality law, law enforcement operations, firearms, driver training, physical techniques, Spanish language training, and other mission-essential skills
• Border Patrol work requires the ability to speak and read English; Spanish proficiency is preferred and Spanish training is provided at the Academy

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Why Apply (Highlights)

• Entry into a structured federal law enforcement career with clear advancement (GL-5 → GL-7 → GL-9 → GS-11 → GS-12)
• Comprehensive federal benefits and retirement plans
• Significant hiring incentives and retention pay opportunities (up to $60,000+ in qualified incentives)
• Academy training and professional development within a mission-driven organization

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Application & Next Steps

Confidential Client uses a federal hiring announcement process. Candidates will be directed to the agency talent network and the official USAJOBS announcement to complete the formal application, submit required documents (resume, transcripts), and complete any required assessments. Carefully review application instructions in the posted announcement.

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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.