Federal LE Opportunity - CBP Officer (@ Airports and Other Ports of Entry)

RightD · Jul 29, 2014

Saw this on USAJobs: https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/372309100

Open until August 6, 2014 or until 12,000 applications are received.

More Info: www.cbp.gov/careers

Good luck,
RightD

Norton · Jul 29, 2014

Oy.....39k for a job where you aren't allowed to do the actual job that you are supposedly hired to do?

Even a first year elementary teacher makes 45k for 192 days of work and doesn't risk getting shot in the throat for nothing by some illegal MS13 member wading the Rio Grande.

If I were 22 and willing to do it in hopes of making a lateral career shift at some point......

Mooseman · Jul 29, 2014

I'm glad I am not the only one who thought the starting pay was ridiculously low.

Norton · Jul 29, 2014

Mooseman said:
I'm glad I am not the only one who thought the starting pay was ridiculously low.

Yeah...at $19 an hour, I'm not feeling it. Again, if I were 22 and thinking to the next gig, perhaps.

Name Taken · Jul 29, 2014

Mooseman said:
I'm glad I am not the only one who thought the starting pay was ridiculously low.

I did not read the details of the job (because I'm not interested) but I do believe in most federal jobs there is the base pay and then you get compensated for the cost of living in the area you are employed.

I know a fella who works for the FBI in a very nice part of the country with a high cost of living...he gets paid a good bit over his "base pay" because of his location.

39k isn't "awful" for entry LE and is probably around the national average and is close to the "low side" of starting LE work in MD. You also have to look at their pay scale and pay increase for longevity as well as promotional opportunity to get a true appreciation of the pay.

Good to great starting pay in MD is about 43-46k a year.

Trbo6gn · Jul 29, 2014

Norton said:
Oy.....39k for a job where you aren't allowed to do the actual job that you are supposedly hired to do?

Even a first year elementary teacher makes 45k for 192 days of work and doesn't risk getting shot in the throat for nothing by some illegal MS13 member wading the Rio Grande.

If I were 22 and willing to do it in hopes of making a lateral career shift at some point......

You can make a decent amount if you stay with the agency for years. My friend is close to 100k a year after about 7 years. Tons of overtime. The problem is that you can't lateral to another Law Enforcement Agency.

RightD · Jul 29, 2014

NT is right... Government pay varies quite a bit depending on grade and location/locality pay.

My understanding is that it is a fairly lengthy hiring process though (12-18 months).

- RightD

Norton · Jul 29, 2014

Trbo6gn said:
You can make a decent amount if you stay with the agency for years. My friend is close to 100k a year after about 7 years. Tons of overtime. The problem is that you can't lateral to another Law Enforcement Agency.

Fully aware of that, but also aware that there are agencies where you can actually be allowed to do your job and also not risk dying for nothing.

I really feel bad for the border patrol guys out there trying to actually do their jobs. No way would I risk my ass in that agency for that kind of pay.

traveller · Jul 29, 2014

You wont trudge through the brush in TX forever. Lots of other jobs in the agency, processing admissions at a international airport, inspecting private jets at inland ports etc. Big agency, lots of different gigs, for someone with a degree and some management skill there are plenty of avenues for advancement. They also have some offshore postings, Shannon, Nassau Rotterdam if that is your thing.

It is a bit shortsighted to look at the starting salary. It is GS work, you have to look at the 21 year horizon. As federal gigs go, CBP isn't any worse than the alternatives.

bowoah · Jul 29, 2014

mom forwarded me this app...im going to make an attempt

OrbitalEllipses · Jul 29, 2014

Name Taken said:
Good to great starting pay in MD is about 43-46k a year.

Wasn't the AACo PD position posted last year just under $50K? Only reason this job is good is because it's a federal position and only requires a public trust, which anyone should be able to get.

Name Taken · Jul 29, 2014

OrbitalEllipses said:
Wasn't the AACo PD position posted last year just under $50K? Only reason this job is good is because it's a federal position and only requires a public trust, which anyone should be able to get.

I doubt it was 50k starting pay for entry.

The highest I've seen in the region are in the upper 40's.

It might have been up to 50k for laterals meaning folks who are already trained and worked in the field.

Typically Howard, Montgomery, and Baltimore County are the highest starting rates for entry level applicants but it could change every year or so pending on the contract.

OrbitalEllipses · Jul 29, 2014

My mistake, it was ~$41K starting. Job posting expired, but the OP stated the salary range.

