​HARRISBURG, PA – The Pennsylvania State Police has announced that its next cadet application cycle is scheduled to open on February 12.

Applicants must possess a high school diploma or GED certificate, a valid driver’s license from any state, and be at least 20 years old at the time of application. They must be at least 21 years old and cannot have reached age 40 upon entry into the training academy. At the time of graduation, cadets must be a Pennsylvania resident and possess a valid Pennsylvania driver’s license. No prior law enforcement experience is required.

Cadet training lasts approximately 28 weeks and includes coursework in crimes and vehicle codes, law enforcement principles and practices, firearms and special equipment training, and physical fitness activities.

Cadets are then promoted to trooper and receive an increase in salary, currently set at $66,911 annually.

Gov. Josh Shapiro, on his first full day in office, announced that 92 percent of state government jobs—about 65,000 positions—do not require a four-year college degree. Col. Christopher Paris, the state police commissioner, said the most recent cadet selection cycle yielded 1,830 applicants eligible for the state trooper exam, which represents a substantive increase in applications six months after Shapiro waived the 60-college-credit requirement. Many of those applicants, 41 percent, would not have been eligible otherwise, he said.

From November 1 to January 31, the police received 752 applications listing a high school diploma or equivalent as their highest level of education, while 581 applicants had some college but no degree. Of the remaining applicants, 170 attained an associate degree, 288 earned a bachelor’s degree, and 39 completed a master’s degree.

For more information visit patrooper.com.