Summary Report for:
33-3021.05 - Immigration and Customs Inspectors
Investigate and inspect persons, common carriers, goods, and merchandise, arriving in or departing from the United States or between states to detect violations of immigration and customs laws and regulations.
Sample of reported job titles:
Customs and Border Protection Officer (CBPO), Customs Port Director, Inspector, Special Agent, Customs Officer, US Customs and Border Protection Officer (US CBPO), Customs Inspector, Import Specialist, Agriculture Specialist, Canine Enforcement Officer (K-9 Enforcement Officer)
Tasks | Tools & Technology | Knowledge | Skills | Abilities | Work Activities | Work Context | Job Zone | Education | Interests | Work Styles | Work Values | Related Occupations | Wages & Employment | Additional Information
Tasks
- Examine immigration applications, visas, and passports and interview persons to determine eligibility for admission, residence, and travel in the U.S.
- Detain persons found to be in violation of customs or immigration laws and arrange for legal action, such as deportation.
- Locate and seize contraband, undeclared merchandise, and vehicles, aircraft, or boats that contain such merchandise.
- Interpret and explain laws and regulations to travelers, prospective immigrants, shippers, and manufacturers.
- Inspect cargo, baggage, and personal articles entering or leaving U.S. for compliance with revenue laws and U.S. customs regulations.
- Record and report job-related activities, findings, transactions, violations, discrepancies, and decisions.
- Institute civil and criminal prosecutions and cooperate with other law enforcement agencies in the investigation and prosecution of those in violation of immigration or customs laws.
- Testify regarding decisions at immigration appeals or in federal court.
- Determine duty and taxes to be paid on goods.
- Collect samples of merchandise for examination, appraisal, or testing.
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Tools & Technology
Tools used in this occupation:
| Handcuffs — Metal handcuffs; Plastic handcuffs |
| Mainframe console or dumb terminals — Radiation portal monitor terminals |
| Notebook computers — Laptop computers; Mobile data computers |
| Radiation detectors — Personal radiation detectors PRD; Radiation isotope identifier devices RIID; Radiation portal monitors RPM; Radioisotope detection devices |
| Two way radios |
| Weapons or explosives detectors — Hazardous material detectors; Ion mobility spectrometers |
| X ray radiography examination equipment — Mobile truck X ray units; Vehicle and Cargo Inspection System VACIS; X ray inspection equipment |
Technology used in this occupation:
| Data base user interface and query software — Automated Manifest System AMS; Law enforcement information databases; National Crime Information Center NCIC database; Treasury Enforcement Communications System TECS |
| Spreadsheet software — Microsoft Excel |
| Word processing software — Corel WordPerfect software; Microsoft Word |
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Knowledge
| Public Safety and Security — Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions. |
| Law and Government — Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process. |
| English Language — Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar. |
| Customer and Personal Service — Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction. |
| Computers and Electronics — Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming. |
| Foreign Language — Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation. |
| Psychology — Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders. |
| Clerical — Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology. |
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Skills
| Active Listening — Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times. |
| Speaking — Talking to others to convey information effectively. |
| Critical Thinking — Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems. |
| Judgment and Decision Making — Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one. |
| Reading Comprehension — Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents. |
| Social Perceptiveness — Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do. |
| Writing — Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience. |
| Monitoring — Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action. |
| Coordination — Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions. |
| Complex Problem Solving — Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions. |
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Abilities
| Oral Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand. |
| Oral Comprehension — The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences. |
| Problem Sensitivity — The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem. |
| Inductive Reasoning — The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events). |
| Near Vision — The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer). |
| Deductive Reasoning — The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense. |
| Speech Clarity — The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you. |
| Written Comprehension — The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing. |
| Written Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand. |
| Speech Recognition — The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person. |
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Work Activities
| Interacting With Computers — Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information. |
| Documenting/Recording Information — Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form. |
| Making Decisions and Solving Problems — Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems. |
| Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates — Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person. |
| Getting Information — Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources. |
| Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards — Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards. |
| Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events — Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events. |
| Analyzing Data or Information — Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts. |
| Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings — Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems. |
| Processing Information — Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data. |
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Work Context
| Electronic Mail — How often do you use electronic mail in this job? |
| Contact With Others — How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it? |
| Face-to-Face Discussions — How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job? |
| Telephone — How often do you have telephone conversations in this job? |
| Work With Work Group or Team — How important is it to work with others in a group or team in this job? |
| Deal With External Customers — How important is it to work with external customers or the public in this job? |
| Frequency of Decision Making — How frequently is the worker required to make decisions that affect other people, the financial resources, and/or the image and reputation of the organization? |
| Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results — How do the decisions an employee makes impact the results of co-workers, clients or the company? |
| Importance of Being Exact or Accurate — How important is being very exact or highly accurate in performing this job? |
| Exposed to Contaminants — How often does this job require working exposed to contaminants (such as pollutants, gases, dust or odors)? |
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Job Zone
| Title |
Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed |
| Education |
Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not. |
| Related Experience |
A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified. |
| Job Training |
Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training. |
| Job Zone Examples |
Many of these occupations involve coordinating, supervising, managing, or training others. Examples include accountants, sales managers, database administrators, teachers, chemists, environmental engineers, criminal investigators, and special agents. |
| SVP Range |
(7.0 to < 8.0) |
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Education
Percentage of Respondents |
Education Level Required |
42   |
Bachelor's degree |
| 28 |
Some college, no degree |
| 21 |
High school diploma or equivalent |
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Interests
Interest code: CER
| Conventional — Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow. |
| Enterprising — Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business. |
| Realistic — Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others. |
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Work Styles
| Integrity — Job requires being honest and ethical. |
| Self Control — Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations. |
| Dependability — Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations. |
| Stress Tolerance — Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations. |
| Attention to Detail — Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks. |
| Cooperation — Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude. |
| Adaptability/Flexibility — Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace. |
| Achievement/Effort — Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks. |
| Independence — Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done. |
| Initiative — Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges. |
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Work Values
| Support — Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical. |
| Working Conditions — Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions. |
| Independence — Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy. |
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Related Occupations
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Wages & Employment Trends
National
Median wages data collected from Detectives and Criminal Investigators.
Employment data collected from Detectives and Criminal Investigators.
Industry data collected from Detectives and Criminal Investigators.
| Median wages (2011) |
$34.51 hourly, $71,770 annual |
| Employment (2010) |
119,000 employees |
| Projected growth (2010-2020) |
Slower than average (3% to 9%)
|
| Projected job openings (2010-2020) |
30,100 |
| Top industries (2010) |
|
State & National
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 2011 wage data
and 2010-2020 employment projections
.
"Projected growth" represents the estimated change in total employment over the projections period (2010-2020). "Projected job openings" represent openings due to growth and replacement.
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Sources of Additional Information
Disclaimer:
Sources are listed to provide additional information on related jobs, specialties, and/or industries.
Links to non-DOL Internet sites are provided for your convenience and do not constitute an endorsement.
- Police and Detectives
. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor. Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2012-13 Edition.
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