State Trooper pay and requirements by state
State troopers patrol highways and enforce state law for the state police or highway patrol. Every state except Hawaii has one. Most hire at 21 with a high school diploma, then pay recruits through a residential academy of about 14 to 36 weeks. Pay, age rules and pensions differ a lot by state.
Across the 49 states with a published scale, the median starting salary is $71,406. The highest is California at $116,040; the lowest is Alabama at $46,469. Minimum hiring age: 21 in 33 states, 20 in 7 states, 18 in 4 states, 19 in 1 state, 22 in 1 state, 20.5 in 1 state, 19.5 in 1 state.
Highest starting pay
- 1. California$116,040
- 2. Alaska$97,365
- 3. Colorado$96,552
- 4. Washington$93,156
- 5. Delaware$91,265
- 6. Illinois$90,828
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| State | Employer | Starting pay | Top pay | Min. age | Pension |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) | $46,469 | $77,690 | 21 | Employees' Retirement System of Alabama (ERS), State Police, Tier 2 |
| Alaska | Alaska Department of Public Safety, Alaska State Troopers | $97,365 | — | 21 | Alaska PERS Tier IV Defined Contribution Retirement (DCR) Plan, plus Supplemental Annuity Plan (SBS) and optional Deferred Compensation (457) |
| Arizona | Arizona Department of Public Safety (AZDPS), Highway Patrol Division | $68,652 | $96,181 | 21 | Arizona Public Safety Personnel Retirement System (PSPRS), Tier 3 (hired on or after July 1, 2017) |
| Arkansas | Arkansas State Police (Arkansas Department of Public Safety) | $67,675 | $100,159 | 20 | Arkansas State Police Retirement System (ASPRS), Tier II (hired on or after April 3, 1997); administered by APERS |
| California | California Highway Patrol (CHP) | $116,040 | $143,940 | 21 | CalPERS, State Patrol member category (PEPRA, new members on or after Jan. 1, 2013) |
| Colorado | Colorado State Patrol (CSP) | $96,552 | $122,136 | 21 | Colorado PERA Defined Benefit Plan, Safety Officer (State Trooper) category, hired on or after Jan. 1, 2020 |
| Connecticut | Connecticut State Police (Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection) | $76,625 | $119,023 | 21 | Connecticut State Employees Retirement System (SERS) Tier IV, hazardous duty (first state service on or after July 31, 2017) |
| Delaware | Delaware State Police (DSP) | $91,265 | — | 21 | Delaware State Police Pension Plan (members first hired on or after July 1, 1980), 11 Del. C. ch. 83 subch. III |
| Florida | Florida Highway Patrol (Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles) | $62,400 | — | 19 | Florida Retirement System (FRS) Pension Plan, Special Risk Class (initially enrolled on or after July 1, 2011) |
| Georgia | Georgia State Patrol (Georgia Department of Public Safety) | $63,684 | $80,024 | 21 | Employees' Retirement System of Georgia (ERS), Georgia State Employees' Pension and Savings Plan (GSEPS, Tier 3; hired on or after Jan. 1, 2009) |
| Idaho | Idaho State Police | $62,546 | $70,054 | 21 | Public Employee Retirement System of Idaho (PERSI) Base Plan, police/firefighter member class |
| Illinois | Illinois State Police | $90,828 | — | 21 | State Employees' Retirement System of Illinois (SERS), Tier 2, alternative formula |
| Indiana | Indiana State Police | $70,000 | $112,000 | 21 | Indiana State Police Pension Trust (department pension plan, with D.R.O.P. and Partial Lump Sum Option) |
| Iowa | Iowa Department of Public Safety (Iowa State Patrol) | $71,406 | $107,390 | 22 | Peace Officers' Retirement, Accident and Disability System (POR), Iowa Code ch. 97A |
| Kansas | Kansas Highway Patrol | $68,869 | $72,301 | 21 | Kansas Police and Firemen's Retirement System (KP&F), Tier II |
| Kentucky | Kentucky State Police | $64,998 | — | 21 | Kentucky Public Pensions Authority (KPPA) - State Police Retirement System (SPRS), Tier 3 hybrid cash balance plan (hazardous) |
| Louisiana | Louisiana State Police | $57,680 | $107,302 | 21 | Louisiana State Police Retirement System (LSPRS) |
| Maine | Maine Department of Public Safety, Bureau of Maine State Police | $67,808 | $94,203 | 21 | Maine Public Employees Retirement System (MainePERS), State special plan for State Police hired after 9/15/1984 |
| Maryland | Maryland Department of State Police | $69,360 | $131,344 | 20 | State Police Retirement System (Maryland State Retirement and Pension System) |
| Massachusetts | Massachusetts State Police | $80,213 | — | 21 | Massachusetts State Employees' Retirement System (State Board of Retirement), Group 3 (state police) |
| Michigan | Michigan State Police | $71,723 | $107,031 | 21 | Michigan State Police Retirement System - Defined Benefit/Defined Contribution Hybrid Plan for New Troopers (from the 123rd Trooper Recruit School) |
| Minnesota | Minnesota State Patrol (Department of Public Safety) | $79,469 | $108,701 | 21 | Minnesota State Retirement System (MSRS) State Patrol Retirement Plan |
| Mississippi | Mississippi Highway Patrol (Mississippi Department of Public Safety) | $54,000 | — | 21 | Mississippi Highway Safety Patrol Retirement System (MHSPRS), administered by PERS of Mississippi |
