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Maryland state trooper salary, 2026
What the Maryland Department of State Police pays a state trooper at each step, as the state's salary schedule prints it. In effect July 1, 2026.
Trooper starting salary, upon graduation
$69,360
$59,346 as a trooper candidate in the academy. $131,344 at step 20 of the Trooper row.
Base salary at each step
Yearly base salary, without overtime, as printed on the schedule. The schedule's footnote reads: "step increases are not guaranteed and are contingent on funding in the State budget". Trooper First Class, Senior Trooper and Master Trooper have their own higher rows.
Candidate (while in the academy)$59,346
Trooper, base$69,360
Trooper, step 1$72,829
Trooper, step 2$76,466
Trooper, step 3$80,294
Trooper, step 4$84,306
Trooper, step 5$88,522
Trooper, step 6$90,735
Trooper, step 7$93,001
Trooper, step 8$95,329
Trooper, step 9$97,715
Trooper, step 10$100,158
Trooper, step 11$102,663
Trooper, step 12$105,228
Trooper, step 13$107,861
Trooper, step 14$110,558
Trooper, step 15$113,322
Trooper, step 16$116,154
Trooper, step 17$119,058
Trooper, step 18$125,014
Trooper, step 19$128,140
Trooper, step 20$131,344
Sergeant base salary
Yearly base salary at each step.
Base$85,093
Step 1$89,349
Step 2$93,816
Step 3$98,507
Step 4$103,435
Step 5$108,604
Step 6$111,322
Step 7$114,102
Step 8$116,956
Step 9$119,881
Step 10$122,877
Step 11$125,952
Step 12$129,101
Step 13$132,329
Step 14$135,637
Step 15$139,030
Step 16$142,506
Step 17$146,068
Step 18$153,375
Step 19$157,210
Step 20$161,141
Bonus, stipends and other pay
Promotion without competition
Trooper First Class after 3 years of service, Senior Trooper after 10 years of service, Master Trooper after 15 years of service
Not included in the salary
The recruiting page says the starting salary does not include shift differential, uniform allowance, overtime, and other incentives. It prints no amounts for them
Other incentives
Financial incentives for bilingual skills, fitness achievements, and college degrees, provided conditions are met. No amounts are printed
Officers moving from another department
The recruiting page says: "Prior law enforcement credit: up to 9 years of accredited service from another law enforcement agency recognized. The starting pay will be based on the number of years credited before becoming a Trooper Candidate, with a starting pay of up to $97,175." The state schedule prints $97,715 at Trooper step 9, so one of the two figures has its digits swapped.
Not published
Overtime pay, shift differential and uniform allowance amounts are not on the schedule or the recruiting page. The schedule does not give how many troopers are at each step or what any trooper was actually paid.
Common questions
How much does a Maryland state trooper make?
On the Maryland Department of State Police pay schedule in effect July 1, 2026, base salary runs from $59,346 as a trooper candidate in the academy to $131,344 at step 20 of the Trooper row.
What is the starting salary for a Maryland state trooper?
$59,346 a year as a trooper candidate in the academy. Trooper starting salary, upon graduation: $69,360.