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What is a customs officer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
2 min read
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a customs officer. For example, did you know that they make an average of $75.33 an hour? That's $156,696 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 3% and produce 20,600 job opportunities across the U.S.
ScoreCustoms OfficerUS Average
Salary
9.1

Avg. Salary $156,696

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
10.0

Growth rate 3%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
2.9
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.67%

Asian 2.83%

Black or African American 11.98%

Hispanic or Latino 16.46%

Unknown 5.00%

White 63.06%

Gender

female 46.91%

male 53.09%

Age - 44
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 - 44
Stress level
10.0

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
8.9

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance
4.9

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Customs officer career paths

Key steps to become a customs officer

  1. Explore customs officer education requirements

    Most common customs officer degrees

    Bachelor's

    60.5 %

    Master's

    14.6 %

    Diploma

    9.6 %
  2. Start to develop specific customs officer skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Bank Products13.58%
    Customer Satisfaction11.07%
    Financial Services10.82%
    Customer Service10.36%
    Customer Inquiries7.92%
  3. Complete relevant customs officer training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New customs 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 customs officer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real customs officer resumes.
  4. Research customs officer duties and responsibilities

    • Manage VIP visits and deal with all areas of logistics including event management and corporate hospitality
    • Seize contraband secrete in conveyances and when justify, seize the conveyance.
    • Process passengers that have been identify as having outstanding warrants in accordance with NCIC guidelines.
    • Maintain firearms and other issue equipment in good working order and condition at all times.
  5. Prepare your customs officer resume

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

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a customs officer resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable customs officer resume templates

    Build a professional customs 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 customs officer resume.
    Customs Officer Resume
    Customs Officer Resume
    Customs Officer Resume
    Customs Officer Resume
    Customs Officer Resume
    Customs Officer Resume
    Customs Officer Resume
    Customs Officer Resume
    Customs Officer Resume
  6. Apply for customs officer jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a customs officer job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first customs officer job

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Average customs officer salary

The average customs officer salary in the United States is $156,696 per year or $75 per hour. Customs officer salaries range between $77,000 and $317,000 per year.

Average customs officer salary
$156,696 Yearly
$75.33 hourly

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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