Deputy Sheriff Trainee at Maricopa County in Phoenix, AZ

Deputy Sheriff Trainee

Location: Phoenix, AZ (On-site)

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 the scheduled assessment/orientation.

Physical Readiness Assessment (PRA)
Applicants must successfully demonstrate physical readiness by completing a series of assessments which consists of the following:

1. Agility Run – 19.0 seconds – Measures agility and coordination

2. Push-Ups – 20, no time limit – Measures upper body dynamic strength

3. Sit-Ups – 23, in 1 minute – Measures abdominal muscular endurance

4. 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 the employee 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 the 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, fumes, chemicals
• Dim or bright lighting
• High noise level
• May be exposed to contagious diseases

Physical Environment:

• Sitting, standing, walking for extended periods
• Driving a vehicle
• Speaking, hearing, reading, seeing including distinguishing colors
• Wearing protective gear
• Precise dexterity

Social Environment:

• Interruptions, multiple or complicated tasks, frequently changing or unscheduled tasks, working under deadlines or time pressures
• Concentration/vigilance
• Isolation

ESSENTIAL JOB TASKS:

The Deputy Sheriff in the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office (MCSO) enforces laws and maintains order while protecting life and property. The Deputy Sheriff is responsible for ensuring the public safety of the citizens of Maricopa County and the State of Arizona in accordance with all applicable local, state, and federal laws, regulations and MCSO policies.

Criminal investigations- Conducts traffic and criminal investigations, using accepted methods and techniques to identify, secure, collect and protect evidence and crime scenes; conducts interviews with victims, witnesses, and suspects, gathering information, developing probable cause, making arrests and executing search warrants.

Response to calls for service- Responds quickly to emergency situations via department vehicle using vehicle's emergency equipment when needed (e.g., lights and sirens); determines the quickest and safest approach to an emergency scene; determines the best strategy for restoring or maintaining order and safety; uses defensive tactics and appropriate level of force, to include using assigned weapons (e.g., firearm, Taser, baton), to control a situation; issues warnings and/or citations to ensure public safety and compliance with the law.

Patrol duties- Maintains a safe and secure community by identifying and responding to in-progress criminal activity and unusual or suspicious circumstances, vehicles, packages; makes observations, writes reports, communicates with the public and provides a level of service required in conjunction with all local, state and federal laws, as well as all applicable policies and procedures of the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office; engages the community in positive proactive policing practices to fulfill the departments mission, establishes strong ties and relationships within the community by conducting oneself in a professional, fair and transparent manner at all times.

Training- Attends, implements and provides all required training associated with the duties and functions of a law enforcement officer as specified by Arizona Police Officers Standards Training Board (POST) and the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office.

Administration-Interacts with the public and staff by effectively communicating verbally, and in writing, to direct, ascertain information, document incidents, requirements, needs and conditions within the facility; operates electronic and other equipment (e.g., telephones, portable radios, desktop and mobile computers, cameras); independently gathers information through a variety of methods in order to document information and actions; utilizes technology to access information and records, and documents in reports as required by policy.

SELECTION PROCEDURE:

The Maricopa County Human Resources Department reserves the right to admit to the exam process only those candidates who are considered the most highly qualified. Those selected will be required to attend a physical readiness assessment, written examination and an orientation. The hiring authority will interview and select the successful candidate from a list provided by Human Resources.

Qualified applicants will be invited to participate in the first phase of the selection process, which includes a physical readiness assessment, written examination, an orientation and oral board.

All offers of employment made to new hires and rehires at Maricopa County are contingent upon successful completion of a post-offer, pre-employment thorough background investigation. A background investigation is conducted on a current employee who changes to a Safety Sensitive Position or one having the potential for serious adverse impact on the integrity or efficiency of the County. These requirements do not pertain to employees of elected officials who undergo background investigation processes administered through their respective offices.

Selection Procedure

• Consideration will only be given to candidates who submit online applications

• Candidates will be contacted primarily through email and their Workday online application profile

• Must pass a pre-employment background and/or fingerprint investigation as required by statute or policy, including drug and alcohol testing requirements for positions designated as safety-sensitive

Maricopa County is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all applicants. If you require a reasonable accommodation during the application process or to perform the essential functions of the position under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), please contact MHRFeedback@maricopa.gov to initiate the interactive process.

Apply Now!