Blaster229 · Jul 29, 2014

Take that starting salary and add locality pay to it. I haven't looked but A good guess would be about 20-25% average for south texas/Az. Then figure a few hours a week of OT at about $35 an hour. You're making 60k your first year easy, if not more.

antco · Jul 29, 2014

I know Customs agents and Border Patrol agents are tied at the hip but I don't know if the following applies to both.

Border Patrol agents are taught straight out of the academy that they work their 8 hour shift, then they put down 2 hours every day at (I may get the acronym wrong) AUO, or Any Unauthorized Overtime. So boom, two hours of OT every single day. That adds up quick to some 500 hours of easy OT/year. This timesheet practice is widespread and "the norm".

Border Patrol ground level troops are currently in a massive argument about this AUO with the union and BP higher ups. Higher ups want this practice ended as it's hemorrhaging money out of the budgets, and ground pounders are looking at the end of AUO as a pay cut.

Blaster229 · Jul 29, 2014

antco said:
I know Customs agents and Border Patrol agents are tied at the hip but I don't know if the following applies to both.

Border Patrol agents are taught straight out of the academy that they work their 8 hour shift, then they put down 2 hours every day at (I may get the acronym wrong) AUO, or Any Unauthorized Overtime. So boom, two hours of OT every single day. That adds up quick to some 500 hours of easy OT/year. This timesheet practice is widespread and "the norm".

Border Patrol ground level troops are currently in a massive argument about this AUO with the union and BP higher ups. Higher ups want this practice ended as it's hemorrhaging money out of the budgets, and ground pounders are looking at the end of AUO as a pay cut.

Border patrol agents want LEAP. Law enforcement availability pay. That's basically 25% more salary and no auo (ot). So say getting paid for 50 hours a week, wether you work 40 or 60 hours. You can make 50k a year in AUO, but those ot figures don't count in your high 3 salary for your retirement calculation. LEAP does.

antco · Jul 30, 2014

Blaster229 said:
Border patrol agents want LEAP. Law enforcement availability pay. That's basically 25% more salary and no auo (ot). So say getting paid for 50 hours a week, wether you work 40 or 60 hours. You can make 50k a year in AUO, but those ot figures don't count in your high 3 salary for your retirement calculation. LEAP does.

I'm sure your ear is more tuned in than mine, but I had the misfortune of listening to a supervisor explaining some of what I said above to a group of ~14 guys who were not too receptive of the bad news. LEAP was never brought up in the questions or arguing.

In casual conversation with too many guys to count last week about this, they all viewed the change as a loss of pay. They have become accustomed to AUO being a normal part of their paycheck, and as such, AUO is a normal part of their personal budget and spending.

Again, I'm just going on what I saw, heard and discussed last week. I had the privilege of spending 51 hours in the Nogales facility with local agents as well as agents brought in on details from the northern border.

True or half true, that is where my info came from. Either way, the BP ground pounders are not too happy right now. Morale is low. I do not know if this applies to Customs, and I do not know their morale as I did not spend more than a few minutes at a time talking with them.

All that said, Customs and BP have some amazing opportunities for branching out within the organization. They are a very "just get it done" type organization that does what they have to do to get what they're trying to get done.

Blaster229 · Jul 30, 2014

They are true ground pounders that work relentlessly at a thankless, redundant job.
Being on the GS pay scale, they do get many step increases often.
In light of budget cuts, I can see them tightening up on money.

kgain673 · Jul 30, 2014

Norton said:
Oy.....39k for a job where you aren't allowed to do the actual job that you are supposedly hired to do?

Even a first year elementary teacher makes 45k for 192 days of work and doesn't risk getting shot in the throat for nothing by some illegal MS13 member wading the Rio Grande.

If I were 22 and willing to do it in hopes of making a lateral career shift at some point......

Yeh, but LEO work is way more fun then teaching bad kids. I would gladly take 39k vs 45k of LEO work. I've done both in my life. Had I known when I was 21 years old law enforcement was this fun, I would have started the career 10 years earlier. I would rather hunt for MS13 in swamp for 39k, then grade homework. Somebody has to do it.

HortusQ · Jul 30, 2014

it starts @ GS-/7 in 5 years with OT you get 100K+ w/ GS-12
20 year retirement not a bad gig then double dip with 2 career choice
nephew applied they call reference in 3 working dayz get 365/ 24 ccw
good luck to all,

Federal LE Opportunity - CBP Officer (@ Airports and Other Ports of Entry)

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