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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Position 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 role involving patrol, interdiction, and investigations to protect the nation’s borders. Training is provided at the Academy; prior public safety, security, military police, or law enforcement experience may qualify candidates for higher grade consideration.

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What You’ll Do

You will join a federal law enforcement team to detect and deter illegal cross-border activity and protect the public. Typical duties include:

• Detect and question individuals suspected of violating immigration and customs laws; inspect documents and possessions
• Conduct surveillance—from covert positions and with night-vision equipment—to prevent and apprehend smugglers and undocumented noncitizens
• Interpret and follow tracks, marks, and other physical evidence of illegal entry
• Perform farm checks, building checks, traffic checks, city patrols, and transportation checks
• Patrol international boundaries and coastal waterways using vehicles, horses, boats, ATVs, snowmobiles, and motorcycles

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Salary & Benefits

• Annual base salary for newly appointed BPAs (GL-5 / GL-7): $51,632 – $92,912 per year
• Recruitment incentive: up to $20,000 (first $10,000 after Academy graduation; additional $10,000 for accepting a prioritized location)
• Retention incentive: may qualify for up to $40,000 distributed over the first four years
• Federal benefits including health/dental, generous annual and sick leave, and participation in the Thrift Savings Plan (retirement savings)
• Potential locality/LEO pay enhancements—fully trained BPAs may be eligible for up to an additional 25% of base pay per applicable pay reform provisions

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Duty Locations

Duty assignments may include mission-critical locations and may require relocation based on operational needs. Prioritized locations (for recruitment incentives) include, but are not limited to:

• Presidio, Sierra Blanca, Sanderson, Comstock, Lordsburg, Freer, Hebbronville, Ajo
• Big Bend, Buffalo, Del Rio, El Paso, El Centro, Grand Forks, Havre, Houlton, Laredo, Rio Grande Valley, San Diego, Spokane, Swanton, Tucson, Yuma sector stations (see full list during application)

Duty assignments may include Southwest Border locations. Location selection will be requested but final assignment is determined by operational needs.

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Qualifications

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

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

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

• One year of specialized work experience demonstrating ability to use firearms safely, interact courteously and effectively in law enforcement situations, analyze information quickly, make prompt decisions, and perform arrests after required training; OR
• A bachelor’s degree with superior academic achievement (class standing, GPA ≥ 3.0, or honor society membership), OR one year of related graduate-level education; OR
• A combination of specialized experience and education (evaluated from resume and transcripts)

Note: Candidates with prior federal or military law enforcement experience may qualify at higher grade levels (GL-9, GS-11); refer to the applicable announcement if eligible.

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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: candidates must be referred for selection before turning 40 in accordance with federal law enforcement retirement provisions; exceptions may apply for certain prior federal civilian or veterans’ appointments
• Veterans’ preference and certain hiring authorities may affect appointment and age restrictions
• Successful candidates will attend approximately six months of intensive Academy training (immigration/nationality law, law enforcement operations, firearms, driving, physical techniques, and language training). Spanish language proficiency is beneficial; language training is provided at the Academy.

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Why Join

• Meaningful, long-term federal law enforcement career with mission-driven work
• Competitive salary and significant hiring/retention incentives
• Comprehensive federal benefits and career progression ladder (GL-5 → GL-7 → GL-9 → GS-11 → GS-12)
• Training and development provided; opportunities for advancement without reapplying after completing grade-level time-in-service requirements

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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.