An Arkansas State Police salary starts at $67,675 for a trooper recruit as of July 1, 2025, climbs automatically to $74,443 at the Trooper First Class step after four and a half years, and reaches $81,887 at Corporal after seven and a half years. Base pay is only part of the picture. A defined benefit pension, state-subsidized health insurance, FLSA overtime, certification bonuses, and longevity payments all stack on top, and the total value of the job rises steadily the longer you stay.
Base Pay by Rank
The Arkansas Department of Public Safety publishes the entry-track progression on its recruiting page. Three figures cover the first eight years of a trooper’s career:
- Trooper Recruit: $67,675
- Trooper First Class, after 4½ years as a commissioned officer: $74,443
- Corporal, after 7½ years as a commissioned officer: $81,887
Those numbers reflect a sharp recent increase. In 2023, the legislature raised the average starting salary from $42,357 to $54,000 through a budget package aimed at retention and competing with neighboring states.1Arkansas House of Representatives. 2023 Budget Funds Increases for Law Enforcement Pay has continued climbing since.2Arkansas Department of Public Safety. Salary/Benefits
Supervisory ranks sit on a separate salary administration grid that runs from GS07 for troopers through GS14 for majors, with sergeants, lieutenants, and captains in between. The exact dollar amounts for those ranks are set through legislative appropriations and aren’t published alongside the entry-track numbers, but each promotion carries a meaningful raise.
Certification Bonuses
Arkansas law authorizes extra annual payments for officers who earn law enforcement certifications beyond the basic level. Under Arkansas Code 12-8-215, the Division Director can approve these amounts when revenue allows:3Justia. Arkansas Code 12-8-215 – Additional Salary Payments
- General certificate: $300 per year
- Intermediate certificate: $600 per year
- Advanced certificate: $900 per year
- Senior certificate: $1,200 per year
The certifications are defined by the Arkansas Commission on Law Enforcement Standards and Training and generally combine additional training hours with years of service. The payments are discretionary rather than guaranteed, but they count as regular income for tax and retirement purposes. Earn an advanced or senior certificate relatively early, and the money comes in every year after.
Longevity Pay
Separate from rank-based raises, Arkansas pays career service recognition to every state employee, troopers included, based on total years of service. Payments begin after ten years and step up every five:4Justia. Arkansas Code 21-5-106 – Annual Career Service Recognition Payments for State Employees
- 10 through 14 years: $800 per year
- 15 through 19 years: $1,000 per year
- 20 through 24 years: $1,200 per year
- 25 or more years: $1,500 per year
These payments are subject to tax withholding and count toward retirement benefit calculations. Modest on their own, they stack with base salary, certification pay, and overtime. Part-time employees receive a prorated amount, and authorized leave without pay doesn’t break your eligibility streak.
Overtime and Special Duty
Troopers routinely work beyond standard schedules, and federal law sets the rules for how that time is paid. Under Section 7(k) of the Fair Labor Standards Act, law enforcement agencies can use a 28-day work period in place of the standard 40-hour workweek. Overtime kicks in once an officer exceeds 171 hours in that 28-day cycle, paid at time and a half.5U.S. Department of Labor. Wage and Hour Division Fact Sheet 8 – Law Enforcement and Fire Protection Employees Under the FLSA Shorter work periods scale proportionally, such as 86 hours for a 14-day cycle.6eCFR. 29 CFR 553.230 – Maximum Hours Standards for Work Periods of 7 to 28 Days
Specialized assignments often carry additional compensation. Roles like SWAT, drug interdiction, crash reconstruction, and undercover work bring incentive pay or stipends that reflect the elevated risk and unpredictable hours. Those allowances are set through departmental policy and approved by the State Police Commission, so amounts can shift with budgets and operational needs.
Travel assignments trigger per diem reimbursements for lodging, meals, and incidentals. State agencies generally follow federal per diem standards set by the General Services Administration. For 2026, the standard CONUS rate is $110 per night for lodging and $68 per day for meals and incidentals, with roughly 300 designated high-cost areas carrying higher rates.7GSA.gov. Per Diem Rates Officers stationed in harder-to-fill posts may also receive location-based pay adjustments.
