Patrols the land borders and coasts between official ports of entry to detect and stop illegal entry, smuggling and trafficking. BLS does not publish separate figures for customs and border protection officers; it counts them within custom and border protection officer (SOC 33-3051), whose median pay is $76,210 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
- SOC 33-3051
- Protective Service
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Border Patrol Agent in four numbers
- Median pay
- $76,210a year, or $36.64/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $48KTop 10% $115K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +3.5%About as fast as averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+3.5%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +3.5% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 51,500693,200 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 2025693.2K
- Projected 2035717.3K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 693.2K Projected 2035 717.3K - Typical education
- High schoolneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- High school39%
- Certificate10.1%
- Some college14.2%
- Associate's7.3%
- Bachelor's27.2%
- Post-bacc certificate2.2%
Highest education held by customs and border protection officers Segment Value High school 39% Certificate 10.1% Some college 14.2% Associate's 7.3% Bachelor's 27.2% Post-bacc certificate 2.2%
Also advertised as: U.S. Border Patrol Agent, Border Agent, Border Patrol Officer, BORTAC Agent.
Pay
How much do Customs and Border Protection Officers make?
Every border patrol agent in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$76,210
Middle half earn $59,290 to $97,600
- 10th
- $47,510
- 25th
- $59,290
- 75th
- $97,600
- 90th
- $115,120
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $47,510 |
| 25th | $59,290 |
| Median | $76,210 |
| 75th | $97,600 |
| 90th | $115,120 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $76,210
- Median hourly wage
- $36.64/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $79,200
- People employed
- 670,520
Versus all US occupations
At $76,210, Customs and Border Protection Officers earn 49% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $25,230 a year.
Versus protective service occupations
Inside the Protective Service group, where the middle occupation pays $74,060, this is 3% above the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $115,120 or more while the bottom 10% earn $47,510, a gap of 2.4×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 51% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
California pays the most at $118,880, and still leads at $107,370 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay Customs and Border Protection Officers the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1California | $118,880 | $107,370 | 65,940 |
| 2Washington | $102,080 | $95,390 | 9,160 |
| 3Illinois | $100,520 | $100,562 | 29,180 |
| 4Alaska | $99,130 | $96,845 | 1,260 |
| 5Colorado | $97,350 | $94,467 | 9,610 |
| 6Delaware | $92,970 | $93,149 | 1,800 |
| 7New York | $92,790 | $85,980 | 53,470 |
| 8New Jersey | $92,610 | $85,116 | 21,780 |
| 9District of Columbia | $88,650 | $80,664 | 4,720 |
| 10Oregon | $88,140 | $85,274 | 5,030 |
Job outlook
Is Border Patrol Agent a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
About as fast as average. +3.5% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Customs and Border Protection Officers | +3.5% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
About as fast as average
BLS projects employment of Customs and Border Protection Officers to change 3.5% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 24,200 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 51,500 openings are projected each year, 7.4% of the 693,200 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Border Patrol Agent
Applicants must be U.S. citizens within the agency's age limits, with a valid driver's license and either qualifying experience or college education. The process includes an entrance exam, fitness tests, medical exam, polygraph and background investigation.
New agents train at the Border Patrol Academy at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers in Artesia, New Mexico, covering immigration and criminal law, firearms, driving, fitness and Spanish language skills. Most first assignments are along the southwest border, and agents must be willing to live in remote areas.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
High school diploma or equivalent
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Some preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as customs and border protection officers.
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)39%
- Bachelor's Degree27.2%
- Some College Courses14.2%
- Post-Secondary Certificate10.1%
- Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree7.3%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) | 39% |
| Bachelor's Degree | 27.2% |
| Some College Courses | 14.2% |
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 10.1% |
| Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree | 7.3% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a Border Patrol Agent do?
Border Patrol agents work for U.S. Customs and Border Protection between the official crossing points. Their job is to detect, track and apprehend people crossing illegally and to stop the smuggling of drugs, weapons and people. They use sign cutting, the practice of tracking footprints and disturbances on the ground, along with sensors, cameras, aircraft and patrol vehicles.
Agents staff highway checkpoints, respond to sensor alerts, and often provide first aid and rescue to migrants in dangerous terrain. Some join specialized units for search and rescue, tactical operations, horse patrol or canine work. Agents process apprehensions and write reports that support prosecutions.
Day-to-day tasks
- Patrol border areas by vehicle, foot, horse, boat or ATV
- Track people across terrain using sign cutting
- Respond to alerts from ground sensors and cameras
- Operate highway checkpoints and inspect vehicles
- Apprehend and process people who cross illegally
- Interdict smuggled drugs and contraband
- Provide first aid and rescue to people in distress
Typical tasks, researched by NueCareer from the sources below.
