The Average Salary of US Border Patrol Officers
Border Patrol officers are responsible for patrolling 6,000 miles of Mexican and Canadian borders of the U.S., and 2,000 miles of coastal waters. Qualifications include U.S. citizenship, no conviction for domestic violence, medical exam and drug testing and a physical fitness test. Initial salaries depend on previous law enforcement experience and skills.
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Basic Pay
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As employees of the U.S. Border Patrol, officers are paid accordinjg to the same pay tables created for all law enforcement working for the federal government. However, they start at higher levels such as GL-5, with base pay at $38,619 per year, or GL-9, with base pay at $49,029. This does not include locality pay, which can add to monthly pay, if an officer is posted to a location with a high cost of living. An additional $1,500 is added as a uniform allowance. This information is from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security as of January 2011.
Grades and Levels
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Federal government pay tables allocate compensation according to grade level, which increases by experience. In addition, each level is divided into steps so wages can further increase according to performance levels. The GL-5 level applies only to new officers for 6-1/2 months. If they successfully complete their probationary exam, they may be promoted to GL-7. Promotions are then generally based on merit.
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Benefits
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Additional benefits for Border Patrol officers include health, dental and vision coverage, life insurance, flexible spending accounts and long-term care. The government provides some of this coverage for free, but officers must share some of the cost through payroll deduction. Vacation is also available starting at 13 days for under three years of service, 20 days for three to under 15 years of work, and 26 days for over 15 years of service. This is in addition to 13 days of sick leave that can be accumulated each year.
Retirement
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Border Patrol officers with at least 20 years of service can retire at age 50. However, retirement is mandatory at age 57 after 20 years of service. Employees may continue to work after this mandatory age until they meet certain age and service requirements. Retirees receive a pension consisting of a Basic Benefit Plan, Social Security and Thrift Savings Plan (TSP). For the TSP, the government automatically deducts about one percent of basic pay to deposit into this program, and then matches this deduction.
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References
- Photo Credit border patrol image by Jim Parkin from Fotolia.com