| Missouri | Missouri State Highway Patrol | $73,824 | $98,448 | 21 | MoDOT & Patrol Employees' Retirement System (MPERS), 2011 Tier (members hired on or after January 1, 2011) |
| Montana | Montana Highway Patrol (Montana Department of Justice) | $71,240 | — | 18 | Highway Patrol Officers' Retirement System (HPORS), administered by MPERA |
| Nebraska | Nebraska State Patrol | $70,195 | $106,547 | 21 | Nebraska State Patrol Retirement System (NPERS), Tier Two (hired on or after July 1, 2016) |
| Nevada | Nevada State Police - Highway Patrol (Nevada Department of Public Safety) | $82,392 | $123,651 | 21 | Public Employees' Retirement System of Nevada (NVPERS), Police/Fire, members enrolled on or after July 1, 2015 |
| New Hampshire | New Hampshire State Police (Division of State Police, NH Department of Safety) | $66,000 | — | 21 | New Hampshire Retirement System (NHRS), Group II (Police and Fire), Tier C (hired on or after July 1, 2011) |
| New Jersey | New Jersey State Police | $77,143 | $152,944 | 21 | New Jersey State Police Retirement System (SPRS) |
| New Mexico | New Mexico State Police (Department of Public Safety) | $76,960 | — | 21 | New Mexico Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA), State Public Safety Officer Plan 1 (formerly State Police and Adult Correctional Officer Plan 1), Tier 2 |
| New York | New York State Police | $82,608 | $127,049 | 20 | New York State and Local Police and Fire Retirement System (PFRS), State Police Plan (Section 381-b), Tier 6 |
| North Carolina | North Carolina State Highway Patrol | $63,250 | $92,290 | 21 | Teachers' and State Employees' Retirement System of North Carolina (TSERS), law enforcement officer provisions |
| North Dakota | North Dakota Highway Patrol | $75,528 | $91,668 | — | North Dakota Highway Patrol Retirement System (NDPERS-administered Highway Patrol plan) |
| Ohio | Ohio State Highway Patrol | $73,320 | $90,750 | 20 | Ohio State Highway Patrol Retirement System (HPRS) |
| Oklahoma | Oklahoma Highway Patrol (Oklahoma Department of Public Safety) | $64,238 | $92,794 | 21 | Oklahoma Law Enforcement Retirement System (OLERS) |
| Oregon | Oregon State Police | $77,064 | $115,968 | 21 | Oregon Public Employees Retirement System (PERS), Oregon Public Service Retirement Plan (OPSRP) pension, police officer and firefighter (P&F) category, plus Individual Account Program (IAP) |
| Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania State Police | $73,087 | $130,525 | 20 | Pennsylvania State Employees' Retirement System (SERS), State Police officer defined benefit (class A-3 or A-4) |
| Rhode Island | Rhode Island State Police | $81,579 | $99,464 | 18 | Rhode Island State Police retirement plan (R.I. Gen. Laws 42-28-22), administered by the Employees' Retirement System of Rhode Island |
| South Carolina | South Carolina Highway Patrol (SC Department of Public Safety) | $61,976 | $82,234 | 21 | South Carolina Police Officers Retirement System (PORS), Class Three (membership on or after July 1, 2012) |
| South Dakota | South Dakota Highway Patrol (Department of Public Safety) | $64,251 | — | 21 | South Dakota Retirement System (SDRS), Class B Public Safety, Generational plan |
| Tennessee | Tennessee Highway Patrol (Department of Safety & Homeland Security) | $75,600 | — | 21 | Tennessee Consolidated Retirement System (TCRS) Hybrid Plan with Cost Controls (state new hires on/after July 1, 2014) plus State 401(k) |
| Texas | Texas Department of Public Safety (Texas Highway Patrol) | $55,441 | $98,085 | 20 | Employees Retirement System of Texas (ERS), Group 4 cash balance benefit with Law Enforcement and Custodial Officer (LECO) supplemental account |
| Utah | Utah Highway Patrol (Utah Department of Public Safety) | $75,878 | $110,282 | 20.5 | Utah Retirement Systems (URS) Tier 2 Public Safety and Firefighter Contributory Retirement System (Hybrid; or elect Tier 2 Defined Contribution Plan) |
| Vermont | Vermont State Police (Vermont Department of Public Safety) | $84,160 | $128,438 | 20 | Vermont State Employees' Retirement System (VSERS), Group C |
| Virginia | Virginia State Police | $62,100 | $119,213 | 21 | Virginia Retirement System (VRS), State Police Officers' Retirement System (SPORS) Plan 2 |
| Washington | Washington State Patrol | $93,156 | $137,640 | 19.5 | Washington State Patrol Retirement System (WSPRS) Plan 2, administered by the Department of Retirement Systems |
| West Virginia | West Virginia State Police | $62,778 | — | 18 | West Virginia State Police Retirement System Plan B (Consolidated Public Retirement Board) |
| Wisconsin | Wisconsin State Patrol (Wisconsin Department of Transportation) | $75,462 | $104,333 | 18 | Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS), protective occupation category with Social Security (administered by ETF) |
| Wyoming | Wyoming Highway Patrol | $68,619 | — | 21 | Wyoming Retirement System - Warden, Patrol & DCI Plan |
Pay is the state's published base scale for the entry title, before overtime and differentials. Each state page links the source and its effective date.