How to become a police officer in Vermont
In Vermont, police officers are hired by city police departments and county sheriff's offices. The Vermont Criminal Justice Council (VCJC) / Vermont Police Academy sets the statewide standards; the credential is Level III Law Enforcement Officer Certification. At the Burlington Police Department, new hires start at $81,653 a year, rising to $108,985 after about 14 years. You must be at least 18.
Pay at the Burlington Police Department
Each city and county sets its own pay. This is the official scale of the Burlington Police Department, the largest city's agency.
| Starting salary | $81,653 |
|---|---|
| Top of scale | $108,985 |
| Years to top | 14 |
| Scale effective | 2026-07-01 |
Start is the Burlington Police recruiting page figure; top is step 15 of the 2025–2028 police contract for the year from July 1, 2026.
Source:[burlingtonvt.gov]
Pay for this work across Vermont
Federal survey figures for police and sheriff's patrol officers in Vermont, counting every employer in the state, public and private, so they differ from any one agency's pay scale above.
| People in this work | 1,020 |
|---|---|
| Lower pay (10th percentile) | $53,950 |
| Median pay | $68,910 |
| Higher pay (90th percentile) | $95,530 |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, state estimates (all employers)[bls.gov]
Requirements
- Minimum age: 18
- Education: High school graduate or high school equivalency diploma (G.E.D.)
- At least 18 at the time of application to basic training; valid driver's license
- Must be sponsored by a Vermont law enforcement agency to test or attend the academy
- Comprehensive medical exam no more than 6 months before entry
- Pass the Vermont Police Academy written entrance exam and a physical fitness test (50th percentile for age and gender as of 2026)
- Psychological evaluation (MMPI-3) and agency certification that the candidate is emotionally suited for law enforcement
- Agency background check and polygraph within 24 months of entry; FBI fingerprint check within one year of entry
- No felony conviction, misdemeanor involving injury to another, or order prohibiting firearm possession
Source:[vcjc.vermont.gov]
Hiring process
- Application to a Vermont law enforcement agency (agency sponsorship required)
- Vermont Police Academy written entrance exam
- Physical fitness test
- Medical examination
- Psychological evaluation (MMPI-3)
- Background check, polygraph, and fingerprint check
- Level III Basic Training (17-week residential academy)
- Agency field training and Level III certification
Source:[vcjc.vermont.gov]
Entrance exam
Vermont Police Academy entrance examination. Rule 14(d): each candidate must pass the current Vermont Police Academy entrance examination before acceptance into basic training; results are valid for one year. Given in person at the VPA about monthly, or online with a National Testing Network proctor; only for agency-sponsored candidates. Burlington PD's hiring packet says Vermont currently has no written exam because a new one is being created.[vcjc.vermont.gov]
Required training
17 weeks. VCJC FAQ: 'the Level III Basic Training course is a seventeen (17) weeklong residential program'; two Level III classes per year. The Council sets the minimum hours annually but no hour figure is published on the pages reviewed. Level II (limited authority) is an 80-hour academy plus 60 hours Phase Two and 120 hours field training.[vcjc.vermont.gov]
Pension and retirement
- Plan: Vermont Municipal Employees' Retirement System (VMERS), Group C
- Benefit formula: 2.5% of average final compensation x years of creditable service as a Group C member, up to a maximum of 50% of average final compensation (24 V.S.A. § 5055)
- When you can retire: Normal retirement at age 55 with 5 years of creditable service (24 V.S.A. § 5051(15)(C))
Group C membership is designated by the municipality or a collective bargaining agreement (24 V.S.A. § 5068); Group C members contribute 11% of pay. Burlington PD describes its own retirement plan instead: 50% of the average of the 5 highest years of base salary at 20 years (minimum age 50), rising 5% a year to 75% at 25 years.
Source:[legislature.vermont.gov]