Career roadmap
How to become Customs and Border Protection Officers
Median annual wage for Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers (33-3051) — BLS OEWS, May 2023.
What you would actually do
The tasks that make up the work of Customs and Border Protection Officers, weighted by how central each one is to the job.
- Interview people to obtain information about actions or status of individuals.
- Examine personal documentation to ensure that it is valid.
- Detain suspects or witnesses.
- Inspect cargo to identify potential hazards.
- Locate suspicious objects or vehicles.
- Confiscate prohibited or dangerous items.
- Inform others about laws or regulations.
- Investigate illegal or suspicious activities.
The skills that actually carry the job
Scored on how much the work depends on each one — not a wishlist, a measurement.
- Active Listening4.0/5
- Speaking4.0/5
- Critical Thinking4.0/5
- Reading Comprehension3.9/5
- Social Perceptiveness3.9/5
- Writing3.6/5
- Monitoring3.6/5
- Judgment and Decision Making3.6/5
- Active Learning3.4/5
- Coordination3.4/5
Would this suit you?
Every occupation leans on a particular mix of interests. Here is the mix measured for Customs and Border Protection Officers — and our free 2-minute Career Match scores you on the same six.
- Conventional5.3/7
Ordering, checking, following a precise procedure accurately
- Enterprising4.3/7
Persuading, leading, selling, taking commercial risk
- Realistic3.4/7
Hands-on, practical, working with tools, machines or the body
- Investigative2.6/7
Investigating, diagnosing, reasoning through problems with evidence
- Social2.6/7
Helping, teaching, caring for and working directly with people
- Artistic1.0/7
Creating, expressing, working without a fixed procedure
Interest profiles from the O*NET 29.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Used under CC BY 4.0.
