Border Patrol Enforcement Series
Federal headcount, average salary, length of service, and pay comparison for the Border Patrol Enforcement Series occupation series (code 1896), drawn directly from the OPM FedScope dataset (June 2026).
The verdict
In the Investigation Group family, Border Patrol Enforcement Series counts 21,781 employees, a major federal occupation at 1.1% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount grew 1.6% from the prior period; pay averages n/a, which pays below the federal-wide $117,339.
- Employees
- 21,781
- Share of workforce
- 1.1%
- Avg salary
- n/a
- Avg tenure
- 13.3 yrs
FedScope read on Border Patrol Enforcement Series (dense series)
Federal agencies employ 21,781 people in the Border Patrol Enforcement Series occupation (OPM code 1896), accounting for 1.1% of the total federal civilian workforce of 1,953,300 for the June 2026 reporting window. Headcount in this occupation moved up by 1.6% versus the prior period, a useful gauge for job seekers on USAJOBS trying to assess whether this role is expanding government-wide or contracting under hiring freezes and attrition.
Average tenure in Border Patrol Enforcement Series runs 13.3 years, a mid-length average tenure, reflecting a mix of career employees and those who transfer or exit mid-career. Pay averages n/a per year, down 0.0% from the prior period, a small shift, within the range of normal year-to-year rounding rather than a broad pay-table change.
Border Patrol Enforcement Series sits inside the Investigation Group family (code 18), which contains 20 related occupations across the federal government. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Border Patrol Enforcement Series postings should also review these sibling occupations in the Investigation Group family.
Border Patrol Enforcement Series makes up 10.4% of the 209,389 employees across the Investigation Group family, ranking #5 of 20 occupations in that family by headcount. Its average salary ranks in the bottom half (0th percentile) of pay among Investigation Group occupations.
Salary context · lean-pay series
How Border Patrol Enforcement Series pay compares to the federal average of $117,339
Occupation Average
n/a
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
-100.0%
Where Border Patrol Enforcement Series ranks on lean federal pay
Its average salary of n/a is higher than 0% of federal occupation series (0 of 541). The highlighted bar marks where Border Patrol Enforcement Series sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 541 federal occupation series; Border Patrol Enforcement Series ranks higher than 0%.
Related Occupations in Investigation Group
10 other occupations in the same family
| Occupation | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compliance Inspection and Support | 53,444 | n/a | 9.8 yrs |
| Criminal Investigation | 44,633 | n/a | 14.5 yrs |
| General Inspection, Investigation, Enforcement, and Compliance Series | 44,491 | n/a | 14.8 yrs |
| Customs and Border Protection | 27,421 | n/a | 14.7 yrs |
| Consumer Safety Inspection | 5,242 | $74,073 | 15.3 yrs |
| Aviation Safety | 4,206 | $143,216 | 15 yrs |
| Investigative Analysis | 2,129 | n/a | 15.9 yrs |
| Import Compliance Series | 1,104 | $126,314 | 16.5 yrs |
| Wage and Hour Investigation Series | 885 | $120,994 | 17.1 yrs |
| Mine Safety and Health Inspection Series | 875 | $112,306 | 13.2 yrs |
Nationwide peers near this dense headcount
Two peer sets for Border Patrol Enforcement Series outside the Investigation Group family, on headcount and average salary axes that vary across all OPM occupation series.
Similar dense headcount
Nearest employee counts in other occupation families (21,781 here).
Similar lean average salary
Nearest average salaries in other occupation families (n/a here).
Key takeaways
- Border Patrol Enforcement Series pays below the federal average by 100.0% (n/a vs $117,339 federal-wide), at the 0th percentile for pay among 541 tracked occupation series.
- A major federal occupation by headcount: 21,781 employees, 1.1% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount grew 1.6% from the prior period.
- According to OPM FedScope June 2026, Border Patrol Enforcement Series ranks #22 of 663 federal occupation series by headcount (the same employee_count ordering as our occupations directory).
- Border Patrol Enforcement Series makes up 10.4% of the 209,389 employees across the Investigation Group family, ranking #5 of 20 occupations in that family by headcount.
OPM FedScope and Federal Workforce Data figures are federal civilian headcounts, average salaries, and length-of-service statistics - not job-quality scores, hiring advice, or a live vacancy listing. A larger or higher-paid agency is not a better employer.