​​​​​​​Benefits

Health and Dental Insurance

As a full-time, permanent employee, you are eligible to participate in the state’s group insurance program and choose either single or family coverage. 

There are a variety of health and dental plans. Each he​alth plan provides comprehensive coverage for most illnesses and injuries. All dental plans provide comprehensive coverage for most conditions requiring dental diagnosis and treatment, including orthodontic treatment for children, as well as a broad range of preventive services.

For more information, go to https://www.mn.gov/mmb/segip.

Life and Disability Insuran​ce​

• Basic insurance automatically entitles you to a term life insurance policy in an amount equal to your annual salary.
• Options to purchase additional term life insurance are available for you, your spouse and children.
• Optional disability insurance is offered that will help replace lost income should you become disabled.
• Short-term disability insurance provides income for up to 180 days if you become totally disabled
  due to illness, injury or pregnancy.
• Long-term disability insurance provides income beyond 180 days of total disability.

Retirement Benefits 

The State Patrol Retirement Plan covers state troopers, crime bureau agents, gambling enforcement agents, conservation officers, Department of Commerce fraud investigators and members of the Department of Corrections fugitive apprehension unit.

The State Patrol Plan provides retirement, survivor and disability coverage for state employees. The plan does NOT offer loans, hardship withdrawals or in-service withdrawals.

Once the employee retires, they receive a monthly retirement for life with potential post-retirement increases. Depending on the option selected at retirement, the survivor(s) may be eligible to receive a lifetime survivor benefit upon the employee's death.

Eligibility to collect a monthly retirement benefit is based on your years of service (or what we call vested).

• If hired before July 1, 2013, you are eligible for monthly benefits after three or more years of service.
• If hired after June 30, 2013, you are eligible for monthly benefits after ten years of service.

Retirement age

You can start collecting full retirement benefits when you are age 55. Most employees can begin collecting a reduced monthly benefit at age 50 or later.

For more information on the State Patrol Retirement Plan, go to https://www.msrs.state.mn.us/eligibility-patrol.

Paid Parental Leave

Eligible state employees are entitled to up to six (6) consecutive weeks of paid parental leave following: the birth of a child; placement of a child in the employee's home for adoption; or placement of a child in the employee's home to adjudicate parentage in cases of surrogacy when the employee is the intended parent. This leave is available to both parents if they are both eligible state employees.

Full Paid Parental Leave Policy:

https://www.mn.gov/mmb/assets/1435-paidparentalleave_tcm1059-263213.pdf

Vacation

Vacation hours begin accruing upon graduation and trooper assignment.

• New troopers accrue four hours of vacation and four hours of sick leave every two weeks.
• Former public sector or United States Armed Services employees who were in a vacation eligible position prior to hire, may be granted vacation accrual at a rate based on their years of service (subject to the discretion of the Appointing Authority).
• Vacation accrual rates increase with service time to a maximum of nine hours every two weeks.
• Vacation balances can accumulate to any amount, but the balance must be reduced to 275 hours once per fiscal year.

Vacation balances are paid in cash upon separation. 

Salary

During the Training Academy, cadets will be compensated at base Trooper salary, which is $79,469/year or $38.06/hour. Top trooper pay of $106,572/year or $51.04/hour is reached after 8 years.​​

• The starting and maximum pay listed does not include freeway pay if assigned to the Twin Cities metropolitan area (about 2.6%) or an anticipated cost of living increase starting July 1, 2022 (about 5%).
• There is an additional three to 13 percent added to the base salary for special assignments such as air wing, commercial vehicle enforcement, investigations, public information trooper, etc.

Credit for prior law enforcement experience:

The Chief of the State Patrol may grant a new employee credit for previous full-time employment as a peace officer, as defined by Minn. Stat. § 626.05, subdivision 2, or similar law of another state. 

Such credit shall determine only the new employee’s initial placement on the salary grid. Regardless of whether a new employee is given such credit, their seniority shall be determined from their appointment to the classification of Trooper consistent with the provisions of Article 26, Section 1. 

A Trooper, given previous work credit, shall be entitled to future step increases in accordance with Section 2 Progression. The Chief’s decision to grant or not grant credit for previous employment and the determination of the amount of credit cannot be grieved.

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