Customs officer vs border patrol agent

The differences between customs officers and border patrol agents can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a customs officer has an average salary of $156,696, which is higher than the $46,060 average annual salary of a border patrol agent.

The top three skills for a customs officer include bank products, customer satisfaction and financial services. The most important skills for a border patrol agent are patrol, CBP, and DHS.

Customs officer vs border patrol agent overview

	Customs Officer	Border Patrol Agent
Yearly salary	$156,696	$46,060
Hourly rate	$75.33	$22.14
Growth rate	3%	3%
Number of jobs	56,662	43,748
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 61%	Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Average age	44	40
Years of experience	-	-

Customs officer vs border patrol agent salary

Customs officers and border patrol agents have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Customs Officer	Border Patrol Agent
Average salary	$156,696	$46,060
Salary range	Between $77,000 And $317,000	Between $31,000 And $68,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Los Angeles, CA
Highest paying state	California	Alaska
Best paying company	Aera Technology	Department of Homeland Security
Best paying industry	-	Government

Differences between customs officer and border patrol agent education

There are a few differences between a customs officer and a border patrol agent in terms of educational background:

	Customs Officer	Border Patrol Agent
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 61%	Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Most common major	Business	Criminal Justice
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	California State University - Bakersfield

Customs officer vs border patrol agent demographics

Here are the differences between customs officers' and border patrol agents' demographics:

	Customs Officer	Border Patrol Agent
Average age	44	40
Gender ratio	Male, 53.1% Female, 46.9%	Male, 86.0% Female, 14.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 12.0% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 16.5% Asian, 2.8% White, 63.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 9.1% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 22.0% Asian, 2.9% White, 60.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	9%	7%

Differences between customs officer and border patrol agent duties and responsibilities

Customs officer example 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.
Review HAZMAT labels, FDA paperwork, and perishable goods invoices in compliance with regulations.
Search automobiles, conveyance of records and documents, seize contraband, equipment, and vehicles.

Border patrol agent example responsibilities.

Manage surveillance of DUI traffic offenders in Jacksonville
Interview U.S. citizens to accomplish anti-terrorism and anti-smuggling mission.
Certify in CPR and license by S.L.E.D.
Document incidents, apply wound care, and administer CPR.
Supervise immigration processing including expedite removals, NTAs, and I-160as.
Determine U.S. citizenship and processing immigrant visa case work and Sevis forms.

Customs officer vs border patrol agent skills

Common customs officer skills

Bank Products, 14%
Customer Satisfaction, 11%
Financial Services, 11%
Customer Service, 10%
Customer Inquiries, 8%
Customer Complaints, 5%

Common border patrol agent skills

Patrol, 72%
CBP, 14%
DHS, 2%
Federal Laws, 2%
Illegal Entry, 2%
Spanish Language, 1%

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Customs Officer vs Border Patrol Agent

Updated January 8, 2025

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