Border Patrol Agent - Entry Level

About the role

The U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) is hiring immediate entry-level career positions in federal law enforcement. These positions are open to those with prior experience in public safety, security, military police, or law enforcement.

Responsibilities

• Deterring illicit activity and ensuring the safety of the American people by safeguarding our borders.
• Inspecting documents and possessions to determine citizenship or violations.
• Preventing and apprehending undocumented noncitizens and smugglers of noncitizens at or near the borders.
• Maintaining surveillance from covert positions and performing night operations using infrared scopes.
• Interpreting and following tracks, marks, and other physical evidence of illegal entry.
• Performing farm checks, building checks, traffic checks, city patrols, and transportation checks.
• Patrolling the international boundary and coastal waterways using various government assets.

Requirements

• GL-5: One year of general work experience or a bachelor's degree with successful completion of a full four-year course of study.
• GL-7: One year of specialized work experience or a bachelor's degree with superior academic achievement, or one full year of graduate-level education in a field of study related to law enforcement.

Qualifications

• Citizenship: Must be a U.S. Citizen.
• Residency: Must have had primary U.S. residency for at least three of the last five years.
• Age Restriction: Must be referred for selection to the Border Patrol Agent position before reaching their 40th birthday.
• Veterans’ Preference: Eligible for Veterans Recruitment Appointment (VRA).
• Formal Training: After being hired, detailed to the U.S. Border Patrol Academy for approximately six months of intensive instruction.

Benefits

• Annual Base Salary for newly appointed BPAs varies per grade, ranging from $51,632 to $92,912 per year.
• Exceptional benefits include health, dental, and other insurance plans, a generous annual and sick leave program, and participation in the Thrift Savings Plan.
• Up to $60,000 in additional incentives, including a $20,000 recruitment incentive and up to $40,000 in retention incentives over the first four years.

Pay

• Annual Base Salary for newly appointed BPAs varies per grade, ranging from $51,632 to $92,912 per year.
• Up to an additional 25% of base pay per the BPA Pay Reform Act of 2014.

Schedule

• U.S. Border Patrol determines duty assignments based on operational needs, which may or may not align with candidates’ first-choice preferences.
• Relocation may be required.