How to become a state trooper in Ohio
The Ohio State Highway Patrol hires state troopers under the title Trooper. New state troopers start at $73,320 a year, rising to $90,750. You must be at least 20.
Pay
| Starting salary | $73,320 |
|---|---|
| Top of scale | $90,750 |
OSHP wage breakdown (base pay): Year 1 $35.25/hr = $73,320; Year 2 $37.20 = $77,376; Year 3 $39.18 = $81,494; Year 4 $41.35 = $86,008; Year 5 $43.63 = $90,750.40 (last year shown; table may not be the final step). Cadets are paid $25/hr during the six-month academy with health benefits (the recruit FAQ elsewhere still says $22.00/hr). OSHP adds average shift differential $2,496, holiday pay and health/fitness pay ($0-$1,440) for listed totals of $80,504-$100,489, excluding overtime.
Source:[statepatrol.ohio.gov]
Pay for this work across Ohio
Federal survey figures for police and sheriff's patrol officers in Ohio, counting every employer in the state, public and private, so they differ from the state's own pay scale above.
| People in this work | 23,430 |
|---|---|
| Lower pay (10th percentile) | $51,110 |
| Median pay | $77,020 |
| Higher pay (90th percentile) | $103,210 |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, state estimates (all employers)[bls.gov]
Requirements
- Minimum age: 20
- Education: High school diploma or GED
- Citizenship: U.S. citizen
- Minimum 20 years old to apply (FAQ); must turn 21 before commission; must enter academy training before the 40th birthday (R.C. 5503.02), no waivers
- Valid operator's license, no active SR22; Ohio driver license before commission; six or more points disqualifies
- Must become an Ohio resident before commission (academy graduation)
- Vision correctable to 20/20 monocular, normal peripheral vision, depth perception and color vision
Source:[statepatrol.ohio.gov]
Hiring process
- Online application
- Written exam
- Physical fitness assessment (same day as written exam)
- Polygraph exam
- Background investigation and Screening Committee review
- Psychological assessment
- Drug urinalysis
- New hire orientation and additional physical fitness assessment before academy
Source:[statepatrol.ohio.gov]
Entrance exam
OSHP written exam. 50-item multiple-choice exam given by the Office of Recruitment: crash diagrams, ethical dilemmas, spelling and vocabulary, map reading, math, and scenario questions; 75 minutes; passing score 75%. No official study guide; sample questions posted.[statepatrol.ohio.gov]
Academy
24 weeks, paid. Recruit FAQ: '24-26 weeks of intensive Academy training' (approximately six months) at the OSHP Academy in Columbus. Residential: cadets live at the academy Monday-Friday and go home on weekends. Cadets are paid hourly with health benefits. Graduates then serve at least 70 working days of field training.[statepatrol.ohio.gov]
Pension and retirement
- Plan: Ohio State Highway Patrol Retirement System (HPRS)
- Benefit formula: Greater of $1,050 or 2.5% of final average salary per year for the first 20 years, plus 2.25% per year for years 21-25, plus 2% per year beyond 25; capped at the lesser of 79.25% of FAS or the IRC 415 limit (R.C. 5505.17)
- When you can retire: Members who joined on/after Jan 1, 2020: unreduced at age 52 with 20 years of service credit; reduced at age 48-51 with 20 years (75%-93% of the normal pension). At age 60 with 20 years a member must file for retirement unless the superintendent approves continued service (R.C. 5505.16)
Eligibility from R.C. 5505.16 (https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/section-5505.16). OSHP FAQ: military service can be purchased toward the 25 years needed for full benefits.
Source:[codes.ohio.gov]