How to become a state trooper in Nebraska
The Nebraska State Patrol hires state troopers under the title Trooper. New state troopers start at $70,195 a year, rising to $106,547. You must be at least 21.
Pay
| Starting salary | $70,195 |
|---|---|
| Top of scale | $106,547 |
| Scale effective | 2026-07-01 |
Source:[das.nebraska.gov]
Pay for this work across Nebraska
Federal survey figures for police and sheriff's patrol officers in Nebraska, counting every employer in the state, public and private, so they differ from the state's own pay scale above.
| People in this work | 3,490 |
|---|---|
| Lower pay (10th percentile) | $54,680 |
| Median pay | $74,620 |
| Higher pay (90th percentile) | $95,210 |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, state estimates (all employers)[bls.gov]
Requirements
- Minimum age: 21
- Education: High school graduate
- Citizenship: U.S. citizen
- Age 21 before completion of the training program (minAge = age at academy completion); no maximum age stated
- Valid motor vehicle operator or chauffeur license
- Read, write and understand English at the 11th-grade level as shown by the Test of Adult Basic Education
- No conviction punishable by a year or more in a penitentiary (including Class 1 misdemeanors), no DUI in the prior 2 years, no punitive military discharge, no domestic-violence conviction
- No marijuana use in the 2 years, and no other illegal drug use in the 5 years, before application
- Troopers must live within 40 miles of their assigned duty station, in Nebraska
Source:[statepatrol.nebraska.gov]
Hiring process
- Submit application (select top three duty stations)
- Written exam: Test of Adult Basic Education (TABE), remote proctored
- Physical Abilities Test (1.5-mile run, dummy drag, obstacle run, scale lift and carry, weapon handling, BMI)
- Personal History Questionnaire, background investigation, Employment Review Board
- Polygraph, psychological testing/interview, medical examination
- Final interview with Command Staff and job offer to the next Basic Training Camp
Source:[statepatrol.nebraska.gov]
Entrance exam
Test of Adult Basic Education (TABE). Reading and Language, taken remotely in a virtually proctored web meeting with the NSP TABE administrator.[statepatrol.nebraska.gov]
Academy
24 weeks, paid. 24-week camp at the NSP Training Academy, Grand Island; recruits paid at least $28.85/hr. Camp 74 runs July 6 to December 18, 2026. Residential status not stated on the page.[statepatrol.nebraska.gov]
Pension and retirement
- Plan: Nebraska State Patrol Retirement System (NPERS), Tier Two (hired on or after July 1, 2016)
- Benefit formula: 3% × creditable service years × average highest compensation (5 years for Tier Two); capped at 75% of final average compensation
- When you can retire: 30 years of service at any age; age 50 with 25 years; age 55 with 10 years; mandatory retirement at 65
- Social Security: no, this job is not covered
Members contribute 10% of monthly compensation; 'Members are not covered by Social Security.' DROP open to eligible Tier Two members.
Source:[npers.ne.gov]