Pay and Benefits

CBP Officers are competitively rewarded for their time on the job. In addition to a salary, CBP Officers may be eligible for overtime pay, locality pay, and more.

More on Salary: CBP Officer is a career ladder position with a grade level progression of GS-5, GS-7, GS-9, GS-11, and GS-12. You will be eligible for a promotion to the next higher grade level (without re-applying) once you successfully complete one year in each grade level, with supervisor approval. For example if you started as a CBP Officer in June 2021 you could:

• Start as a CBPO in June 2021 as a GS-5 and make $35,265 - $80,265 per year
• Be promoted in June 2022 to GS-7 and make $43,683 - $88,683 per year
• Be promoted in June 2023 to GS-9 and make $53,433 - $98,433 per year
• Be promoted in June 2024 to GS-11 and make $64,649 - $109,649 per year
• Be promoted in June 2025 to GS-12 and make $77,488 - $122,488 per year

Explanation of example:

Want to learn what grade level you would enter at? Review the grade level qualifications on our resume guide

Extra Pay for Designated Duty Locations

Additionally, if you select one of the duty locations below you may be eligible to receive an additional percentage of your salary each year for the first three years of employment, pending a signed service agreement prior to entering on duty. This incentive applies to new Federal employees only and is dependent upon available funds. Please consult current Job Opportunity Announcements for specific locations/amounts.

• Douglas, Lukeville, Nogales and San Luis, AZ
• San Francisco and Calexico, CA
• Coburn Gore and Jackman, ME
• Grand Portage, MN
• Raymond and Sweetgrass, MT
• Pembina and Portal, ND
• Presidio, TX
• Oroville, WA

Map of CBP Officer Duty Locations with Extra Pay Incentives

Paid Time Off

CBP offers substantial leave benefits and unique training opportunities to reward and reinvest in its employees. Below is a summary of paid time off from the job:

13 to 26 days of annual leave accrued per year (variation based on years Federal service)

 

11 federal holidays per year

 

15 days of military reserve leave

 

13 days of sick leave accrued per year

 

Opportunities for paid training

 

Additional Leave Information: The maximum amount of annual leave that you may carry over into the following year is 30 days. There is no limit to the amount of sick leave that you may accrue. For detailed leave accrual information, visit the Benefits webpage.

Disabled Veteran Leave (Wounded Warriors Federal Leave Act of 2015)

Under the Wounded Warriors Federal Leave Act of 2015 (Public Law 114-75, November 5, 2015), an employee hired on or after November 5, 2016, who is a veteran with a service-connected disability rating of 30 percent or more from the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) of the Department of Veterans Affairs is entitled to up to 104 hours of disabled veteran leave for the purposes of undergoing medical treatment for such disability.

An eligible employee will receive the appropriate amount of disabled veteran leave as of the employee’s “first day of employment,” as defined below. Disabled veteran leave is a one-time benefit provided to an eligible employee. The employee will have a single, continuous 12-month eligibility period, beginning on the “first day of employment” in which to use the leave or it will be forfeited with no opportunity to carry over the leave into subsequent years. An employee may not receive a lump-sum payment for any unused or forfeited leave under any circumstance.

For complete details about the new Disabled Veteran Leave entitlement, see the Disabled Veteran Leave Fact Sheet on OPM’s website.

Career Progression

At the GS-13 level and beyond, you compete for positions and are promoted based on merit. Each movement on the career ladder brings a significant pay boost.

Entry level positions consist of the GS-5, GS-7, and GS-9 positions that you can apply to on USAJobs. New CBP Officers receive pre-academy training at their respective duty station and receive basic training at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) in Glynco, Georgia.

 

As you progress to the journeyman positions, you typically gain responsibilities, learn new duties, and are held accountable to higher performance standards. Promotion up to the GS-12 level is non-competitive, meaning you are eligible for promotion every year, with supervisor approval.

 

At the supervisory level, you become responsible to lead others and accept more responsibility. Leadership can be challenging but also very rewarding.

 

Beyond the GS-15 level is the Senior Executive Service (SES), which makes up CBP’s executive leadership. SES typically make organizational decisions, provide vision for the organization, and interact with Congress and other executive external stakeholders.

 

CBP’s Dedication to Training: CBP is committed to providing first-rate training for new and current employees to ensure staff are proficient in the latest technologies and techniques necessary to fulfill the CBP mission.

Health Insurance

Staff health is of the utmost importance to CBP. CBP Officers are eligible to choose from a variety of premium federal health insurance programs. Programs available include:

• Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program
• Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP)
• Federal Flexible Spending Account Program (FSAFEDS)
• Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program (FLTCIP)

Note: You may be eligible to keep your health insurance in retirement and pay the same subsidized premium as you did as an employee. 

Life Insurance

A keystone of financial planning is making sure that your family and loved ones are taken care of financially, even after your death. CBP offers several federal life insurance programs to help you achieve your financial planning goals. Federal Life Insurance Programs available to officers include:

• Federal Employees Group Life Insurance (FEGLI)
• Basic Employee Death Benefit (BEDB) for FERS Employees
• Special Agents Mutual Benefit Association (SAMBA) Employee Benevolent Fund

Generous Retirement

Employees that retire from CBP can count on the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) to enjoy life after working. FERS includes the following three streams of income:

1. Thrift Savings Plan: Similar to a 401(k) plan, the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) is a defined contribution plan designed to give federal employees the same retirement savings related benefits that workers in the private sector enjoy with 401(k) plans. Contributions to the plan are automatically deducted from each paycheck, the amount which is chosen by employees, and is transferable if you change employers. An additional benefit to the TSP is employer matching contributions; up to 5% of your base salary. 
2. FERS Basic Annuity under special provisions: CBP Officers that serve in the federal government with at least 20 years of law enforcement service are eligible for the generous FERS basic annuity. This guaranteed lifetime pension, paid to retirees is a percentage of your highest average basic pay you earned during any 3 consecutive years of service. 
3. Social Security: You receive social security retirement payments, the benefits of which are transferable when you change employers.

Enhanced CBP Officer Retirement Coverage: Being in a frontline position as a CBP Officer qualifies you for Enhanced Retirement coverage. What does that mean? Enhanced Retirement coverage means you can retire at any age after 25 years of service or at age 50 with at least 20 years of service. Enhanced Retirement eligibility is a factor for determining your FERS basic annuity.

• Tuition Assistance Program (TAP):  The TAP reimburses CBP federal employees for off-duty post-secondary education costs of tuition, fees, and books. Employees may apply for benefits up to $1,500 per course and $4,500 per calendar year for professional certification or for any two- or four-year degree. This includes all degrees – associates, bachelors, masters, doctorates.