Deputy Sheriff Trainee

Maricopa County; Phoenix (AZ); On-site; USD 68,000 - 84,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid training

Great benefits

Flexible leave

Relocation assistance

Sign-on incentive

Job summary

Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) seeks a Deputy Sheriff Trainee dedicated to protecting the community. The starting salary is $68,640 with a $7,500 sign-on incentive and additional benefits. Successful candidates will join a team that values integrity, service, and accountability.

Applicants must pass PRA, written assessments, orientation, and background checks. The role requires U.S. citizenship, POST eligibility, and a valid AZ driver’s license.

Qualifications

• Must be a U.S. citizen.
• Must be 21 years of age at academy completion.
• Must meet Arizona POST standards as determined through pre-employment process.
• Must possess a valid Arizona driver’s license.
• Provide a government-issued birth certificate at background processing.

Responsibilities

• Protect and serve the community as a Deputy Sheriff Trainee.
• Demonstrate integrity, accountability, and transparency in duties.
• Collaborate with team members, supervisors and managers to advance MCSO’s mission.
• Attend required physical/written assessments, orientation, and pre-employment steps.

Skills

Integrity

Interpersonal skills

Problem solving

Communication

Teamwork

Education

High school diploma or GED

Job description

Posting Date

08/03/26

Application Deadline

08/31/26

Pay Range

$33.00

Job Type

Classified - Sworn

Department

Sheriff

About the Position

Deputy Sheriff Trainee - Starting Salary of $68,640 plus a $7,500 Sign On Incentive and more perks listed below!

Pre-Employment assessments

***Applicants will be required to attend the Physical/Written assessment and Orientation on Friday, September 11, 2026. Oral boards will be scheduled for the week of September 14, 2026***

An invitation to the physical/written assessment/orientation and instructions will be sent to the e-mail address provided on your application approximately 5 days prior to thescheduled assessment/orientation.

Physical Readiness Assessment (PRA)

• Agility Run - 19.0 seconds - Measures agility and coordination
• Push-Ups - 20, no time limit - Measures upper body dynamic strength
• Sit-Ups - 23, in 1 minute - Measures abdominal muscular endurance
• 1.5 Mile Run - 17 minutes, 44 seconds - Measures aerobic power & vascular endurance

Do you have what it takes?

Do you have a desire to protect and serve your community? The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office (MCSO) is seeking passionate individuals to join our team as a Deputy Sheriff Trainee. In this role, high importance is placed on ensuring public safety is provided and maintained by an individual who takes pride in their work and considers the impact of their actions on an individual, team and organizational level.

We are looking for candidates who possess integrity and strong interpersonal skills. Ideal candidates are skilled problem solvers with the ability to use good judgment while diffusing situations, resolving conflict, and serving others and the community. If this sounds like the right opportunity for you... your adventure with MCSO awaits!

To be part of our team as a Deputy Sheriff, you must, be an effective communicator, even in the most challenging of situations, care about the safety and well‑being of others, respect all individuals regardless of background or socio‑economic status. You must embrace the concepts of integrity, accountability and transparency as core values. You must collaborate with team members, supervisors and managers to forward the mission and vision of MCSO.

Compensation is more than a salary with MCSO. Your perks at work include paid training, a stable environment, great benefits, flexibility and generous leave, and you will have an opportunity to serve your community as part of a diverse and talented workforce.

$35.10 UPON SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF THE DEPUTY SHERIFF ACADEMY

• Trainees may earn over $70,000 during their first full year of employment!
• Receive up to $5,250 annually in education reimbursement
• Earn 3 weeks of vacation in first year
• Eligible employees receive up to 6 weeks of paid paternal leave for the birth or adoption of a child

MCSO RELOCATION ASSISTANCE

• Maximum Reimbursement: Not to exceed $7,500
• For successful candidates residing outside of Maricopa County
• Reimbursements shall only be made for expenses incurred by the employee and their spouse and legal dependents. Proof of marital and dependent status may be required.
• The County may, at its discretion, refuse to reimburse any moving expense for which theemployee fails to provide appropriate documentation or that the County deems unreasonable.

