Careers / Customs and Border Protection Officers
Customs and Border Protection Officers — Career Decision Dashboard
United States
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Report generated from official BLS OEWS and O*NET data — United States.
Median annual wage
$76,210
United States, 2025
Employment
670,520
United States, 2025
Typical education
High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
Job Zone 3
Skills identified
35
10 related careers
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.
- O*NET code
- 33-3051.04
- Job zone
- 3
- Experience required
- None
Typical tasks
- 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.
Choose a location
Salary analysis — United States
10th percentile
$47,510
25th percentile
$59,290
75th percentile
$97,600
90th percentile
$115,120
Most important skills
- Critical Thinking4.0
- Active Listening4.0
- Speaking4.0
- Social Perceptiveness3.9
- Reading Comprehension3.9
- Monitoring3.6
- Writing3.6
- Judgment and Decision Making3.6
- Active Learning3.4
- Coordination3.4
- Complex Problem Solving3.1
- Persuasion3.1
What skills do you need?
Select the skills you already have
Skills listed are those O*NET rates at importance 3.0 or above for this occupation. Set your own level on the same 0–7 O*NET scale.
Skill coverage
0%
0 of 15 identified skills
Matched
0
Missing
15
Your selected skills cover approximately 0% of the skills identified for this occupation in O*NET. This is a coverage measure of listed skills only — it is not a qualification, hiring or interview outcome.
Skills to develop
| Skill | Importance | Required level | Your level | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Active Listening | 4.0 | 4.0 | Not selected | 4.0 |
| Speaking | 4.0 | 4.0 | Not selected | 4.0 |
| Critical Thinking | 4.0 | 3.9 | Not selected | 3.9 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.9 | 3.9 | Not selected | 3.9 |
| Monitoring | 3.6 | 3.8 | Not selected | 3.8 |
| Writing | 3.6 | 3.8 | Not selected | 3.8 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.9 | 3.4 | Not selected | 3.4 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.6 | 3.5 | Not selected | 3.5 |
| Coordination | 3.4 | 3.4 | Not selected | 3.4 |
| Active Learning | 3.4 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Time Management | 3.0 | 3.3 | Not selected | 3.3 |
| Persuasion | 3.1 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.1 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Negotiation | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Service Orientation | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.
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Compare with Customs and Border Protection OfficersHow salary varies by location
| Location | Median | Employment | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | $136,140 | 2,590 | 2025 |
| San Francisco, CA | $132,000 | 7,990 | 2025 |
| Carson City, NV | $131,210 | 110 | 2025 |
| Vallejo, CA | $129,900 | 690 | 2025 |
| Napa, CA | $127,310 | 300 | 2025 |
| Santa Rosa, CA | $125,910 | 590 | 2025 |
| Santa Cruz, CA | $122,970 | 400 | 2025 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $121,980 | 24,720 | 2025 |
| Santa Maria, CA | $120,900 | 730 | 2025 |
| Oxnard, CA | $119,640 | 1,330 | 2025 |
| CA | $118,880 | 65,940 | 2025 |
| Salinas, CA | $118,220 | 930 | 2025 |
| Seattle, WA | $115,120 | 4,520 | 2025 |
| Anchorage, AK | $115,020 | 570 | 2025 |
| Sacramento, CA | $111,460 | 5,420 | 2025 |
| San Diego, CA | $110,400 | 4,950 | 2025 |
| Chicago, IL | $107,810 | 22,680 | 2025 |
| Redding, CA | $107,270 | 290 | 2025 |
| New York, NY | $105,540 | 54,270 | 2025 |
| Fairbanks, AK | $105,370 | 110 | 2025 |
Career transition paths
Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Customs and Border Protection Officers to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.
Build a transition comparisonCareer and skills data: O*NET 31.0.
Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).
Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.