How to become a state trooper in Indiana
The Indiana State Police hires state troopers under the title Probationary Trooper. New state troopers start at $70,000 a year, rising to $112,000 after about 15 years. You must be at least 21.
Pay
| Starting salary | $70,000 |
|---|---|
| Top of scale | $112,000 |
| Years to top | 15 |
| Scale effective | 2023-07-01 |
ISP pay matrix (eff. 7/1/23): Trooper Trainee $66,000 ($2,538.47 biweekly) during the academy; Probationary Trooper $70,000 ($2,692.31 biweekly); Trooper rises $3,000 per year of service from $70,000 to $112,000 ($4,307.70 biweekly) in the year-15 column. The current recruiting page lists academy pay of $2,692.31 biweekly and $70,000 as a Probationary Trooper.
Source:[in.gov]
Pay for this work across Indiana
Federal survey figures for police and sheriff's patrol officers in Indiana, counting every employer in the state, public and private, so they differ from the state's own pay scale above.
| People in this work | 12,980 |
|---|---|
| Lower pay (10th percentile) | $52,170 |
| Median pay | $73,370 |
| Higher pay (90th percentile) | $100,010 |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, state estimates (all employers)[bls.gov]
Requirements
- Minimum age: 21
- Education: High school diploma, equivalency, or homeschool graduate, PLUS one of: 60 college credit hours (bachelor's preferred), 3 continuous years of military service (favorable discharge if separated), or 3 continuous years of full-time paid law enforcement experience
- Citizenship: U.S. citizen
- At least 21 and less than 40 years old when appointed as a Trooper
- Vision 20/50 (corrected or uncorrected) in each eye and 20/50 distant binocular acuity
- Valid driver's license
- Willing to reside and serve anywhere in Indiana as designated by the Superintendent
Source:[in.gov]
Hiring process
- Application
- Written examination
- Oral interview
- Polygraph examination
- Background investigation
- Superintendent's review
- Psychological examination
- Medical examination
- Physical ability test
- Toxicology screening
- Recruit academy (22-26 weeks)
Source:[in.gov]
Entrance exam
ISP Written Examination. Unnamed department written exam; ISP publishes a Written Examination Study Guide.[in.gov]
Academy
26 weeks, paid. 22-26 weeks of para-military style training; resident academy Monday through Friday. Paid as Trooper Trainee ($2,692.31 biweekly per the recruiting page). Weeks = upper end of the stated 22-26 range.[in.gov]
Pension and retirement
- Plan: Indiana State Police Pension Trust (department pension plan, with D.R.O.P. and Partial Lump Sum Option)
- When you can retire: ISP states the pension provides a lifetime benefit after 25 years of service
The trust agreement (2023 restatement) on ISP's HR page is a scanned PDF; benefit formula and age rules could not be extracted. Not part of INPRS PERF.
Source:[in.gov]