Fish and Game Wardens: Career Overview
Patrol assigned area to prevent fish and game law violations. Investigate reports of damage to crops or property by wildlife. Compile biological data.
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What Tasks Do Fish and Game Wardens Do?
The core tasks performed by fish and game wardens span:
- Patrol assigned areas by car, boat, airplane, horse, or on foot to enforce game, fish, or boating laws or to manage wildlife programs, lakes, or land.
- Compile and present evidence for court actions.
- Investigate hunting accidents or reports of fish or game law violations.
- Protect and preserve native wildlife, plants, or ecosystems.
- Issue warnings or citations and file reports as necessary.
- Serve warrants and make arrests.
- Provide assistance to other local law enforcement agencies as required.
- Promote or provide hunter or trapper safety training.
Skills and Knowledge
Top fish and game wardens rely on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Key Skills
The abilities most central to this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Top Knowledge Areas
Related Job Titles
This career also goes by job titles like:
- Community Resource Officer
- Conservation Enforcement Officer
- Conservation Officer
- District Resource Officer
- Environmental Conservation Officer
- Fish Warden
- Fish and Game Warden
- Fish and Wildlife Warden
How Many Fish and Game Wardens Are There?
There are roughly 493,397 fish and game wardens working in the United States today. Employment is projected to grow by +0.7% over the projection horizon.
Salary for Fish and Game Wardens
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $51,480 |
| Hourly median | $24.75 |
| 10th percentile | $35,463 |
| 25th percentile | $43,472 |
| 75th percentile | $59,489 |
| 90th percentile | $67,498 |
Wages vary widely based on experience, location, and industry.
How Much Do Fish and Game Wardens Make in Different U.S. States?
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Washington | $115,400 |
| Indiana | $99,990 |
| California | $94,990 |
| Iowa | $92,270 |
| Maryland | $87,180 |
| Nevada | $84,280 |
| Texas | $81,880 |
| North Dakota | $80,220 |
| Ohio | $76,870 |
| Tennessee | $75,930 |
| New York | $75,820 |
| Wyoming | $74,060 |
| Georgia | $73,490 |
| Vermont | $71,720 |
| Maine | $71,120 |
| Alabama | $71,070 |
| Hawaii | $70,840 |
| Idaho | $70,350 |
| Arkansas | $70,100 |
| South Carolina | $69,360 |
| New Jersey | $64,930 |
| South Dakota | $63,450 |
| Connecticut | $62,530 |
| Kansas | $61,840 |
| Missouri | $61,780 |
| Montana | $60,140 |
| Virginia | $60,000 |
| West Virginia | $59,630 |
| North Carolina | $57,950 |
| Nebraska | $57,370 |
| Oklahoma | $54,290 |
| Kentucky | $52,980 |
| Pennsylvania | $52,500 |
| Louisiana | $51,370 |
| Arizona | $45,000 |
| Florida | $32,760 |
Where Fish and Game Wardens Earn the Most
Compensation for fish and game wardens differ across the country. These regions lead on median pay:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $94,130 | 9.4% | 1.03 |
| Great Lakes | $89,200 | 5.2% | 0.95 |
| New England | $68,810 | 4.3% | 3.80 |
| Rocky Mountains | $68,608 | 4.2% | 4.20 |
| Plains States | $67,668 | 11.3% | 2.59 |
| Southwest | $67,137 | 14.7% | 1.26 |
| Middle Atlantic | $63,771 | 10.7% | 1.05 |
| Southeast | $55,191 | 40.2% | 1.85 |
Top Metro Areas
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | IN | $102,990 | 40 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | CA | $95,480 | 40 |
| Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN | TN | $90,960 | 70 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | CA | $89,370 | 30 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | DC | $85,050 | 40 |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | NY | $81,990 | 30 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | TX | $81,880 | 30 |
| Knoxville, TN | TN | $74,750 | 40 |
Tools and Technology
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- Configuration management software: Puppet (hot technology)
- Object or component oriented development software: Swift (hot technology)
Work Environment
The on-the-job environment of fish and game wardens reflects the following characteristics:
- In an Enclosed Vehicle or Operate Enclosed Equipment
- Telephone Conversations
- Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions
- Deal With External Customers or the Public in General
Getting Started in This Career
Typical fish and game wardens positions require a bachelor’s degree as the typical entry-level education. This career aligns with Considerable Preparation Needed (Job Zone 4), reflecting the level of preparation typically expected.
Other Careers to Consider
Similar Occupations
- Environmental Compliance Inspectors (Primary-Long)
- Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists (Supplemental)
- Biologists (Supplemental)
- Conservation Scientists (Primary-Short)
- Range Managers (Primary-Short)
- Park Naturalists (Primary-Long)
- Foresters (Supplemental)
- Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health (Supplemental)
Top Programs to Study For This Career
Aspiring fish and game wardens commonly pursue programs in:
Natural Resources and Conservation
1 programs across 1 majors
Sources
Data on this page comes from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 33-3031.00 (Fish and Game Wardens).
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