This occupation is considered to be a new and emerging occupation. This is an occupation that is seeing an increase in demand. This means that job prospects could be favorable depending on your location. Please, be aware that emerging occupations differ slightly from the regular occupation files. The wage, employment, and outlook data that you see in the regular occupation files are not available for these new and emerging occupations.
To work as a border patrol agent, you must:

have a high school diploma or GED;

have a bachelor's degree or a combination of education and experience;

pass a background investigation;

pass a medical exam and be in excellent physical shape;

meet vision and hearing requirements;

pass a drug test;

be a U.S. citizen;

have a driver's license;

be under age 40; and

pass a written test to qualify for consideration as a border patrol agent.

EDUCATION AFTER HIGH SCHOOL: A bachelor's degree is not required, but it is one way to qualify for this occupation. Your degree can be in any area. However, a degree in criminal justice, law enforcement, police science, or Spanish can be an advantage. WORK EXPERIENCE: Certain types of work experience can help you qualify for this occupation. The border patrol is looking for people who have experience doing one or more of the following:

Taking charge, making sound decisions, and maintaining composure in stressful situations;

Learning law enforcement regulations, methods, and techniques; or

Gathering factual information through questioning, observing, and examining documents and records.

THINGS TO KNOW:

Being a border patrol agent can be strenuous. You may need to run or lift heavy items. Because of these physical demands, you must pass fitness tests. You must be able to do the following:

Complete 20 proper form push-up in 60 seconds; Complete 25 proper form sit-ups in 60 seconds; and Complete a step test in which you step up onto a 12-inch step 30 times each minute for five minutes.

To graduate from the border patrol academy you must be able to:

Run 1.5 miles in 13 minutes or less; Run a 220-yard dash in 46 seconds or less; and Complete the confidence course in 2.5 minutes or less.

Currently there are about 11,000 border patrol agents which makes this is a very small occupation. However, this occupation is growing and new agents are being actively recruited.

As a patrol agent, you wear a uniform and carry a gun.

Agents often work weekends and overtime. They also work shifts, which means working evenings or nights.

Agents may be sent on temporary assignments on short notice. They also may be permanently reassigned to another part of the country.

Agents work in all types of weather. Those on the southern border work in intense heat in the summer. Those who work on the northern border work in intense cold in the winter. The terrain you work in may be the desert or a thick forest.

Agents must be able to pass random drug tests.

Your first two years on the job are a trial period. Your performance and conduct must meet certain criteria for you to be offered a permanent job. Your first six months on the job is a probationary period.

Depending on your experience you will be hired at the GL-5, GL-7, or GL-9 grade level.

Wages for agents are $35,595 per year (GL-5), $40,519 per year (GL-7), or $45,189 per year (GL-9). After six months you are eligible to be promoted one level and receive a raise. In addition, you can earn more money by working overtime. You also receive benefits. These include vacation pay and sick leave. You receive several types of insurance--health, life, and long-term health care. Finally, you receive retirement benefits and a uniform allowance.

Border patrol agents prevent people, drugs, and weapons from entering the United States illegally.

Border patrol agents focus on protecting the U.S.'s land borders. Most agents work along the border with Mexico because it is most active.

The border patrol has four main tasks: 1. Prevent terrorists and terrorist weapons from entering the U.S. 2. Detect and prevent the smuggling and unlawful entry of undocumented aliens. 3. Catch those in violation of immigration laws. 4. Prevent drugs from entering the country.

The border has many official crossings where agents work. Agents monitor people and goods as they pass through the border. They talk to pedestrians and drivers and examine their passports and other required paperwork. Agents question people in depth if they think they are attempting to smuggle something into the country. Much of the time, however, agents work with law-abiding people.

The border patrol uses many methods to watch the border. Some agents use binoculars to observe the border during the day. They use infrared scopes and low-light TV systems at night. Other agents fly over the border in planes and look for suspicious activity.

There are also electronic sensors along the border that are activated by motion, body heat, or weight. When these sensors are set off or spotters see something to check out, agents go to the site. They usually drive to the spot, but they may also ride a horse, bike, snowmobile, or ATV. Depending on the situation, agents may also hike or run to the site.

The situations that agents encounter vary. Sometimes agents chase after people who are attempting to cross the border illegally. At other times agents provide care for those who are too thirsty, hungry, or ill to travel any farther. Some situations are dangerous and require that agents take special care.