Health Insurance
Troopers enroll in ARBenefits, the state employee health program administered by the Employee Benefits Division. New hires have 60 days from their start date to choose among three plans:8Arkansas Employee Benefits Division. Arkansas State Employees
- Premium Plan: highest monthly premium, lowest deductible, co-pays and coinsurance, with Flexible Spending Account eligibility.
- Classic Plan: mid-level premium with coinsurance and Health Savings Account eligibility.
- Basic Plan: lowest premium, highest deductible, HSA-eligible, no out-of-network coverage.
The state picks up most of the cost. Bureau of Labor Statistics data from 2025 shows that state and local government employers in protective service occupations pay about 89 percent of the premium for single coverage, leaving officers responsible for roughly 11 percent. Family coverage costs more out of pocket, but the employer share stays generous compared to the private sector. Changes outside of open enrollment require a qualifying life event such as marriage, birth of a child, or loss of other coverage.
Pension Through ASPRS
Troopers participate in the State Police Retirement System (ASPRS), a defined benefit pension plan established under Arkansas Code Title 24, Chapter 6. ASPRS has its own board of trustees, with day-to-day administration handled by the Arkansas Public Employees’ Retirement System.
When You Can Retire
Contributory members can retire voluntarily after 20 or more years of credited service, regardless of age. An officer who reaches age 50 with at least five years of actual service also qualifies.9Justia. Arkansas Code 24-6-212 – Eligibility for Benefits – Voluntary Retirement for Contributory Members Officers who leave earlier can keep their contributions in the system and begin drawing a pension at 50, or withdraw their contributions and forfeit pension rights.
How the Pension Is Calculated
The pension uses a tiered formula applied to your final average compensation, which is the average of your three highest consecutive years of salary:10Justia. Arkansas Code 24-6-214 – Benefits Generally – Contributory Member
- First 20 years: 2.949% of final average compensation per year
- Years 21 through 25: 2.359% per year
- Years 26 through 30: 1.18% per year
In concrete terms, an officer retiring with 25 years of service and a final average compensation of $80,000 would collect roughly $56,502 per year. The first 20 years earn credits at the highest rate, which is why the 20-year threshold carries so much weight.
Early Retirement Reduction
Qualifying for retirement at 20 years doesn’t automatically mean a full pension at 20 years. Retire with 20 or more years of service but before turning 50, and your pension drops by 0.5 percent for every full month between your retirement date and your 50th birthday.10Justia. Arkansas Code 24-6-214 – Benefits Generally – Contributory Member An officer retiring at 45 would see a permanent 30 percent reduction (60 months at 0.5 percent). Officers who joined young need to run that math before setting a retirement date.
Supplemental Retirement Savings
Beyond the pension, Arkansas state employees can contribute to the Arkansas Diamond Deferred Compensation Plan, a 457(b) account funded on a pre-tax or Roth after-tax basis. For 2026, the IRS allows contributions of up to $24,500, with an $8,000 catch-up for employees age 50 and older, bringing the ceiling to $32,500.11Internal Revenue Service. 401(k) Limit Increases to $24,500 for 2026, IRA Limit Increases to $7,500
A governmental 457(b) is particularly useful for officers who retire in their late 40s or early 50s. Withdrawals after separation from service aren’t subject to the 10 percent early withdrawal penalty that applies to 401(k) and traditional IRA distributions, so the account can bridge the gap between a retirement date and the age when other accounts open up without penalty.
Why Salary Changes Depend on the Legislature
Arkansas prohibits public employers from recognizing labor unions as bargaining agents. Arkansas Code 21-1-802 bars collective bargaining for public employees, which means troopers cannot negotiate pay, benefits, or working conditions through a union contract.12Justia. Arkansas Code 21-1-802 – Collective Bargaining Prohibited Arkansas is also a right-to-work state, so no one can be required to join or pay dues to a labor organization as a condition of employment.
Every change to the pay scale therefore moves through the legislative appropriations process. Groups like the Arkansas State Police Association lobby lawmakers for raises, better retirement benefits, and improved workplace protections, but they have no formal power to compel negotiations. The 2023 salary jump came through appropriations after sustained advocacy about recruitment challenges, not through a bargaining agreement. When budgets tighten, no contract locks in future raises.