DHS opens up new $60K bonuses for Border Patrol agents, other officers

The Trump administration is ramping up its monetary incentives as it seeks to dramatically increase the Border Patrol and customs officer workforce, with applicants now eligible for bonuses as high as $60,000. 

The added financial sweetener comes as Customs and Border Protection is looking to add 8,500 employees using the $4 billion it received in President Trump’s signature One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which included $285 million specifically for bonuses. New hires for Border Patrol who complete academy training and move to remote locations will be eligible for the full $60,000. New officers in the Office of Field Operations would qualify for that amount if they are sent into hard-to-fill locations. 

Even with applications growing since Trump took office, CBP’s longstanding struggles with attrition have prevented it from netting a significant number of new staff. To address this concern, existing employees will also be eligible for bonuses of up to $50,000 for Border Patrol staff and $60,000 for certain customs personnel. 

“CBP is committed to recruiting and retaining top talent for our critical mission,” CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott said. “By offering competitive incentives, we are investing in skilled professionals who will help secure America’s borders and advance national security.”

Between May and June of this year, CBP received about 50,000 applications for law enforcement positions, a nearly 40% jump from the same period last year. About 1,200 of those applicants were hired, including 547 Border Patrol agents, a significant jump from the 720 hires it made in the same three months of 2024. Still, CBP will need to significantly ramp up its hiring pace to meet its goals after accounting for attrition.

Border Patrol has offered recruitment bonuses of $30,000 since before Trump took office, though the number of net staff declined during the Biden administration. CBP recently fired its head of human resources, a long-time career official, without explanation. 

More money alone is unlikely to solve CBP’s hiring challenges. The jobs are difficult and often located in remote, inclement areas, the hiring process is long and difficult, potential bottlenecks include background checks and training capacity and small towns with Border Patrol outposts have limited resources to house and accommodate hundreds or thousands of agents flooding their communities all at once, current and former officials have told Government Executive. 

“We have had a really rough time hiring in law enforcement in general,” Mat Silverman, president of the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, said in August. “Everywhere you look they are offering bonuses.”

Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which is looking to hire 10,000 officers and agents, began offering hiring bonuses of $50,000 earlier this year. U.S. Park Police recently began offering recruitment bonuses of $70,000 to potential applicants. 

The new awards at CBP “are designed to ease the transition into federal service, honor commitment, and foster long-term career growth within CBP,” the agency said.