How to become a state trooper in Utah
The Utah Highway Patrol (Utah Department of Public Safety) hires state troopers under the title Trooper. New state troopers start at $75,878 a year, rising to $110,282. You must be at least 20.5.
Pay
| Starting salary | $75,878 |
|---|---|
| Top of scale | $110,282 |
| Scale effective | FY2027 |
FY27 Tier II Trooper pay table: Step 1 $36.48/hr to Step 15 $53.02/hr (annual = hourly × 2080). Step timing not stated; placement depends on experience (one-for-one credit for prior sworn service, up to 13 years). Paid as a full-time employee while attending POST. $3,500 signing bonus paid on POST graduation (applications after Nov. 2026); $2,500 hiring bonus for prior law enforcement; $5,000 training reimbursement for recent self-sponsored POST graduates. Overtime at 1.5×. The same page also shows an older unlabeled table starting at $35.59/hr.
Source:[joinuhp.utah.gov]
Pay for this work across Utah
Federal survey figures for police and sheriff's patrol officers in Utah, counting every employer in the state, public and private, so they differ from the state's own pay scale above.
| People in this work | 5,500 |
|---|---|
| Lower pay (10th percentile) | $60,290 |
| Median pay | $77,310 |
| Higher pay (90th percentile) | $99,920 |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, state estimates (all employers)[bls.gov]
Requirements
- Minimum age: 20.5
- Education: High school diploma or GED
- Citizenship: U.S. citizen, or lawful permanent resident (green card) who has been in the U.S. legally for at least five years and has legal authorization to work (EAD status alone does not qualify)
- Minimum age 20.5 years (UHP minimum requirement)
- No felony convictions
- Vision acuity and color vision tested in the medical evaluation
- Driving record reviewed in background investigation
Source:[joinuhp.utah.gov]
Hiring process
- Confirm minimum requirements
- Apply online
- National Police Officer Selection Test (NPOST) at a testing center
- Testing day: Physical Abilities Test (PAT), written exam and initial interview
- Background investigation
- Majors interview with UHP Assistant Superintendents (conditional offer)
- Psychological exam, medical evaluation (incl. drug screen) and polygraph
- Hiring roster, offer and academy start
Source:[joinuhp.utah.gov]
Entrance exam
National Police Officer Selection Test (NPOST). Taken at an NPOST testing center before the UHP testing day (PAT + written exam + interview).[joinuhp.utah.gov]
Academy
21 weeks, paid. 16-week Utah POST certification academy in Sandy, then a 5-week UHP academy (total 21). Commuters within 50 miles commute Mon-Fri; others may get a dorm room Sunday night through Friday case by case. UHP-sponsored cadets are full-time salaried employees during POST.[joinuhp.utah.gov]
Pension and retirement
- Plan: Utah Retirement Systems (URS) Tier 2 Public Safety and Firefighter Contributory Retirement System (Hybrid; or elect Tier 2 Defined Contribution Plan)
- Benefit formula: Hybrid: years of service before July 1, 2020 × 1.5% + years after July 1, 2020 × 2% × highest five years' earnings (monthly average); plus 401(k) employer contribution equal to 14% minus the Hybrid DB rate
- When you can retire: Age 65 with 4 years, 62 with 10, 60 with 20, or any age with 25 years of service; reduced ~7%/yr between ages 60-63 and ~9%/yr between 64-65 if under 25 years
New hires (on/after July 1, 2011) must irrevocably elect Hybrid or DC within one year; default is Hybrid. Up to 2.5% COLA. Highlights effective July 1, 2026.
Source:[urs.org]