Occupation salary profile

Fish and Game Wardens

SOC 33-3031 BLS OEWS May 2025

Patrol assigned area to prevent fish and game law violations. Investigate reports of damage to crops or property by wildlife. Compile biological data.

National median · BLS
$74,060
▲ +8.62% YoY
H-1B sponsor median
—
Too few H-1B filings
Average salary · BLS
$74,950
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
5,770
Jobs (BLS)
Highest-paying state (cost-adjusted) Loading…
Most jobs Loading…
Highest-paying metro (cost-adjusted) Loading…

Check your salary

Enter your pay and a location to see where you stand against BLS and H-1B pay, your estimated take-home pay, and your purchasing power.

Pay range for Fish and Game Wardens

Annual base pay at each percentile. BLS covers all U.S. workers in this occupation.

Percentile All U.S. workers (BLS)
10th — entry pay$50,990
25th$61,430
Median (50th)$74,060
75th$89,110
90th — top pay$100,980

Hourly ⇄ annual pay

Type in either box; the other updates instantly.

Monthly—
Every 2 weeks—
Weekly—
Daily—
Based on hrs/week × weeks/year = 2,080 hrs
Projections 2025–2035

Job outlook for Fish and Game Wardens

BLS projects employment of fish and game wardens to decline 5.7% from 2025 to 2035, while employment across all occupations grows 3.5%. About 500 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.

Jobs 2025 → 2035
6,200 → 5,800
-400 jobs
Projected change
-5.7%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
500
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
Bachelor's degree
No related experience required
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Preparation needed (O*NET Job Zone 3)
Medium Preparation Needed. Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Fastest-declining jobs → Best-paying jobs that need a bachelor's degree →

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035 · BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook →

Skills & tools

Skills needed for Fish and Game Wardens

How important each skill and knowledge area is for this job, rated by O*NET on a 1–5 scale from surveys of workers and occupational analysts.

Top skills
  • Speaking3.9
  • Active Listening3.8
  • Critical Thinking3.8
  • Reading Comprehension3.8
  • Judgment and Decision Making3.6
  • Monitoring3.1
  • Persuasion3.1
  • Social Perceptiveness3.1
  • Systems Analysis3.1
  • Writing3.1
Top knowledge areas
  • Public Safety and Security4.8
  • Law and Government4.7
  • Customer and Personal Service4.6
  • English Language4.1
  • Telecommunications3.9
  • Psychology3.8
  • Geography3.7
  • Biology3.7
Software and technology used
Microsoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft PowerPointMicrosoft WordPuppetSwiftDatabase softwareGlobal positioning system GPS softwareMapping softwareWeb browser software

Highlighted = in demand: frequently listed in employer job postings for this occupation (O*NET).

Source: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

About the job

What fish and game wardens do

  • Participate in search-and-rescue operations.
  • Compile and present evidence for court actions.
  • Protect and preserve native wildlife, plants, or ecosystems.
  • 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.
  • Investigate hunting accidents or reports of fish or game law violations.
  • Provide assistance to other local law enforcement agencies as required.
  • Issue warnings or citations and file reports as necessary.
  • Provide advice or information to park or reserve visitors.
Also called
Game WardenState Wildlife OfficerWildlife Conservation OfficerWildlife OfficerConservation Enforcement OfficerConservation OfficerConservation WardenFish and Game ConstableRefuge OfficerState Game Warden
More job titles for this occupation (19)
Environmental Conservation OfficerFish and Wildlife WardenFish WardenFishing Game WardenGame AgentGame and Fish ProtectorGame ProtectorMammal Control AgentNatural Resource OfficerPark WardenResource OfficerState Game ProtectorWardenWildlife and Game ProtectorWildlife Control AgentWildlife Control PartnerWildlife Enforcement MajorWildlife ProtectorWoods Warden

Source: O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0). These are general job titles, not H-1B filings; for titles employers actually filed, see “Job titles” above.