How to become a state trooper in Montana
The Montana Highway Patrol (Montana Department of Justice) hires state troopers under the title Trooper (probationary). New state troopers start at $71,240 a year. You must be at least 18.
Pay
| Starting salary | $71,240 |
|---|---|
| Top of scale | — |
| Scale effective | 2026-10-05 |
MHP Salary and Benefits page and Oct 2026 posting: probationary Trooper (sworn) $34.25/hr (× 2080 = $71,240); after the probationary year $35.71/hr ($74,276.80). 'Troopers have a career ladder, and increases are based upon longevity' - top of the ladder not published. Entry-level candidates are paid $32.00/hr ($66,560) during the MLEA Basic Course and MHP Advanced Academy; laterals $34.25/hr.
Source:[dojmt.gov]
Pay for this work across Montana
Federal survey figures for police and sheriff's patrol officers 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 | 2,160 |
|---|---|
| Lower pay (10th percentile) | $55,330 |
| Median pay | $70,050 |
| Higher pay (90th percentile) | $84,150 |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, state estimates (all employers)[bls.gov]
Requirements
- Minimum age: 18
- Education: High school diploma or GED/equivalency certificate
- Citizenship: U.S. citizen at the time of application
- At least 18 at the time of application (MCA 7-32-303); no maximum age stated
- Valid driver's license from any state; Montana resident when appointed as a sworn trooper
- Vision: corrected distant 20/40 each eye and 20/20 binocular; uncorrected distant 20/100 binocular with glasses/hard contacts (long-term soft-lens wearers exempt)
- Felony convictions that could have resulted in penitentiary imprisonment are disqualifying; misdemeanors reviewed case by case
- Meet Montana Law Enforcement Academy physical fitness requirements (MPAT); row test
- Probationary troopers remain at their duty station for one year
Source:[dojmt.gov]
Hiring process
- Candidate screening (resume review)
- National Police Officer Selection Test (online, 70% minimum in each section)
- One-on-one objective interview, then conditional offer letter
- Job suitability assessment (two personality profiles)
- Background investigation
- Final phases: psychological evaluation, physical exam/drug screen, vision exam, Montana Physical Abilities Test
- Panel interview and presentation
- Final offer with duty station; MLEA Basic Course, MHP Advanced Academy, 10-week field training
Source:[dojmt.gov]
Entrance exam
National Police Officer Selection Test (NPOST). Online, 75 minutes, four timed sections (math, reading comprehension, grammar, incident report writing); 70% minimum in each section.[dojmt.gov]
Academy
23 weeks, paid. Entry level: 12-week Law Enforcement Officer Basic Course (MLEA, Helena) plus 11-week MHP Advanced Academy (Boulder) = 23 weeks; laterals take only the 11-week Advanced Academy (out-of-state laterals +2 weeks). Housing and meals provided during academies (except days off); paid $32.00/hr as state employees. Followed by a 10-week Field Training Program.[mtstatejobs.taleo.net]
Pension and retirement
- Plan: Highway Patrol Officers' Retirement System (HPORS), administered by MPERA
- Benefit formula: 2.6% × years of service credit × highest average compensation (highest consecutive 36 months; 110% year-over-year cap for hires on or after July 1, 2013)
- When you can retire: Hired on or after July 1, 2023: 20 years of membership service and at least age 50; vested at 10 years; early retirement after 10 years (actuarially reduced to age 60)
Member contribution 13.05% of gross pay; DROP available. Hired on or before June 30, 2023: 20 years at any age.
Source:[mpera.mt.gov]