Entry-Level Border Patrol Agent – Up to $50K in Incentives
The Border Patrol Agent role at Confidential Client involves enforcing immigration and customs laws by detecting, questioning, and apprehending individuals violating these laws near U.S. borders. Agents conduct surveillance, perform physical searches, and utilize various transportation methods to patrol borders, requiring strong decision-making, law enforcement skills, and proficiency in Spanish. This full-time position offers federal benefits, career advancement opportunities, and significant recruitment and retention incentives.
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 (Department of Homeland Security).
Applicants for this role may also receive access to additional matched opportunities through the Careertakes platform.
Role Overview
Confidential Client is hiring entry-level Border Patrol Agents (BPA) for full-time, career positions based in Mongaup Valley, NY. This is a federal law‑enforcement role that includes formal academy training, competitive base pay (GL-5 to GS-11 pay scales), and recruitment/retention incentives totaling up to $50,000 for eligible hires.
What You’ll Do
As a Border Patrol Agent (BPA) you will perform front-line border security duties to protect national borders and facilitate lawful travel and trade. Typical responsibilities include:
- Detecting, questioning, and inspecting individuals and possessions for immigration or customs violations
- Preventing and apprehending undocumented noncitizens and smugglers using surveillance and field operations (including night operations with infrared scopes)
- Interpreting and following physical evidence (tracks, marks) indicating illegal entry
- Conducting farm checks, building checks, traffic stops, city patrols, and transportation checks
- Patrolling international boundaries and coastal waterways using vehicles, horses, vessels, ATVs, snowmobiles, and motorcycles
- Preparing investigative reports and gathering evidence as required
Compensation & Incentives
- Annual base salary for newly appointed BPAs varies by grade: $51,632 – $124,717 per year (GL‑5 through GS‑11).
- Estimated midpoint shown: $74,438 per year (estimate).
- Recruitment incentive: up to $20,000 (first $10,000 after academy completion; additional $10,000 for selecting a prioritized location).
- Retention incentive: eligible hires may receive up to $30,000 over the first three years.
- Standard federal benefits: health/dental insurance, generous leave, Thrift Savings Plan retirement participation, and other federal employee benefits.
Where You May Work
This posting is for positions serving the U.S. border mission; duty locations vary. Some prioritized duty locations (eligible for additional recruitment incentives) include remote and high‑need stations. You may be offered a different duty station if prioritized locations have no current vacancies.
Minimum Qualifications
You must meet one of the qualification paths for a specific grade level (GL‑5, GL‑7, GL‑9, or GS‑11). Representative minimums include:
GL‑5 (entry level) — one of:
- One year of general work experience demonstrating responsibility, decision‑making under stress, and ability to gather information; OR
- A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college/university; OR
- A combination of work experience and college coursework.
GL‑7 — one of:
- One year of specialized experience demonstrating law‑enforcement related judgment, firearms use, and decision making; OR
- Bachelor’s degree with superior academic achievement or graduate‑level coursework in law‑enforcement related fields; OR
- A combination of experience and education.
GL‑9 / GS‑11 — for candidates with prior law enforcement or military police experience; higher grade qualifications require progressively specialized experience.
Other mandatory requirements:
- U.S. Citizen
- Primary U.S. residency for at least 3 of the last 5 years
- Age requirement: selected prior to 40th birthday (exceptions apply for certain prior federal or military service)
- Ability to meet law enforcement individual occupational requirements (arrest authority, firearms proficiency, sound judgment)
- Spanish reading/speaking proficiency is helpful; language training is provided at the academy
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities (KSAOs)
Candidates (especially for GL‑9/GS‑11) should demonstrate:
- Knowledge of immigration and nationality law and criminal law/procedure
- Skill with physical control techniques and firearms
- Ability to analyze information quickly and make prompt decisions
- Competence operating vehicles and using surveillance/detection technology
- Strong communication skills and the ability to interact courteously and effectively in law enforcement contexts
Training
New hires attend approximately six months of intensive instruction at the Border Patrol Academy (Artesia, NM) covering immigration law, law enforcement procedures, firearms and tactics, and Border Patrol operations.
Equal Employment & Compliance Notes
This posting follows applicable U.S. hiring laws. Salary information appears above; applicants in states with pay‑transparency rules will see the posted range as provided in the source announcement. Reasonable accommodations are available for applicants with disabilities during the hiring process.
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.
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