33 Series · SOC 33-3031
Fish and Game Wardens Salary
National pay, percentile range, growth outlook, and state-by-state detail from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey (May 2025).
- $74,060
- Median / year
- +8.6%
- 2024→2025
- $100,980
- Top 10% earn
- -6%
- Growth '24–'34
- 5,770
- Estimated US jobs
Fish and Game Wardens earn a median of $74,060 per year.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey, the median annual wage is $74,060, based on the most recent survey of employers. Reported pay ranges from $50,990 (10th percentile) to $100,980 (90th percentile) nationally, across roughly 5,770 estimated jobs in covered establishments. The highest published state median in this ranking is California ($100,090).
The pay verdict
Fish and Game Wardens earn a median of $74,060, putting them above the typical US occupation and higher than 65% of the 825 occupations with a published BLS median. Within Protective Service, it ranks #9 of 24 by median pay. Employment is projected to fall 6% by 2034.
- $74,060
- Median annual wage
- Top 35%
- of 825 US occupations with published wages
- #9 of 24
- in Protective Service
- 2.0×
- 90th-to-10th pay spread
Highest-paying state: California at $100,090. Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
Observed pay change
What changed, BLS OEWS 2019–2025
- The published national median for Fish and Game Wardens moved from $57,500 in May 2019 to $74,060 in May 2025 (+28.8%).
- Across the 749 occupations priced in both releases under SOC-2018, the median occupation changed +24.5%.
- Fish and Game Wardens sits +4.3 pp near that median, nominal dollars, no price deflator applied.
Fish and Game Wardens (SOC 33-3031) has a national median of $74,060 per year in the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025 release. The published 10th-to-90th-percentile boundaries run from $50,990 to $100,980, and the published mean is $74,950. Those summary statistics describe the estimated distribution; their difference alone does not identify its cause. OEWS estimates 5,770 jobs in covered establishments nationally. WageDex has published rows for 35 state or territory areas and 30 metropolitan or nonmetropolitan wage areas. The published national median moved from $68,180 in the May 2024 OEWS release to $74,060 in May 2025, a rise of $5,880 (+8.6%). This is a change between two BLS survey estimates, not an inflation-adjusted same-worker pay raise.
BLS Employment Projections forecast a -6% change in employment from 2024 to 2034, which we classify as declining relative to the all-occupations baseline of 3.1%. About 500 openings are projected per year from growth, occupational transfers, and labor-force exits. BLS assigns Bachelor's degree as typical education needed for entry, and BLS classifies its typical on-the-job preparation as moderate-term on-the-job training. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific fatality and injury rate for this role in the current release. The safety panel below shows its broad Protective Service Occupations SOC-group context and is not an occupation-level measurement or ranking.
Geographic variation matters as much as the headline median. California pays the highest state median at $100,090, which is +35% above the national figure. The highest published metropolitan-area median in this ranking is Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA at $105,780. The observed difference does not identify its cause. Pair the national median with the state and metropolitan-area rows below while keeping the geography and statistic consistent. OEWS includes tips, commissions, incentive pay, and production bonuses, but not employer benefits, overtime premiums, stock compensation, or nonproduction bonuses. See our methodology for the sourcing and calculation details.
Median Salary
$74,060
per year
Median Hourly
$35.60/hr
per hour
Mean Salary
$74,950
average
Employment
5,770
jobs nationwide
How does this pay compare nationally?
Where Fish and Game Wardens pay sits nationally
Median annual wage vs. 825 detailed BLS occupations with a published median
$74,060 Top 35% higher than 65% of 825 US occupations
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Read the chart as text · as of May 2025
| Band | Count | Share |
|---|---|---|
| $0–$20,000 | 0 US occupations | 0% |
| $20,000–$40,000 | 98 US occupations | 12% |
| $40,000–$60,000 | 298 US occupations | 36% |
| $60,000–$80,000 (this entry) | 209 US occupations | 25% |
| $80,000–$100,000 | 82 US occupations | 10% |
| $100,000–$120,000 | 58 US occupations | 7% |
| $120,000–$140,000 | 32 US occupations | 4% |
| $140,000–$160,000 | 14 US occupations | 2% |
| $160,000–$180,000 | 9 US occupations | 1% |
| $180,000 and above | 25 US occupations | 3% |
$74,060 · 65th percentile of 825 US occupations
Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS · May 2025
Does this job pay well and grow?
Each dot is a 33-series occupation, placed by projected 2024–2034 growth and median pay. The highlighted dot is Fish and Game Wardens; the upper-right quadrant is the sweet spot (high pay + fast growth).
