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State trooper salary

Average state trooper salary

$39,812

$19.14 hourly rate

Entry-level state trooper salary
$31,000 yearly salary
Updated December 15, 2025

Average State Trooper Salary

The average salary for a state trooper in the United States is approximately $39,812 per year or $19 per hour. These figures vary widely based on factors such as location, experience level, and specific duties performed. For example, troopers in urban areas often earn more due to higher living costs and demand for law enforcement.

How Experience Affects Salary

Entry-level troopers may start at lower salaries, while those with several years of service typically see significant increases. In addition to salary, benefits such as health insurance, retirement plans, and overtime pay significantly enhance overall compensation.

Top Paying States

States like California, Texas, and Florida are known to offer the highest salaries for state troopers. Research indicates that factors such as local budgets and safety needs directly influence these salary levels.

Opportunities for Advancement

State troopers can pursue various paths for career advancement, including specialized units or higher ranks, both of which typically result in increased salaries. Continuous training and education can also lead to higher earning potential.

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Where can a State Trooper earn more?

Compare salary by location
Vs
72k
52k
32k
12k
Columbus, OH$54,540
Phoenix, AZ$42,133
Compare salary by company
Vs
63k
43k
23k
3k
Washington State University$49,443
State of Georgia: Teachers Retirement System of Georgia$33,090

State trooper salaries by experience level

Experience levelAvg. salaryHourly rate
Entry-level state trooper$31,400$15.09
Mid-level state trooper$41,500$19.96
Senior-level state trooper$50,500$24.27

State trooper salary estimates from across the web

Based on the latest salary information compiled by Zippia, Salary.com, Ziprecruiter, Comparably and Payscale, the average salary for a state trooper typically falls between $39,812 and $79,013.
zippia
$39,812yearly
comparably[1]
$79,013yearly
Salary.com[2]
$58,289yearly
ZipRecruiter[3]
$69,000yearly
payscale[4]
$65,089yearly

Average state trooper salary by state

The average state trooper salary in Alaska, Washington, and North Dakota are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average state trooper salary states are North Carolina, Kansas, and Arkansas.

  • State view
  • County view
Average salary:

Highest paying states for state troopers

RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
1Alaska$59,919$28.81
2North Dakota$54,294$26.10
3Washington$54,315$26.11
4Illinois$52,670$25.32
5Wisconsin$44,869$21.57
6Oregon$46,942$22.57
7District of Columbia$47,445$22.81
8Ohio$44,917$21.59
9Minnesota$43,422$20.88
10Iowa$43,008$20.68
11Connecticut$50,338$24.20
12Pennsylvania$43,725$21.02
13New Hampshire$43,521$20.92
14Mississippi$45,966$22.10
15Hawaii$44,884$21.58
16Colorado$46,158$22.19
17Arizona$42,051$20.22
18Maryland$41,118$19.77
19Rhode Island$42,043$20.21
20West Virginia$41,321$19.87
21Indiana$40,589$19.51
22Wyoming$35,977$17.30
23New York$42,834$20.59
24Nevada$39,703$19.09
25Massachusetts$41,340$19.88
26Texas$38,690$18.60
27New Jersey$42,632$20.50
28California$42,669$20.51
29Michigan$39,004$18.75
30Florida$35,992$17.30
31Utah$40,066$19.26
32Nebraska$37,307$17.94
33Vermont$40,156$19.31
34Montana$39,701$19.09
35South Dakota$34,056$16.37
36Delaware$38,033$18.29
37Kentucky$31,598$15.19
38Maine$36,878$17.73
39New Mexico$34,063$16.38
40Missouri$35,558$17.10
41Georgia$32,456$15.60
42Oklahoma$32,718$15.73
43South Carolina$30,353$14.59
44Virginia$34,354$16.52
45Idaho$35,105$16.88
46Alabama$34,288$16.48
47Tennessee$29,020$13.95
48Kansas$30,609$14.72
49Louisiana$30,174$14.51
50North Carolina$31,055$14.93
51Arkansas$30,606$14.71

Highest paying cities for state troopers

The highest-paying cities for state troopers are Olympia, WA, Salem, OR, and Phoenix, AZ.

