Basic Failure. Salary: $30,000 or less

You get the job, but you fail horribly during basic training. The next day, your butt is sore from getting kicked out of the program so fast.

Sleeping Duty. Salary: $40,000

It's your first week on the job and you've worked seven consecutive overtime shifts. You're exhausted, barely able to focus. You're so tired that one day when you're supposed to be inspecting cars entering the U.S., you miss a car smuggling in a whole bunch of drug contraband. Whoops. You're suspended until your superiors decide whether they can put you back in the field or not.

On-the-Ball Inspector. Salary: $76,000

You are a very diligent inspector and take pride in making sure that everyone that you approve to enter the country is safe and enjoys their experience with you. It's not the most exciting work, but you feel pretty darn good about what you're doing.

Big-Shot Inspector. Salary: $95,000

After consistently being responsible for stopping contraband from entering the country, your hard work is recognized and you've been promoted. You know what that means. Higher pay grade, baby.

Senior Executive. Salary: $150,000+

After years of hard work and protecting our country, you are now officially at the Senior Executive Service level. You are in charge of leading the transformation of the customs and immigrations laws and you have the say-so in a lot of high profile cases.