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California Highway Patrol (CHP) - Career Advice

Officer Johnson has been with the California Highway Patrol for more than 7 years. We asked him to provide his input regarding what the most important requirements are to become a CHP Officer, what he feels sets applicants apart in the competitive applicant pool, what to expect as far as salary and benefits go, and why he chose the CHP over other law enforcement agencies.

Basic Minimum Requirements

Applicants need to have their GED or High School Diploma, be atleast 20 years of age and not over 35 years of age, be a US Citizen, and not have any felonies. These are pretty much the most important to be aware of along with making sure you are physically able to pass the physical abilities test, which is not easy. The age limit of 35 is based on the investment the Department puts into each Cadet, like the background check and getting them trained at the Academy. The Dpeartment doesn't want to hire someone who isn't going to stick around after they have invested 100K in their training. Age can also significantly impact a person's physical abilities and I would have to say that there is a much greater likelihood that you will not pass the physical abilities test at the higher end of the age range. Physical demands knock a lot of people out of contention for this job. Officers need to be in good physical shape. Foot chases, climbing fences, apprehending suspects, and physically defending yourself are major components of this job.

There are no specific skill sets for a CHP Officer applicant. Having certain skill sets under your belt will make you "look better" in the competitive process though. A college degree, foreign language, military experience all will make you look better and give you a competitive advantage or priority in the hiring process over someone lacking these skill sets. For example, if there is a pool of candidates with high school diplomas and a little bit of work experience at Best Buy, CostCo or somewhere similar and another candidate comes in with a 2 year degree, that candidate will have a priority over the other candidates. If the 2 year degree candidate was in an applicant pool with people holding bachelor's degrees as well as being bilingual, that 2 year degree candidate will not have priority.

I believe that an education is one of the most important attributes one can possess and that sets applicants apart from other applicants. Many CHP Officers, myself included, agree that an education has benefited us on a personal level as well as on a professional level in law enforcement and made us better Officers. Not to mention, you earn quite a bit more money with an associate's or bachelor's degree.

CHP Pay

Everyone gets paid the same salary in the Academy. When you graduate from the Academy you'll receive certain incentive pay based on the skills, experience and education you have. 2 and 4 year degrees get you a percentage increase on your base pay and a foreign language (if you pass the language aptitude test) earns a percentage increase in base pay as well. These are two that have the most significant pay increases as far as incentive pay goes. You can also earn incentive pay for the different types of work you do. Day shift is the lowest pay, swing shift and night shift, graveyard, field training officer, motorcycle patrol, K9, helicopter or airplane pilots, paramedics are all associated with a paid percentage increase that falls under Incentive Pay.

The benefits we receive are all encompassing and rival any plans in the public or private sector. We have retirement, health and dental for ourselves and our dependents, sick days and vacation days.

My Tips for Anyone Considering a Career in Law Enforcement

Find a department that pays for your skills, education and experience. Consider location, where you want to be for the rest of your career. Do you want to be pinned down in one department, in one city or do you want the flexibility to transfer to locations throughout the state, country or world? Federal agencies such as the FBI have offices throughout the world. The CHP has departments throughout the State of California. I chose the CHP because I wanted the option to move around the state versus staying with one single police department in one city for my entire career. Some people may be ok with that though. I also chose the CHP because they offer incentive pay for being bilingual, which I am and the police departments I was interested in did not have incentive pay for being bilingual. Another reason I went with a state agency over a federal agency is the retirement and overtime benefits. Some veteran highway patrol officers are earning well over 200K a year. The FBI does not pay overtime or any relocation expenses. They do offer a pretty good retirement though.

Many law enforcement officers from federal agencies as well as local and state law enforcement officers from the midwest and south come out to the West Coast where the local and state agency pay is significantly more than where they are from.

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