Police Cadet

Salary: $28.82 Hourly
Location : 8751 Snouffer School Rd Gaithersburg MD 20879 USA
Job Type: Term
Job Number: 2026-00472
Department: Department of Police
Opening Date: 08/17/2026
Closing Date: 8/31/2026 11:59 PM Eastern
FLSA: Non-Exempt


About the Position
Please note: The salary range above represents this position's earning potential. The salary for this position will be $28.82 per hour worked

Cadets will work 20 hours per week Cadets participating in the program receive a salary of $28.82 per hour. Cadets will receive leave benefits; to include:

• paid holiday leave
• healthcare benefits.

WHO WE ARE

The Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD) is made up of approximately 1,300 sworn officers and approximately 800 support personnel. The Police Department was established in 1922 and today is responsible for providing service to a County with a population of over one million people.

WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR

Start Your Law Enforcement Career Today

The Montgomery County Department of Police is seeking highly motivated and community-focused individuals to join our team as POLICE CADETS (The Cadet Academy will run from December 28, 2026 - January 16, 2027). This is an excellent opportunity for college students who are passionate about public service and interested in pursuing a future career as a Montgomery County Police Officer.
We are seeking candidates who are at least 18 years old, currently enrolled in college or university full-time, and maintaining continuous progress towards earning an Associate or higher. If you are passionate about pursuing a future career as a Police Officer, we encourage you to consider joining us as a Police Cadet

What You'll Be Doing
What You'll Be Doing

The Police Cadet Program serves to identify and select qualified individuals contemplating a career in the field of law enforcement and provide them with career orientation and first-hand experience to better prepare them to become a Montgomery County Police Officer when they reach the minimum age requirement. However, a Cadet position is not a guarantee that the individual will be hired as a Police Officer Candidate.

Cadets work 20 hours a week performing a variety of hands-on administrative, technical, and other tasks supporting the functions, services, and operations of the Department while gaining insight and awareness into a law enforcement career and various phases of law enforcement. Cadets have an opportunity to work directly with, assist, and observe sworn and civilian personnel to experience the challenges and personal rewards of a career in law enforcement.

• Receives on-the-job training in numerous assignments including, but not limited to:
• Responds to questions received on the phone and/or at public information counter.
• Receives and issues police uniforms and equipment.
• Takes fingerprints.
• Receives and stores stolen property.
• Assists detectives with active investigations
• Directs traffic.
• Prepares and files elementary reports.
• Tags vehicles resulting from abandoned vehicle complaints.
• Attends college classes and Police Department training sessions as required.
• Assists department personnel with community policing and community outreach activities
• Prepares informational posts for the department's social media page
• Performs related duties as required.

Applicants must have the ability to:

• Pass a comprehensive background investigation conducted by the MCPD. (8 week process)
• Pass a a medical examination, and a drug/alcohol screen.

Minimum Qualifications
Experience: None


Education: Completion of High School


Equivalency: None

Other: Applicants must be a U.S. citizen and must be at least 18 years old

License: Possession and maintenance at all times of a valid Class "C" (or equivalent) driver's license from the applicant's state of residence

Preferred Criteria, Interview Preferences

• Currently enrolled in college or university full-time, and maintaining continuous progress towards earning an Associate or higher

• Prior or current Internship with a Law Enforcement Agency

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

The Office of Human Resources (OHR) reviews the minimum qualifications of all applicants, irrespective of whether the candidate has previously been found to have met the minimum requirements for the job or been temporarily promoted to the same position. This evaluation is based solely on the information contained in the application/resume submitted for this specific position.

Montgomery County Government(MCG) is an equal opportunity employer, committed to workforce diversity. Accordingly, as it relates to employment opportunities, the County will provide reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities, in accordance with the law. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should email OHR at View email address on click.appcast.io. Individual determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made in accordance with all applicable laws.

MCG also provides hiring preference to certain categories of veterans and veterans/persons with a disability. For more information and to claim employment preference, refer to the Careers webpage on Hiring Preference.

All applicants will respond to a series of questions related to their education, relevant experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities required to minimally perform the job. The applicant's responses in conjunction with their resume and all other information provided in the employment application process will be evaluated to determine the minimum qualifications and preferred criteria or interview preference status. Based on the results, the highest qualified applicants will be placed on an Eligible List and may be considered for an interview. Employees meeting minimum qualifications who are the same grade will be placed on the Eligible List as a "Lateral Transfer" candidate and may be considered for an interview.

This will establish an Eligible List that may be used to fill both current and future vacancies.

If selected for consideration for this position, you may be required to provide evidence that you possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities indicated on your resume.

Montgomery County Ethics Law : Except as provided by law or regulation, the County's "Public Employees" (which does not include employees of the Sheriff's office) are subject to the County's ethics law including the requirements to obtain advanced approval of any outside employment and the prohibitions on certain outside employment. The outside employment requirements of the ethics law can be found at 19A-12 of the County Code. Additional information about outside employment can be obtained from the Ethics Commission website.
Leave Benefits

Our generous leave package starts with non-MLS permanent and term employees earning 15 days of sick leave and 15 days of annual leave in their first year, as well as up to three additional personal days each calendar year. Positions in MLS earn 35 days of paid time off each year. In addition, we offer all employees 10 paid holidays. Our leave policies adhere to the Family Medical Leave Act of 1993, and we provide six weeks of paid parental leave for new parents.

Retirement Benefits

All permanent and term positions are eligible for robust retirement plans. Public safety positions are eligible for a defined benefit pension plan in which they are vested after only five years. Employees in non-public safety positions can participate in retirement plans that contribute up to 12 percent of their annual salary. All employees can also participate in a supplemental retirement plan, the 457 Deferred Compensation Plan, to contribute even more to their retirement goals.

Tuition Assistance & Student Loan Forgiveness

Montgomery County employees are eligible to participate in the Federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. Participants who meet all requirements may qualify for forgiveness on the remaining balance on their Direct Loans after making 120 qualifying monthly payments under a qualifying repayment plan while working full-time in a qualifying public service position. To learn more about PSLF, please visit the Student Loan Repayment Benefits page. Our tuition assistance program allows you to receive up to $2,130 annually in tuition assistance to help you achieve a degree that supports your career path.

Free Mass Transit Benefit

County employees are entitled to use the RideOn Bus service for free with a valid County-employee ID. This benefit can be used any time of the day or evening, including weekends. We also offer a pre-tax flexible spending account to reduce the cost of other mass-transit options such as MARC trains and Metro.

Reduced Child and Health Care Costs

Working for Montgomery County also entitles permanent and term employees to participate in healthcare and childcare Flexible Spending Accounts. These plans allow eligible employees to save on a pretax basis for healthcare and dependent care costs incurred during the plan year.


Employee Wellbeing

We deeply care about your holistic wellness. Our award-winning wellness program, LiveWell, will support you in improving and maintaining your physical, mental, financial, social, and intellectual well-being.

Learn more about our wonderful benefits available to you once you join our team. Montgomery County Benefits
01


Do you possess and currently maintain a VALID driver's license from your state of residence?

• YES
• NO

02


Are you a U.S. Citizen?

• YES
• NO

Required Question