RankCityAvg. salaryHourly rate
1Olympia, WA$54,540$26.22
2Salem, OR$47,054$22.62
3Phoenix, AZ$42,133$20.26

State trooper salary details

A state trooper's salary ranges from $31,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $50,000 at the 90th percentile.

Average state trooper salary graph
Average state trooper salary graph, trends, and summary

What is a state trooper's salary?

PercentileAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rate
90th Percentile$50,000$4,167$24
75th Percentile$45,000$3,750$22
Average$39,812$3,318$19
25th Percentile$35,000$2,917$17
10th Percentile$31,000$2,583$15

Highest paying state trooper jobs

The highest paying types of state troopers are first officer, law enforcement specialist, and patrol sergeant.

Job titleAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rateJob openings
Community Services Officer$38,039$3,170$18.29181,257
Military Police$42,633$3,553$20.504,476
Law Enforcement Officer$39,219$3,268$18.86105,817
Police Cadet$33,243$2,770$15.9894,220
Enforcement Officer$38,446$3,204$18.4882,142
Code Enforcement Officer$40,706$3,392$19.57104,295

Which companies pay state troopers the most?

State trooper salaries at Washington State University and State of Connecticut are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average state trooper salary at companies like State Bar of Michigan and Alaska State Library are highly competitive.

RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rate
1Washington State University$49,443$23.77
2State of Connecticut$42,614$20.49
3State Bar of Michigan$41,259$19.84
4Alaska State Library$41,005$19.71
5Arizona Department of Public Safety$40,871$19.65
6The State of Oregon$40,281$19.37
7State of West Virginia$37,877$18.21
8Maine$36,566$17.58
9State of Arizona$35,927$17.27
10State of Georgia: Teachers Retirement System of Georgia$33,090$15.91

Wage gap by gender, race and education

$41,000$40,400$39,800$39,200$38,600$38,000
MaleFemale

State Trooper salary by industry

The average state trooper salary varies across industries:

  • The average state trooper salary in the finance industry is $44,467, the highest of any industry.
  • The average state trooper salary in the finance industry is $40,926.
  • State troopers in the government industry earn an average salary of $38,355, the lowest of any industry.

Highest paying industries for state troopers

RankIndustryAverage salaryHourly rate
1Finance$44,467$21.38
2Transportation$40,926$19.68
3Professional$39,719$19.10
4Government$38,355$18.44

High paying state trooper jobs

State trooper salary trends

The average state trooper salary has risen by $6,870 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average state trooper earned $32,942 annually, but today, they earn $39,812 a year. That works out to a 10% change in pay for state troopers over the last decade.

Compare state trooper salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.

Average state trooper salary over time

Compare state trooper salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.

State trooper salary by year

YearAvg. salaryHourly rate% Change
2025$39,800$19.14+3.6%
2024$38,400$18.44+2.8%
2023$37,300$17.93+0.5%
2022$37,100$17.83+2.2%
2021$36,300$17.43+2.3%

Recently added state trooper salaries

CompanyJobLocationDate addedSalary
Arizona Department of Public SafetyCadet State Trooper-AUG 10 Kingman TestingPhoenix, AZ06/26/2025$64,118
State of VirginiaState Police Trooper REEnon, VA06/13/2025$59,979
Insight GlobalState TrooperPhoenix, AZ06/10/2025$64,118
State of OregonOregon State Police Recruit Trooper-Lateral andIone, OR06/06/2025$75,180
State of VirginiaState Police Trooper REEnon, VA05/21/2025$58,232
State of VirginiaState Police Trooper IVirginia, MN05/12/2025$58,232
NeheadstartState Patrol Trooper CandidateGrand Island, NE04/29/2025$58,457
State of NebraskaState Patrol Trooper CandidateGrand Island, NE04/28/2025$58,457
State of VirginiaState Police Trooper REVirginia, MN04/22/2025$58,232
State of VirginiaState Police Trooper REEnon, VA04/22/2025$58,232

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