How to become a probation and parole officer in Montana
The Montana Department of Corrections, Probation and Parole Bureau (Public Safety Division) hires state probation and parole officers under the title Probation & Parole Officer. New probation and parole officers start at $57,366 a year. You must be at least 18.
Pay
| Starting salary | $57,366 |
|---|---|
| Top of scale | — |
| Scale effective | 2026-10-20 |
State of Montana posting 26142617 (Billings, posted 2026-10-20): $27.58 - 27.58 hourly, a single rate; × 2080 = $57,366.40/yr. Union: Montana Federation of Public Employees. No published range/top step found.
Source:[mtstatejobs.taleo.net]
Pay for this work across Montana
Federal survey figures for probation officers and correctional treatment specialists in Montana, counting every employer in the state, public and private, so they differ from the state's own pay scale above.
| People in this work | 360 |
|---|---|
| Lower pay (10th percentile) | $48,390 |
| Median pay | $59,750 |
| Higher pay (90th percentile) | $74,280 |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, state estimates (all employers)[bls.gov]
Requirements
- Minimum age: 18
- Education: At least a college degree in a related field such as criminology, psychology, social work, sociology, or guidance and counseling, and some formal training in behavioral sciences. Exceptions must be approved by the department: related work experience (corrections/detention, criminology, education, medicine, psychiatry, psychology, law, law enforcement, social work, sociology, psychiatric nursing, or guidance and counseling) may substitute for education at 1 year of experience for 9 months of formal education (MCA 46-23-1003).
- Citizenship: U.S. citizen (for POST certification)
- High school diploma or GED (POST)
- Possess or be eligible for a valid Montana driver's license
- Fingerprinted for a criminal history search; no conviction for a crime punishable by imprisonment in a federal or state penitentiary; good moral character via background screen
- Candidates convicted of any felony or a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, or subject to a qualifying order of protection, are not qualified (firearm eligibility)
- Must obtain POST Basic Certification after Montana Law Enforcement Academy training and one year of DOC employment
Source:[mtstatejobs.taleo.net]
Hiring process
- Apply online on the State of Montana careers site with cover letter, resume, and State of Montana application
- Selection process (applicant pool may be reused for six months)
- Background screens: criminal records, child/patient/offender abuse registries, references
- Job offer, Form I-9 and E-Verify
- Montana Law Enforcement Academy training; POST Basic Certification after one year
Source:[mtstatejobs.taleo.net]
Academy
9.5 weeks, paid.[leg.mt.gov]
Pension and retirement
- Plan: Montana Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS), Defined Benefit Retirement Plan (12-month window to elect the Defined Contribution plan instead)
- Benefit formula: Retirement Factor × Years of Service Credit × HAC (highest 60 consecutive months): 1.5% with 5 to under 10 years; 1.7857% with 10 to under 30 years; 2% with 30 or more years (members hired on/after July 1, 2011)
- When you can retire: Normal: age 65 with at least five years of membership service, or age 70 in active service. Early: age 55 with five years, reduced. Vested after five years.
Member contribution 7.9%. PERS is the plan for state employees generally; no official source found placing DOC probation and parole officers in a public-safety system (e.g. Sheriffs' Retirement System).
Source:[mpera.mt.gov]