HARRISBURG – The Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) announced a notable change to the application requirements to be hired as a state police cadet.
Effective immediately, an individual can now submit an employment application without first having obtained the required associate’s degree or 60 semester hours of college credit.
This change streamlines the process by allowing applicants to continue their education while moving through the hiring process at the same time.
“This change gives applicants greater flexibility when planning for their career with the Pennsylvania State Police,” said Commissioner Tyree C. Blocker. “The change, while not lowering standards, allows individuals to continue their education while in the application process.”
Previously, applicants were required to possess all the required credits prior to submitting their application. The associate’s degree or 60 semester hours of college credit still must be obtained prior to appointment to a cadet class.
Additional job requirements, which have not changed, stipulate that applicants must be at least 20 years of age on or before the date the application is completed.
Applicants must be at least 21 years of age and cannot have reached their 40th birthday prior to or on the date of appointment as a cadet.
After submitting the application, qualified candidates must then take a written examination. Following the written examination, successful candidates will move on to the oral exam, or “interview” phase.
Individuals selected through the examination process move on to the background investigation, physical readiness testing and medical and psychological evaluations before appointment as a cadet.
Pennsylvania State Police cadets earn a bi-weekly salary of $1,200 before deductions during their 27-week training period. The starting salary for a new trooper is $58,962 per year along with excellent health care benefits.
The commonwealth pays the entire cost of all benefits for the trooper and their eligible family members. Duties of a trooper include uniformed patrol, crash investigation, criminal investigations, and incident response.
For more information on a career in the Pennsylvania State Police, visit www.PATrooper.com. For more information about the Pennsylvania State Police, visit www.psp.pa.gov.
