How To Become A Custom Protection Officer: What It Is and Career Path

What is a custom protection officer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted expert

Dr. Janet Brewer

Customs protection officers work at airports and seaports, monitoring passengers' luggage for smuggled items and collecting customs fees. They work closely with police and other security agencies and are sometimes required to go to court and contribute to resolving court cases related to customs violations.

As a customs protection officer, you will search travelers' luggage, vehicles, and even their clothes. You will verify if their documents are valid and question people who have been found carrying illegal items. You might have to arrest people or press charges against them, if necessary.

It will be your job to prepare reports on your findings and write up witness statements for cases that go to court. You might specialize in dog handling, undercover work, or perform surveillance duties, which all require specific training.

What general advice would you give to a custom protection officer?

Dr. Janet Brewer

Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice & Sociology, Governors State University

Market yourself as someone who can increase revenue or decrease workload for that entity. Use your school's alumni network to its fullest.

ScoreCustom Protection OfficerUS Average

Salary

2.9

Avg. Salary $37,207

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

8.6

Growth rate 3%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

10.0

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.59%

Asian 5.95%

Black or African American 12.57%

Hispanic or Latino 19.97%

Unknown 5.30%

White 54.62%

Gender

female 24.09%

male 75.91%

Age - 43

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 43

Stress level

8.6

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

4.9

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance

9.4

Work life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a custom protection officer

Explore custom protection officer education requirements

Most common custom protection officer degrees

Bachelor's

42.8 %

Associate

31.5 %

High School Diploma

14.2 %

Start to develop specific custom protection officer skills

Skills	Percentages
Patrol	37.52%
Safety Hazards	18.22%
Emergency Situations	5.77%
CCTV	3.88%
Security Procedures	3.50%

Complete relevant custom protection officer training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New custom protection officers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a custom protection officer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real custom protection officer resumes.

Research custom protection officer duties and responsibilities

Train in the use and employment of CPR, a and specialize equipment for use in medical emergencies.
Patrol inside and outside the facility securing the property by identifying and eliminating, potential safety hazards.
Supervise fumigation treatments of agriculture commodities when infestations are found and monitor environment and readings until complete.
Perform safety, emergency, and firefighting services throughout the plant

Prepare your custom protection officer resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your custom protection officer resume.

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Choose from 10+ customizable custom protection officer resume templates

Build a professional custom protection officer resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your custom protection officer resume.