Pay
(Salary, Compensation, Moola, Dinero, Sueldos, Earnings, CASH!)
Disclaimer: It should be obvious by now, but this is NOT an official Border Patrol web site and the information presented here is provided for your use in deciding if a Border Patrol career might be of interest to you. The information provided is by an individual retired agent NOT representing the Border Patrol, the Department of Homeland Security, nor the US Government.
I am putting this section here because so many people have asked for the information. I realize that a person would be foolish if that person were to jump into a job without knowing something of the pay and benefits. There is something you need to know about this job. If you do not BELIEVE in what you are doing, if you are one to have your feelings easily hurt by a lack of public support, if you are not a true patriot, you are NOT going to enjoy this job. If you are seeking the job purely for the pecuniary benefits that it will yield, you will not be happy. Quite frankly, you couldn't pay me enough to do this job if I did not meet the criteria set forth above. On the other hand, if I were a lotto winner and didn't need to work at all, I would do it for free. That's how you need to be, as well.
Now, for the reason you came here:
The Border Patrol is a law enforcement organization, therefore you work when the law breakers work. In our profession, they work mainly at night. The Border Patrol kindly compensates you for being in the dark and having to sleep while the rest of the world is awake. This amount adds to your pay and is called Night Differential. You also work Sundays, holidays and overtime. These also add to your paycheck in a major way.
If you have verifiable military service, Peace Corps or Vista service, you may be able to "buy back" that time into the FERS retirement system. Here is a LINK where you can read more. Border Patrol's premium pay adds a major portion of extra income to your paycheck. It is too complicated to discuss here. Try to live on your BASE pay. I always encourage young agents to budget using ONLY their base pay, and to keep any premium pay for investment purposes since it can be changed or done away with at any time.
The pay tables link is newer the bottom of the page. New hires start as a GL-7 or GL-9. Non-competitive promotions to the next higher odd-numbered pay grade are automatic until reaching GS-12 (Example: GL-7 promotes to GL-9, GL-9 promotes to GL-11).
In the GS schedule the RUS (Rest of the United States) locality is the LOWEST POSSIBLE pay you can earn as a federal law enforcement officer with no Cost of Living adjustments for locality. Any other area that has a locality pay will be higher than this. See the official OPM pay tables for that information. There will be deductions such as income tax (fed and state), Social Security, health insurance premiums, union dues and all that fun stuff. However, there will be plenty of additions to offset those deductions, such as holiday pay, Sunday pay, night differential, etc.
Border Patrol Agents are generally expected to work two additional hours every shift. Agents are compensated under the Border Patrol Pay Reform Act. An agent that works two additional hours (10-hour works days) will receive their base pay plus 25%. An agent that works one additional hour (9-hour works days) will receive their base pay plus 12.5%.
The table below shows how the pay looks in very general terms.
Disclaimer: It should be obvious by now, but this is NOT an official Border Patrol web site and the information presented here is provided for your use in deciding if a Border Patrol career might be of interest to you. The information provided is by an individual retired agent NOT representing the Border Patrol, the Department of Homeland Security, nor the US Government.
I am putting this section here because so many people have asked for the information. I realize that a person would be foolish if that person were to jump into a job without knowing something of the pay and benefits. There is something you need to know about this job. If you do not BELIEVE in what you are doing, if you are one to have your feelings easily hurt by a lack of public support, if you are not a true patriot, you are NOT going to enjoy this job. If you are seeking the job purely for the pecuniary benefits that it will yield, you will not be happy. Quite frankly, you couldn't pay me enough to do this job if I did not meet the criteria set forth above. On the other hand, if I were a lotto winner and didn't need to work at all, I would do it for free. That's how you need to be, as well.
Now, for the reason you came here:
The Border Patrol is a law enforcement organization, therefore you work when the law breakers work. In our profession, they work mainly at night. The Border Patrol kindly compensates you for being in the dark and having to sleep while the rest of the world is awake. This amount adds to your pay and is called Night Differential. You also work Sundays, holidays and overtime. These also add to your paycheck in a major way.
If you have verifiable military service, Peace Corps or Vista service, you may be able to "buy back" that time into the FERS retirement system. Here is a LINK where you can read more. Border Patrol's premium pay adds a major portion of extra income to your paycheck. It is too complicated to discuss here. Try to live on your BASE pay. I always encourage young agents to budget using ONLY their base pay, and to keep any premium pay for investment purposes since it can be changed or done away with at any time.
The pay tables link is newer the bottom of the page. New hires start as a GL-7 or GL-9. Non-competitive promotions to the next higher odd-numbered pay grade are automatic until reaching GS-12 (Example: GL-7 promotes to GL-9, GL-9 promotes to GL-11).
In the GS schedule the RUS (Rest of the United States) locality is the LOWEST POSSIBLE pay you can earn as a federal law enforcement officer with no Cost of Living adjustments for locality. Any other area that has a locality pay will be higher than this. See the official OPM pay tables for that information. There will be deductions such as income tax (fed and state), Social Security, health insurance premiums, union dues and all that fun stuff. However, there will be plenty of additions to offset those deductions, such as holiday pay, Sunday pay, night differential, etc.
Border Patrol Agents are generally expected to work two additional hours every shift. Agents are compensated under the Border Patrol Pay Reform Act. An agent that works two additional hours (10-hour works days) will receive their base pay plus 25%. An agent that works one additional hour (9-hour works days) will receive their base pay plus 12.5%.
The table below shows how the pay looks in very general terms.
Base Pay 40 hour workweeks |
Base Pay + 12.5% 45 hour workweeks |
Base Pay +25% 50 hour workweeks |
$50,000 |
$56,250 |
$62,500 |
$60,000 |
$67,500 |
$75,000 |
$75,000 |
$84,375 |
$93,750 |
$100,000 |
$112,500 |
$125,000 |
Explore and get used to seeing this page every year. This is where you will go to find your base pay on which all of your other pay is anchored - 2023 General Schedule (GS) Locality Pay Tables
See the table below for Within Grade Step Increases (pay raises).
See the table below for Within Grade Step Increases (pay raises).
Advancement From |
Requires |
Step 1 to step 2 |
52 weeks of creditable service as a step 1 |
Step 2 to step 3 |
52 weeks of creditable service as a step 2 |
Step 3 to step 4 |
52 weeks of creditable service as a step 3 |
Step 4 to step 5 |
104 weeks of creditable service as a step 4 |
Step 5 to step 6 |
104 weeks of creditable service as a step 5 |
Step 6 to step 7 |
104 weeks of creditable service as a step 6 |
Step 7 to step 8 |
156 weeks of creditable service as a step 7 |
Step 8 to step 9 |
156 weeks of creditable service as a step 8 |
Step 9 to step 10 |
156 weeks of creditable service as a step 9 |
