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.
Custom and Border Protection Officer Salary (2026): Data, Outlook & How to Become One
The median pay for Customs and Border Protection Officers is $76,210 a year ($36.64/hr), according to BLS OEWS, May 2025. Employment is projected to grow 3.1% through 2034, with about 53,700 openings a year (BLS EP, 2024–2034). Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
SOC 33-3051Protective ServiceLast updated August 15, 2026
- Median pay
- $76,210
- Projected growth
- +3.1%
- Openings a year
- 53,700
- Typical education
- High school
BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
Also advertised as: Canine Enforcement Officer (K-9 Enforcement Officer), Customs Inspector, Customs Officer, Import Specialist, Special Agent, US Customs and Border Protection Officer (US CBPO).
How much do Customs and Border Protection Officers make?
10th percentile$47,510
Entry / lowest-paid tenth
25th percentile$59,290
Lower quartile
Median (50th)$76,210
Half earn more, half earn less
75th percentile$97,600
Upper quartile
90th percentile$115,120
Top-paid tenth
| 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 $59,110, this is 29% 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 61% of the 923 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.
Which states pay Customs and Border Protection Officers the most?
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $118,880 | $107,370 | 65,940 |
| Washington | $102,080 | $95,390 | 9,160 |
| Illinois | $100,520 | $100,562 | 29,180 |
| Alaska | $99,130 | $96,845 | 1,260 |
| Colorado | $97,350 | $94,467 | 9,610 |
| Delaware | $92,970 | $93,149 | 1,800 |
| New York | $92,790 | $85,980 | 53,470 |
| New Jersey | $92,610 | $85,116 | 21,780 |
| District of Columbia | $88,650 | $80,664 | 4,720 |
| Oregon | $88,140 | $85,274 | 5,030 |
Is Custom and Border Protection Officer a growing career?
Customs and Border Protection Officers3.1%
All US occupations3.1%
+3.1% projected growth vs 3.1% for all occupations.
About as fast as average
BLS projects employment of Customs and Border Protection Officers to change 3.1% over 2024–2034, against 3.1% projected for all occupations. That is 22,000 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 53,700 openings are projected each year, 7.7% of the 698,800 jobs that existed in 2024. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Overall employment of police and detectives is projected to grow 3 percent from 2024 to 2034, about as fast as the average for all occupations.
Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Projected employment of police and detectives varies by occupation (see table).
A desire for public safety may result in a need for more officers. However, demand for employment is expected to vary by location, driven largely by local and state budgets. Even when crime rates fall, demand for police services to maintain public safety is expected to continue.
How to become a Custom and Border Protection Officer
The education typically required to enter the occupation ranges from a high school diploma to a college degree. Most police and detectives must graduate from their agency’s training academy before completing a period of on-the-job training. Other requirements vary, but candidates usually must be at least 21 years old and able to meet rigorous physical and personal qualifications. A felony conviction or drug use may disqualify a candidate.
| Typical entry-level education | High school diploma or equivalent |
|---|---|
| Preparation needed (O*NET job zone) | Some preparation |
| Work experience in a related occupation | None |
| Typical on-the-job training | Moderate-term on-the-job training |
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 Diploma39.0%
- Bachelor's Degree27.2%
- Some College Courses14.2%
- Post-Secondary Certificate10.1%
- Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)7.3%
What does a Custom and Border Protection Officer do?
Investigate and inspect persons, common carriers, goods, and merchandise, arriving in or departing from the United States or between states to detect violations of immigration and customs laws and regulations.
Police officers protect lives and property. Detectives and criminal investigators, who are sometimes called agents or special agents, gather facts and collect evidence of crimes.
Day-to-day tasks
- Detain persons found to be in violation of customs or immigration laws and arrange for legal action, such as deportation.
- Examine immigration applications, visas, and passports and interview persons to determine eligibility for admission, residence, and travel in the U.S.
- Interpret and explain laws and regulations to travelers, prospective immigrants, shippers, and manufacturers.
- Inspect cargo, baggage, and personal articles entering or leaving U.S. for compliance with revenue laws and U.S. customs regulations.
- Locate and seize contraband, undeclared merchandise, and vehicles, aircraft, or boats that contain such merchandise.
- Record and report job-related activities, findings, transactions, violations, discrepancies, and decisions.
- Determine duty and taxes to be paid on goods.
- Institute civil and criminal prosecutions and cooperate with other law enforcement agencies in the investigation and prosecution of those in violation of immigration or customs laws.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Core skills
- Active Listening4.0/5
- Speaking4.0/5
- Critical Thinking4.0/5
- Reading Comprehension3.9/5
- Writing3.6/5
- Monitoring3.6/5
- Active Learning3.4/5
- Learning Strategies2.6/5
Transferable skills
- Social Perceptiveness3.9/5
- Judgment and Decision Making3.6/5
- Coordination3.4/5
- Persuasion3.1/5
- Complex Problem Solving3.1/5
- Negotiation3.0/5
- Service Orientation3.0/5
- Time Management3.0/5
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.
What personality type suits a Custom and Border Protection Officer?
Interest profile: O*NET Occupational Interests, scored 1–7
Realisticprimary3.4
Investigative2.6
Artistic1.0
Social2.6
Enterprisingprimary4.3
Conventionalprimary5.3
Day to day this is work built around organising, following procedures and working precisely with data, combined with leading, persuading, selling and making decisions.
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.
Custom and Border Protection Officer: frequently asked questions
How much do Customs and Border Protection Officers make?
Customs and Border Protection Officers earn a median of $76,210 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), 49% above the $50,980 US median across all occupations. That works out at $36.64/hr. The middle half earn between $59,290 and $97,600. The top 10% earn $115,120 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Custom and Border Protection Officer?
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.
Is Custom and Border Protection Officer a growing career?
It is stable rather than fast-growing: employment is projected to change 3.1% over 2024–2034, about the same as the 3.1% projected across all occupations (BLS EP, 2024–2034). BLS still projects about 53,700 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Custom and Border Protection Officer do?
Police officers protect lives and property. A core O*NET task: detain persons found to be in violation of customs or immigration laws and arrange for legal action, such as deportation. 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 Custom and Border Protection Officer?
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 that lines up most closely with ESTJ personalities. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 923 occupations in the bank.