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CUSTOMS AID
Duties of the Job
Customs Aids perform semi-technical duties that require the application of a specialized knowledge of
certain provisions of customs laws and regulations. A Customs Aid can work at small ports, performing
entry receipt and cash-processing functions, or at docks, serving as general assistant to Customs
Inspectors supervising the unloading of vessels and examining merchandise (a small number of Customs
Aids also perform marine duties in assistance to Marine Officers); at regional offices, receiving and acting
on entries before final liquidation takes place; and at airports, assisting Customs Inspectors and other
specialized personnel in carrying out a variety of duties including security functions in some cases.
Working Conditions
The Customs Aid enjoys all the benefits of Customs employment. These include liberal vacation and sick
leave; low-cost group hospitalization, medical, and life insurance plans; government-paid financial
protection in the event of job-connected injury or death; and a Civil Service retirement plan. If an
employee enters the Armed Forces after taking a position at Customs, the position will be waiting for the
employee on his or her return. The Customs employee may also receive pay raises and be promoted in
absentia. If a Customs employee is a member of a military reserve unit and must attend annual training,
he or she will receive up to 15 days of military leave with full pay.
Promotion Opportunities
Entry-level appointments to Customs Aid positions are made at the GS-4 and GS-5 levels, with
opportunities for advancement to the GS-7 level. Some positions at the GS-5 and GS-6 levels and most
positions at the GS-7 level include the responsibility for supervising the work of a group of Customs Aids
in lower-graded positions. For qualified individuals, advancement opportunities to higher grade levels
exist in other occupational series.
CUSTOMS INSPECTOR
Duties of the Job
Customs Inspectors, as members of the U.S. Customs Service law enforcement team, play a key role in
enforcing numerous customs regulations through precise and thorough methods of examination,
inspection, and questioning. Their responsibilities include cargoes and baggage; articles worn or carried
by individuals; and vessels, vehicles, and aircraft entering or leaving the United States. When carriers
such as ships, aircraft, or motor transport enter our borders, Customs Inspectors are authorized to go
aboard to inspect, search, and determine the exact nature of the cargo. Cargo manifests and baggage
declarations are reviewed, cargo containers are examined, and unloading activities are overseen to
prevent smuggling, fraud, or cargo thefts. Customs Inspectors may weigh and measure imported
merchandise to make certain that customs, neutrality, and commerce laws are followed. For example, to
protect U.S. distributors of certain trademarked, imported merchandise, restrictions are placed on the
amounts that may be brought into the country. Business magnates, captains of ships, and importers are
the Inspectors' daily contacts as they review manifests, examine cargo carried by container on specially
designed vessels, and control shipments transferred under bond to ports throughout the United States.
