How to become a state trooper in Wyoming
The Wyoming Highway Patrol hires state troopers under the title Trooper I. New state troopers start at $68,619 a year. You must be at least 21.
Pay
| Starting salary | $68,619 |
|---|---|
| Top of scale | — |
WHP salary page: Trooper I base pay $32.99/hour ($68,619/year as shown); Trooper II (lateral) $39.30/hour ($81,743/year). Full salary and benefits from the first day of the academy. $2,000 hiring bonus; $75/month uniform allowance; $40/month longevity pay; overtime at 1.5× and 5% night/weekend shift differential. Site banner announces pay increases beginning July 1, 2026; the page does not say whether the figures include them. No step table or top rate published.
Source:[whp.wyo.gov]
Pay for this work across Wyoming
Federal survey figures for police and sheriff's patrol officers in Wyoming, counting every employer in the state, public and private, so they differ from the state's own pay scale above.
| People in this work | 1,310 |
|---|---|
| Lower pay (10th percentile) | $57,130 |
| Median pay | $66,140 |
| Higher pay (90th percentile) | $76,840 |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, state estimates (all employers)[bls.gov]
Requirements
- Minimum age: 21
- Education: High school diploma or equivalent (GED)
- Citizenship: U.S. citizen (WHP will not sponsor citizenship)
- Minimum 21 years old
- Visual acuity 20/20 in each eye or correctable to 20/20
- Wyoming residency not required to apply or test, but required before completing the Trooper Basic Academy
- Disqualified if driver's license/privileges were revoked, suspended, denied or disqualified within three years before testing
Source:[whp.wyo.gov]
Hiring process
- Online application (Trooper I, or Trooper II for experienced officers)
- Public Safety Testing LEO written test (within one year), Guardian Alliance background packet and SCOPE questionnaire
- In-person testing in Cheyenne: WYRAP physical fitness test, oral board, EyeDetect deception test, psychological evaluation
- Background investigation
- Hiring decision by Executive Command Staff
- Basic Trooper Academy in Cheyenne
Source:[whp.wyo.gov]
Entrance exam
Law Enforcement Officer (LEO) test - Public Safety Testing. Must be passed within one year before the in-person testing date.[whp.wyo.gov]
Academy
20 weeks, paid. 20-week Basic Trooper Academy for recruits without qualifying experience (6-week accelerated academy for experienced officers), held at Laramie County Community College in Cheyenne. Recruits reside at the academy during the week and may go home on weekends; full salary and benefits during the academy.[whp.wyo.gov]
Pension and retirement
- Plan: Wyoming Retirement System - Warden, Patrol & DCI Plan
- Benefit formula: 2.50% per year of service × average of the highest three consecutive years' salary; maximum 75%
- When you can retire: Age 50 and vested (72 months / six years of service); no early retirement
- Social Security: yes, you also pay in
Source:[retirement.wyo.gov]