Kentucky State Police Offering $71,000 Starting Salary for Applicants Accepted into Cadet Class 108

Cadet Class 108 to receive increased salary, revamped training curriculum, overtime and mileage reimbursement with guaranteed post assignments

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and the Kentucky State Police (KSP) announced that the agency is now accepting applications through its online portal for new troopers hoping to join Cadet Class 108. KSP is offering an increased starting salary for sworn officers, with compensation starting at $71,000 annually. Troopers are also eligible for 100 hours of overtime and additional federally funded overtime opportunities. For the first time in the agency’s history, cadets will receive mileage reimbursement while attending the academy and will complete the newly revamped 22-week training curriculum, which provides cadets extended weekend breaks to visit home during training, and begin their careers sooner while still receiving top-notch law enforcement training that the agency has provided since its inception.

“We are building a safer New Kentucky Home because of heroes like our Kentucky State Police troopers and officers,” Gov. Beshear said. “If you are passionate about protecting communities across our state, join Team Kentucky and together let’s continue moving our commonwealth forward.”

Cadets without prior law enforcement experience will receive over 1,000 hours of classroom and field study. Cadets will be trained in various critical topics, including constitutional law, juvenile and traffic laws, crisis response, criminal investigations and community relations. Specific training areas also cover weapons use, first aid, high-speed pursuits, crowd control, hazardous material handling and implicit bias education.

“The Kentucky State Police Academy is more than training. It is where people take the first real step toward a career of purpose, service and opportunity,” said Recruitment Branch Commander Captain Charles Hedgespeth. “With a restructured 22-week academy and the newly offered mileage reimbursement while traveling to and from the academy, we are making it easier for committed applicants to take that first step in answering the call of public service while still holding true to the standards that define the Kentucky State Police.”

Cadet Class 108 is expected to begin in May 2027. All applications must be submitted to the KSP Recruitment Branch by the close of business on Oct. 15, 2026. Applications are available at JoinKSP.com, along with the minimum requirements and disqualifications and a list of required supporting documentation (physical standards requirements and testing information). For questions or assistance with applying, email the KSP Recruitment Branch at KSPRecruitment@ky.gov.

Candidates selected for final hiring from posts 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8 and 14 will receive guaranteed assignments at their home post location. All other applicants will be assigned to their home or a bordering post based on positions and agency need. To see a list of post locations, click here.

In addition to professional development opportunities, the KSP Academy allows cadets to earn an associate of applied science degree while completing training. Since this initiative began in 2017, 150 cadets have successfully earned their degree.

In January, 32 troopers graduated from Cadet Class 106 and are now serving the commonwealth. Cadet Class 107 arrived at the KSP Academy in May and is expected to graduate in November.

The Beshear-Coleman administration’s top priority is the safety of all Kentuckians. The Governor’s public safety actions are creating safer communities and a better Kentucky.

Since Gov. Beshear took office, more than 2,700 officers have graduated from one of Kentucky’s law enforcement training academies. As of the beginning of this month, 1,837 officers have graduated from the Department of Criminal Justice Training Basic Training Course and 307 have graduated from the Kentucky State Police Training Academy.

To continue increasing the amount of law enforcement officers protecting the commonwealth and to support the work of KSP, the Governor recently signed Senate Bill 102 to make it possible for retired KSP troopers appointed to Trooper R Class or commercial vehicle enforcement to return and serve the agency within specific timeframes. 

In December, the Governor joined KSP and first responders in Mayfield to bring local agencies onto the new Kentucky State Police radio system. In his 2026-2028 executive budget proposal, Gov. Beshear requested funding to finish the project and ensure statewide coverage. The budget recently passed by the General Assembly did not provide the funding needed.

Last September, Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman joined KSP to break ground on a new, state-of-the-art Drivers’ Skills Pad at the agency’s training academy in Frankfort. The $2.7 million project will provide troopers, officers and cadets with a facility dedicated to safely practice and refine advanced driving techniques. 

As the Governor recommended in January 2022, $12.2 million was included in the state budget for KSP to purchase body cameras, which is the first time in the commonwealth’s history that funding has been allocated for this much-needed expense. 

For four straight years, overdose deaths have decreased in Kentucky. In 2025, the commonwealth saw 22.9% fewer overdose deaths than the year prior. 

Since Gov. Beshear took office, fewer Kentuckians have returned to prison after their release. For two years in a row, recidivism rates in the commonwealth have decreased, meaning that nearly 70% of those released from state custody have not returned. 

The 2024 Crime in Kentucky report, released in July 2025, shows that, from 2023 to 2024, reports of serious crime decreased by 7.66%. The 2025 report will be released this summer.

For more information about KSP’s commitment to creating a better Kentucky by making the commonwealth’s streets safer, communities stronger and the nation more secure by providing exceptional law enforcement, click here.