Customs and Border Protection Officers: Career Overview
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.
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What Tasks Do Customs and Border Protection Officers Perform?
The day-to-day responsibilities of customs and border protection officers cover:
- Examine immigration applications, visas, and passports and interview persons to determine eligibility for admission, residence, and travel in the U.S.
- Detain persons found to be in violation of customs or immigration laws and arrange for legal action, such as deportation.
- 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.
- Interpret and explain laws and regulations to travelers, prospective immigrants, shippers, and manufacturers.
- 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.
- Testify regarding decisions at immigration appeals or in federal court.
- Record and report job-related activities, findings, transactions, violations, discrepancies, and decisions.
Key Skills and Knowledge
Effective customs and border protection officers combine a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Most Important Skills
These are the skills most central to this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Core Knowledge
Other Customs and Border Protection Officers Job Titles
This career also goes by job titles like:
- Agriculture Specialist
- Air Import Specialist
- Border Patrol Agent
- Canine Enforcement Officer (K-9 Enforcement Officer)
- Customs Import Specialist
- Customs Inspector
- Customs Officer
- Customs Opener
Employment and Demand
The U.S. employs around 353,771 customs and border protection officers working in the United States today. Employment is projected to decline by -1.2% over the projection horizon.
Salary for Customs and Border Protection Officers
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $50,191 |
| Hourly median | $24.13 |
| 10th percentile | $30,631 |
| 25th percentile | $40,411 |
| 75th percentile | $59,972 |
| 90th percentile | $69,752 |
Wages vary widely based on experience, location, and industry.
How Much Do Customs and Border Protection Officers Make in Different U.S. States?
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| California | $115,400 |
| Washington | $102,640 |
| Illinois | $101,530 |
| Alaska | $100,300 |
| Colorado | $96,100 |
| New York | $93,050 |
| Hawaii | $89,390 |
| New Jersey | $89,030 |
| District of Columbia | $88,330 |
| Oregon | $88,140 |
| Pennsylvania | $86,350 |
| Minnesota | $83,310 |
| Delaware | $83,230 |
| Connecticut | $82,820 |
| Arizona | $79,370 |
| Wisconsin | $78,980 |
| Nevada | $78,670 |
| Massachusetts | $78,610 |
| Maryland | $77,440 |
| Rhode Island | $77,280 |
| Utah | $77,210 |
| Ohio | $77,050 |
| Texas | $76,350 |
| Florida | $76,190 |
| North Dakota | $75,530 |
| Michigan | $74,420 |
| Iowa | $73,900 |
| Nebraska | $72,160 |
| Indiana | $71,540 |
| Montana | $69,910 |
| New Hampshire | $67,620 |
| Idaho | $66,150 |
| Maine | $65,330 |
| Wyoming | $65,180 |
| Virginia | $65,110 |
| Vermont | $63,690 |
| New Mexico | $63,340 |
| Missouri | $60,720 |
| South Dakota | $60,300 |
| Kentucky | $60,230 |
| Tennessee | $59,410 |
| North Carolina | $58,030 |
| South Carolina | $58,020 |
| Oklahoma | $57,360 |
| Kansas | $56,610 |
| Georgia | $56,350 |
| West Virginia | $54,570 |
| Alabama | $53,850 |
| Louisiana | $50,580 |
| Arkansas | $48,090 |
| Mississippi | $45,610 |
| Puerto Rico | $44,860 |
Where Customs and Border Protection Officers Earn the Most
Earnings for customs and border protection officers shift depending on where you work. These regions lead on median pay:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $109,424 | 12.9% | 0.79 |
| Middle Atlantic | $89,292 | 17.1% | 1.17 |
| Great Lakes | $83,719 | 14.0% | 1.01 |
| Rocky Mountains | $82,960 | 3.1% | 0.78 |
| New England | $77,158 | 4.5% | 0.97 |
| Southwest | $74,053 | 13.1% | 1.06 |
| Plains States | $68,450 | 5.9% | 0.89 |
| Southeast | $61,750 | 27.6% | 1.16 |
Where the Jobs Cluster
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $150,650 | 2,520 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $133,190 | 7,860 |
| Napa, CA | CA | $128,980 | 280 |
| Vallejo, CA | CA | $128,470 | 660 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | CA | $123,140 | 450 |
| Salinas, CA | CA | $122,290 | 780 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | CA | $121,370 | 720 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | CA | $121,050 | 1,320 |
Industry Breakdown
The bulk of customs and border protection officers work in these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Educational Services | 25,630 | $64,310 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 2,450 | $65,410 |
| Transportation and Warehousing | 450 | $81,200 |
Customs and Border Protection Officers work in the following industries:
Software Customs and Border Protection Officers Use
- Cloud-based management software: IBM WebSphere MQ (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software: SAP software (hot technology)
The Day-to-Day Environment
Daily working conditions for customs and border protection officers tends to involve the following characteristics:
- Contact With Others
- Deal With External Customers or the Public in General
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- Telephone Conversations
Getting Started in This Career
Most customs and border protection officers positions require a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. This occupation sits in Medium Preparation Needed (Job Zone 3), signaling the level of preparation typically expected.
Similar Occupations
Similar Occupations
- Compliance Managers (Supplemental)
- Compliance Officers (Primary-Short)
- Environmental Compliance Inspectors (Supplemental)
- Government Property Inspectors and Investigators (Primary-Long)
- Customs Brokers (Primary-Short)
- Tax Examiners and Collectors, and Revenue Agents (Supplemental)
- Fraud Examiners, Investigators and Analysts (Supplemental)
- First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives (Primary-Long)
Top Programs to Study For This Career
Aspiring customs and border protection officers typically earn programs in:
Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting and Related Protective Services
8 programs across 2 majors
Natural Resources and Conservation
1 programs across 1 majors
About the Data
Statistics shown above are sourced from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 33-3051.04 (Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers).
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