Law Enforcement Careers in Vermont

All applicants for law enforcement careers in Vermont must attend training at the Vermont Police Academy. This applies to municipal police officers, county sheriffs and deputy sheriffs, and Vermont state police troopers.

The Vermont Criminal Justice Training Council sets minimum standards and training goals for all law enforcement officers working in Vermont, with each agency in the state then being responsible for seeing to it the officers, deputies and troopers they hire are trained to these standards.

Police Officer Jobs in Vermont

Municipal police departments in Vermont employ police officers to guard the safety of the residents of Vermont’s cities and towns. The largest municipal police departments that may offer police officer jobs in Vermont include:

  • Colchester Police Department
  • Rutland Town Police Department
  • Rutland City Police Department
  • Essex Police Department
  • Burlington Police Department

Deputy Sheriff Jobs in Vermont

Sheriffs’ offices employ deputies who patrol counties in Vermont. Deputy sheriff jobs in Vermont may involve assisting municipal law enforcement or state police, as well as upholding laws and preserving peace in the county. While a county sheriff is an elected official, the deputy sheriffs who work for them are not and must meet high standards before being welcomed into the department.

Deputy sheriff jobs in Vermont may be available in the following county sheriff departments:

  • Windsor County – Woodstock
  • Windham County – Newfane
  • Washington County – Montpelier
  • Rutland County – Rutland
  • Orleans County – Derby
  • Orange County – Chelsea
  • Lamoille County – Hyde Park
  • Grand Isle County – North Hero
  • Franklin County – St. Albans
  • Essex County – Guildhall
  • Chittenden County – Burlington
  • Caledonia County – St. Johnsbury
  • Bennington County – Bennington
  • Addison County – Middlebury

Chittenden county had the highest crime rate of any county in the state in 2016 according to Vermont Crime Online statistics.

Qualifications for Becoming a Police Officer or Deputy Sheriff in Vermont

The Vermont Criminal Justice Training Council sets standards and training programs for police officers and deputy sheriffs in Vermont. Before entering basic training necessary for all police officers and deputy sheriffs in Vermont, one must meet the following qualifications:

  • Be at least 18 years old
  • Have at least a high school diploma or GED
  • Pass a medical examination
  • Receive a score of 70 or above on the written entrance examination for the Vermont Police Academy
  • Pass the physical fitness assessment
  • Pass a background/character investigation
  • Pass psychological testing

State Trooper Jobs With the Highway Patrol in Vermont

The Vermont State Police are responsible for protecting the state’s highways and citizens in 200 towns located in Vermont. State trooper jobs with the highway patrol and/or state police in Vermont may be located in the following areas:

  • Headquarters- Waterbury
  • Traffic Safety Unit – Williston
  • Office of Professional Development – Pittsford
  • Troop A – St. Albans, Middlesex, Williston
  • Troop B – St. Johnsbury, Bradford, Derby
  • Troop C- Rutland, Shaftsbury, New Haven
  • Special Investigations – Burlington

According to Vermont Crime Online statistics, crimes of all types shot up across the state between 2015 and 2016, with overall crime rates increasing 62 percent and property crimes up by nearly 85 percent. Despite that increase, overall the state remains the safest in the country.

Qualifications for Becoming a State Trooper in Vermont

  • All applicants must be at least 20 years old
  • Uncorrected vision may not be worse than 20/200
  • Applicants must not have used illegal drugs within a year of applying
  • Applicants must have a high school diploma or GED
  • Applicants must be U.S. Citizens, and must be Vermont residents upon graduating from the Vermont Police Academy
  • Applicants must pass the mandatory physical assessment
  • Applicants must pass a general knowledge written test given by the Vermont Criminal Justice Training Council
  • Applicants must pass a background investigation, polygraph test, and psychological examination
  • Applicants must have no felony convictions on record

If accepted, applicants must attend the Vermont Police Academy for approximately 26 weeks.

General Hiring Practices for Law Enforcement Jobs in Vermont

All law enforcement jobs in Vermont, whether at the municipal, county or state level, require that the applicant first pass the Vermont Police Academy written examination. Under the training standards of the Vermont Criminal Justice Training Council (VCJTC), all members of any police department in the state must complete at least 792 hours of training in the following subjects, and receive certification from the VCJTC:

  • Basic law
  • Introduction to criminal justice
  • Firearms training/qualification
  • Human values/problems
  • Physical conditioning/training
  • Police skills
  • Police procedures

Vermont Law Enforcement Salaries

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Vermont law enforcement officers earned an average salary of $57,780 as of May 2021.

While it’s nice to know what the trends look like in the state, what should interest you the most is the pay rates at the specific agencies you are interested in working for.

The following police/sheriff’s department salary data was sourced from May 2021 BLS stats (early career = 25th percentile, senior/late career = 90th percentile).

Police Officer Salaries

Apart from the state police, metropolitan departments in Vermont dominate the higher paying police positions available in the state. Burlington has the highest pay rates at every level from our sample of departments, with high end pay topping $70,000 per year.

Barre City Police Department

  • Entry – $47,310
  • Senior – $78,330

Burlington Police Department

  • Entry – $48,980
  • Mid-Level – $61,580
  • Senior – $80,140

Montpelier Police Department

  • Entry – $47,310
  • Mid-Level – $59,920
  • Senior – $78,330

Sheriff’s Deputy Salaries

Vermont is a state with a lot of wilderness area to cover, wilderness that falls under the primary responsibility of the various county sheriff’s departments that it occupies. Although those departments do not have the highest pay rates in the state, they offer some of the most interesting law enforcement and search and rescue tasks available for a wide variety of responsibilities.

Franklin County Sheriff’s Department

  • Entry – $47,310
  • Mid-Level – $59,920
  • Senior – $78,330

Rutland County Sheriff’s Department

  • Entry – $48,270
  • Mid-Level – $52,060
  • Senior – $77,150

State Trooper and State Police Salaries

The Vermont State Police aren’t just the premier law enforcement agency in the state, they are also the highest paying. With salaries for senior positions coming in at about $80,000 per year, it’s a solid choice for anyone with the flexibility to take a position anywhere in the state.

Vermont State Police

  • Entry – $48,290
  • Senior – $78,330

2021 US Bureau of Labor Statistics salary figures for police and sheriff’s patrol officers. Job growth projections from the US Department of Labor-sponsored resource, Projections Central. Figures are based on state data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed August 2022.

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