POSITION QUALIFICATIONS

Minimum education and/or experience:

• High school diploma or GED
• Must be a U.S. citizen
• Must be 21 years of age at the completion of the academy
• Must meet Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) standards, as determined through the pre‑employment process, as indicated here:https://apps.azsos.gov/public_services/Title_13/13-04.pdf
• Individuals with lapsed Arizona POST certification, and those who have served as a certified peace officer in another state or federal agency, please submit an application for Deputy Sheriff - Lateral position.

Specialized training, certifications, and/or other special requirements:

• Must possess a valid Arizona driver's license.
• Must provide a valid government issued birth certificate at the time of background processing.
• Certified by the State of Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board (AZ POST) as a Peace Officer.
• Training on the following provided on‑the‑job: FEMA NIMS - IS100 AND 700, OSHA, payroll, and PREA.

Prior to hiring, the Sheriff's Office requires that all applicants complete the following: physical readiness assessment (PRA), a written examination, orientation, oral board, background investigation, polygraph examination, psychological exam and medical exam.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

Work ethic and integrity: Ability and willingness to work hard and conscientiously regardless of assignment and be committed to MCSO's mission; to represent information truthfully and be trustworthy in performance of duties; to act without regard to personal preference or bias; to take actions and make decisions through the thoughtful consideration of discretion; to act consistently with professional standards and within MCSO's policies, procedures and values.

Attention to detail: Ability to attend to physical needs and human comfort and identify when inconsistencies in protocol exist.

Reasoning and judgment: Ability to apply deductive and inductive reasoning to information and facts about situations to reach logical conclusions from the reasoning process; to recognize problems, understand their implications and devise solutions; to determine the relevance of each item of information.

Problem solve: Ability to devise multiple solutions or contingencies and to evaluate their strengths and weaknesses; to evaluate and choose between conflicting alternatives based on partial or incomplete information; to solve problems quickly in emergency situations and under stress.

Leadership: Ability to maintain good morale, motivation and commitment from others; to set a positive tone; to have the psychological and emotional maturity, self‑confidence and willingness to assume responsibility for efforts and actions and to take responsibility for the consequences of those actions; to represent the Sheriff's Office in the best possible light.

Function under stress: Ability to maintain composure in difficult or stressful situations such as those that require emergency action; to make security‑related decisions promptly; to use sound judgment in stressful situations by either taking or refraining from action (e.g., showing restraint); to remain calm during emergencies.

Teamwork: Ability to work as a member of a team; to create and develop a team (e.g., assigning team roles and responsibilities, developing team goals); to lead a team; to identify potential team building problems and how to prevent them (e.g., Groupthink, scapegoating); to work harmoniously with coworkers; to participate when appropriate; to work with others to achieve desired solutions; to assist coworkers in both emergency and non‑emergency situations.

Preferred education and/or experience

Any combination of advanced education (AA, BA, BS or Graduate Degree) or experience (including Military).

Working conditions

Working conditions may vary depending on assignment. Incumbents may be subjected to harsh elements such as extreme heat or cold, wet or dry, altitude, rough terrain, rural, suburban and urban environments. Incumbents may face dangerous, hostile and at times life threatening conditions, fatigue, physical or emotional stress related to the performance of the duties of a law enforcement officer.

Job requires the ability to work any location, shift and assignment operating 24 hours per day, 7 days per week.

Job requires the ability to: perform sprints, jumping and vaulting tasks; perform lifting, carrying, pushing and pulling; move quickly around objects and obstacles in pursuit situations; and pursue, extract and use force in both short intense effort and sustained effort situations. Actual situations may require efforts beyond the following:

• Perform foot pursuits that may include running sprints of 100 feet or more; running for sustained periods, usually 300 feet but up to 5 minutes; running up and down stairs, usually 2 flights but may be up to 4 flights; run over uneven terrain; and dodge around obstacles.

Working environment

The following environments described are only representative of how the essential job tasks are currently performed or envisioned. As such, in order to accommodate a disability or limitation, the essential job tasks may be performed in ways other than described on these pages.

Work Environment

• Indoors and outdoors; confined areas
• Smoke, dust