Read the chart as text
- Security Guards: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 0.4%, Median annual wage $38020
- Police and Sheriff's…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.1%, Median annual wage $76210
- Correctional Officer…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -7.8%, Median annual wage $58940
- Firefighters: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.4%, Median annual wage $59280
- Lifeguards, Ski Patr…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 5.8%, Median annual wage $33580
- First-Line Superviso…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 2.9%, Median annual wage $106040
- Detectives and Crimi…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -0.7%, Median annual wage $93790
- First-Line Superviso…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.4%, Median annual wage $93530
- Crossing Guards and …: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.6%, Median annual wage $38100
- Protective Service W…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 2.5%, Median annual wage $42540
- First-Line Superviso…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 2.7%, Median annual wage $55940
- School Bus Monitors: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -2.7%, Median annual wage $35100
- First-Line Superviso…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -2.8%, Median annual wage $77970
- Transportation Secur…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -6%, Median annual wage $66770
- Private Detectives a…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 6%, Median annual wage $51220
- First-Line Superviso…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 1.6%, Median annual wage $76400
- Bailiffs: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -2.2%, Median annual wage $56600
- Fire Inspectors and …: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.8%, Median annual wage $75920
- Animal Control Workers: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.9%, Median annual wage $45660
- Gambling Surveillanc…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 0.3%, Median annual wage $43370
- Parking Enforcement …: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -1.5%, Median annual wage $46730
- Fish and Game Wardens: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -6%, Median annual wage $74060
- Transit and Railroad…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3%, Median annual wage $90230
- Forest Fire Inspecto…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 14.6%, Median annual wage $56870
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS (wages, May 2025) and Employment Projections (2024–2034).
Job Outlook (2024–2034)
Projected Growth
-6%
Declining
Annual Openings
500
per year (projected)
Employment Change
-400
7,000 (2024) → 6,600 (2034)
Typical Education
Bachelor's degree
On-the-Job Training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034
Workplace Safety
All safety ratings →Protective Service Occupations context
Broad SOC context, not an occupation grade
Fatality Rate
7.3/100K
Injury Rate
2.5/100
Danger Index
13.7/100
Source: BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) & Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII), 2023
Career Intelligence
Skills, knowledge, and tasks most important for Fish and Game Wardens roles, ranked by importance. Source: O*NET.
Top Skills
Knowledge Areas
Key Tasks
- ▸ 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.
- ▸ Participate in search-and-rescue operations.
- ▸ Arrange for disposition of fish or game illegally taken or possessed.
Source: O*NET Online, National Center for O*NET Development. Data represents typical importance ratings for this occupation.
Salary Range
Annual Salary Distribution
Hourly Rate Distribution
Fish and Game Wardens pay history, 2015–2025
Published national median across 11 BLS OEWS releases. Nominal dollars, not inflation-adjusted.
Read the chart as text
| Period | National median |
|---|---|
| 2015 | $52,780 |
| 2016 | $51,730 |
| 2017 | $56,410 |
| 2018 | $57,710 |
| 2019 | $57,500 |
| 2020 | $58,040 |
| 2021 | $60,730 |
| 2022 | $59,500 |
| 2023 | $60,380 |
| 2024 | $68,180 |
| 2025 | $74,060 |
2015 median
$52,780
2025 median
$74,060
2019–2025 change (same SOC)
+$16,560 (+28.8%)
Avg/year (same SOC)
+4.3%
| Release | Median | Change | Estimated jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2015 | $52,780 | First banked release | 5,630 |
| May 2016 | $51,730 | -2.0% | 6,610 |
| May 2017 | $56,410 | +9.0% | 6,020 |
| May 2018 | $57,710 | +2.3% | 6,040 |
| May 2019 | $57,500 | Classification break | 6,800 |
| May 2020 | $58,040 | +0.9% | 7,230 |
| May 2021 | $60,730 | +4.6% | 6,730 |
| May 2022 | $59,500 | -2.0% | 6,530 |
| May 2023 | $60,380 | +1.5% | 6,290 |
| May 2024 | $68,180 | +12.9% | 6,420 |
| May 2025 | $74,060 | +8.6% | 5,770 |
Across the 11 releases WageDex holds for this occupation, the published national median went from $52,780 in May 2015 to $74,060 in May 2025. Within the SOC-2018 classification (2019–2025), the like-for-like change averages +4.3% per year in nominal terms. Within the same SOC classification, estimated employment went from 6,800 in May 2019 to 5,770 in May 2025.
Each figure is a separate BLS survey estimate, so a change between releases reflects the estimated occupation-wide median in each year. It is not the raise any individual worker received, and it is not adjusted for inflation. Years where BLS did not publish an annual median for this occupation are omitted rather than filled in. This span also crosses a classification change: releases before May 2019 use the 2010 Standard Occupational Classification and later releases use the 2018 SOC, so figures either side of that boundary are not strictly like-for-like. Headline change rates on this page use only the same-classification subset.