Working conditions and hours
Agents work outdoors in deserts, mountains, rivers and coastline, in extreme heat and cold, often alone or in small teams and at night. Shifts rotate, overtime is common, and duty stations can be far from cities. The work is physically demanding and carries risk from terrain and armed smugglers.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayIndoors, in a climate-controlled space, every day.
Outdoors in all weather
NeverEvery day
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantConstant contact with other people.
Face-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayFace-to-face discussions every day.
Dealing with the public
Not importantExtremely importantDealing with customers or the public is very important.
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayConflict situations
NeverEvery dayHandling conflict situations at least monthly.
Cost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely seriousMistakes carry very serious consequences.
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lotA lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first.
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Active Listening4.0
- Speaking4.0
- Critical Thinking4.0
- Reading Comprehension3.9
- Writing3.6
- Monitoring3.6
- Active Learning3.4
- Learning Strategies2.6
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Active Listening | 4.0 |
| Speaking | 4.0 |
| Critical Thinking | 4.0 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.9 |
| Writing | 3.6 |
| Monitoring | 3.6 |
| Active Learning | 3.4 |
| Learning Strategies | 2.6 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Social Perceptiveness3.9
- Judgment and Decision Making3.6
- Coordination3.4
- Persuasion3.1
- Complex Problem Solving3.1
- Negotiation3.0
- Service Orientation3.0
- Time Management3.0
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.9 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.6 |
| Coordination | 3.4 |
| Persuasion | 3.1 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.1 |
| Negotiation | 3.0 |
| Service Orientation | 3.0 |
| Time Management | 3.0 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Cloud-based management software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Data base user interface and query software
- Mobile location based services software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a Border Patrol Agent?
NueCareer estimate (Holland code RCE) built on O*NET's Custom and Border Protection Officer profile, scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Border Patrol Agent |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 4 |
| Investigative | 3 |
| Artistic | 1 |
| Social | 3 |
| Enterprising | 4 |
| Conventional | 5 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around organising, following procedures and working precisely with data, combined with leading, persuading, selling and making decisions.
- Conventional5.3
- Enterprising4.4
- Realistic4.2
- Investigative2.6
- Social2.6
- Artistic1.0
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Border Patrol Agent
O*NET related occupations
- Protective Service
- Business and Financial Operations
- Protective Service
- Protective Service
- Business and Financial Operations
- Protective Service
More protective service careers
Median annual pay, with customs and border protection officers highlighted
- Detective and Criminal Investigator$93,790
- Intelligence Analyst$93,790
- Police Officer$76,210
- Custom and Border Protection Officer$76,210
- Border Patrol Agent$76,210
- Firefighter$59,280
- Correctional Officer and Jailer$58,940
- Private Detective and Investigator$51,220
- Security Guard$38,020
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Detective and Criminal Investigator | $93,790 |
| Intelligence Analyst | $93,790 |
| Police Officer | $76,210 |
| Custom and Border Protection Officer | $76,210 |
| Border Patrol Agent | $76,210 |
| Firefighter | $59,280 |
| Correctional Officer and Jailer | $58,940 |
| Private Detective and Investigator | $51,220 |
| Security Guard | $38,020 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Border Patrol Agent appears on
Questions
Border Patrol Agent: frequently asked questions
How much do Customs and Border Protection Officers make?
BLS does not publish a separate wage for customs and border protection officers. It counts them within custom and border protection officer, whose median pay is $76,210 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of that occupation earn between $59,290 and $97,600, and the top 10% earn $115,120 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Border Patrol Agent?
No. A bachelor's degree is not the norm: BLS reports a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education for Customs and Border Protection Officers. BLS also lists moderate-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 39.0% hold high school diploma or the equivalent (such as a ged).
Is Border Patrol Agent a growing career?
It is stable rather than fast-growing: employment is projected to change 3.5% over 2025–2035, about the same as the 3.5% projected across all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 51,500 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Border Patrol Agent do?
Border Patrol agents work for U.S. A typical task: patrol border areas by vehicle, foot, horse, boat or ATV. Employers most often ask for Cloud-based management software, Electronic mail software, Enterprise resource planning ERP software.
Which states pay Customs and Border Protection Officers the most?
The highest state medians for Customs and Border Protection Officers are California ($118,880), Washington ($102,080), Illinois ($100,520) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Border Patrol Agent?
O*NET scores Customs and Border Protection Officers highest on the Conventional, Enterprising and Realistic interest areas, so the work mixes organising, following procedures and working precisely with data with leading, persuading, selling and making decisions. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ESTJ, ISTJ. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.