Border Patrol Agent: Duties & Job Market

by Kara Wahlgren

If serving the public appeals to you, you may enjoy a career as a border patrol agent. Acting as the first line of defense at our nation's borders is a hefty responsibility, but if you're up for the challenge, you'll be rewarded with advancement opportunities.

Duties of a border patrol agent
Border patrol agents work under the umbrella of law enforcement. As the job title suggests, their primary responsibility is to protect the borders of the United States -- a workspace that includes more than 8,000 miles of land and water boundaries.

Border patrol agents guard against illegal entry and smuggling, but their roles have expended to include the detection and apprehension of terrorists and weapons. Known as "line watch," this aspect of the job may include anything from simple traffic checks to covert surveillance.

Where to find border patrol agent jobs
Border patrol agents generally work along the Mexican and Canadian land boundaries, as well as the coastal waters of Florida and Puerto Rico. Border patrol jobs are offered through the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) branch of the Department of Homeland Security.

Border patrol agent programs
Applications for border patrol agents are available at the CBP.gov website whenever the department is recruiting. Eligible candidates are trained at the Border Patrol Academy and required to complete a Border Patrol entrance exam that covers logical reasoning, Spanish fluency, and past experience. Because of the strenuous nature of the job, a fitness test and comprehensive medical examination are also required of all prospective employees.

Demand for border patrol agent jobs
Law enforcement jobs are expected to grow at an average rate over the next few years, and increased homeland security measures ensure that border patrol agents will remain in high demand. Border patrol agents with a satisfactory record can expect to be promoted within the first few years; if you're up for the rigorous training and demanding workload, there's plenty of room to grow.