Salary by State
Highest Paying States
View all 35 states →
| # | State | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $100,090 | +35% above national |
| 2 | Iowa | $98,260 | +33% above national |
| 3 | Indiana | $93,990 | +27% above national |
| 4 | Nevada | $91,750 | +24% above national |
| 5 | Maryland | $89,300 | +21% above national |
| 6 | Wisconsin | $89,110 | +20% above national |
| 7 | Michigan | $87,460 | +18% above national |
| 8 | Texas | $85,980 | +16% above national |
| 9 | New York | $80,060 | +8% above national |
| 10 | North Dakota | $79,520 | +7% above national |
| 11 | Georgia | $79,440 | +7% above national |
| 12 | Tennessee | $75,930 | +3% above national |
| 13 | Ohio | $75,880 | +2% above national |
| 14 | Vermont | $74,940 | +1% above national |
| 15 | Alabama | $74,290 | same as national |
| 16 | Wyoming | $74,060 | same as national |
| 17 | Maine | $73,260 | 1% below national |
| 18 | Idaho | $73,200 | 1% below national |
| 19 | New Jersey | $72,920 | 2% below national |
| 20 | Arkansas | $72,200 | 3% below national |
| 21 | Missouri | $70,030 | 5% below national |
| 22 | Hawaii | $69,250 | 6% below national |
| 23 | Oklahoma | $69,120 | 7% below national |
| 24 | South Dakota | $68,810 | 7% below national |
| 25 | Virginia | $66,540 | 10% below national |
| 26 | Connecticut | $65,400 | 12% below national |
| 27 | Nebraska | $63,000 | 15% below national |
| 28 | West Virginia | $62,530 | 16% below national |
| 29 | Kansas | $61,840 | 17% below national |
| 30 | North Carolina | $61,430 | 17% below national |
| 31 | Louisiana | $59,940 | 19% below national |
| 32 | Montana | $59,490 | 20% below national |
| 33 | Kentucky | $54,570 | 26% below national |
| 34 | Pennsylvania | $50,250 | 32% below national |
| 35 | Florida | $31,200 | 58% below national |
Salary by Metro Area
Highest Paying Metros
View all 13 metro areas →
| # | Metro Area | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $105,780 | +43% above national |
| 2 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $89,300 | +21% above national |
| 3 | Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | $89,110 | +20% above national |
| 4 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $87,140 | +18% above national |
| 5 | Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $85,980 | +16% above national |
| 6 | Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | $81,490 | +10% above national |
| 7 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $79,440 | +7% above national |
| 8 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $76,290 | +3% above national |
| 9 | Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | $75,990 | +3% above national |
| 10 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $73,130 | 1% below national |
| 11 | Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $63,060 | 15% below national |
| 12 | Syracuse, NY | $56,730 | 23% below national |
| 13 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $31,200 | 58% below national |
Same SOC major group
Other detailed occupations in SOC major group 33 (Protective Service Occupations) - category peers, not a pay match.
Animal Control Workers
SOC 33-9011
Bailiffs
SOC 33-3011
Correctional Officers and Jailers
SOC 33-3012
Crossing Guards and Flaggers
SOC 33-9091
Detectives and Criminal Investigators
SOC 33-3021
Showing 5 of 23 detailed occupations BLS assigns to this SOC major group.
Nationwide occupations with similar pay or employment scale
Two OEWS peer sets outside this SOC major group (Protective Service Occupations). Same-category cards above stay inside the group; these neighborhoods are cross-group nearest neighbors on national median pay ($74,060 here) and reported employment (5,770 jobs here).
Similar median pay
Nearest other detailed occupations by BLS OEWS national median annual wage.
Similar employment scale
Nearest headcount peers (floor 1,000 national jobs), distinct from the pay column.
Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on BLS OEWS national median annual wage and reported employment. Employment peers exclude occupations already listed in the pay column so the two link sets stay distinct.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do Fish and Game Wardens make? ▼
Where does Fish and Game Wardens pay rank nationally? ▼
What state pays Fish and Game Wardens the most? ▼
What education do Fish and Game Wardens need? ▼
Does BLS publish a safety rate for Fish and Game Wardens? ▼
Is Fish and Game Wardens a good career? ▼
How does Fish and Game Wardens pay vary by state? ▼
Which metro areas pay the most for Fish and Game Wardens? ▼
What to do with this data
How to use Fish and Game Wardens pay figures in a real decision
- The 75th-percentile wage is about $89,110/year. Treat it as the upper-quartile market boundary, not an automatic target for experience alone; role scope, location, industry, credentials, performance, and employer context still need separate evidence. Salary calculator
- Location moves pay significantly: California leads at $100,090/year for this role. Weigh state pay against local cost of living before relocating or negotiating remote. Pay by state
- Compare this occupation against similar roles before you decide, so you are reading the pay band in context rather than in isolation. Compare jobs
These are BLS survey estimates for the occupation, not a salary offer or a prediction for any individual. Your pay depends on experience, employer, exact role, and location.
Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Occupation wages use BLS OEWS May 2025; outlook uses BLS Employment Projections for 2024–2034; safety, skills, knowledge, and task panels identify their BLS or O*NET sources in context. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.
This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or career advice. Actual pay for a specific role, employer, or offer may differ from these national/state figures, consult a qualified career counselor, recruiter, or financial advisor before making decisions based on this data.