SalariesWhat the occupation covers
Patrol assigned area to prevent fish and game law violations. Investigate reports of damage to crops or property by wildlife. Compile biological data.
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 33-3031.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $50,990 | $4,249 | $981 | $24.51 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $61,430 | $5,119 | $1,181 | $29.53 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $74,060 | $6,172 | $1,424 | $35.60 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $89,110 | $7,426 | $1,714 | $42.84 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $100,980 | $8,415 | $1,942 | $48.55 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Fish and Game Wardens is $74,060, which is 45% higher. Among the 24 occupations of the field Protective Service, it ranks number 9 by median pay. With 5,770 jobs, it makes up about 0.4 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Fish and Game Wardens pay by state
The highest median pay was in California ($100,090), Iowa ($98,260) and Indiana ($93,990). The lowest was in Florida ($31,200), Pennsylvania ($50,250) and Kentucky ($54,570). The most jobs were in Texas (490), New York (390) and California (330). The occupation is most concentrated in Maine, where its share of all jobs is 7.9 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 330 | $100,090 | $96,130 | $48.12 |
| Iowa | 120 | $98,260 | $89,620 | $47.24 |
| Indiana | 170 | $93,990 | $91,900 | $45.19 |
| Nevada | 50 | $91,750 | $90,270 | $44.11 |
| Maryland | 60 | $89,300 | $91,150 | $42.94 |
| Wisconsin | 150 | $89,110 | $80,030 | $42.84 |
| Michigan | 210 | $87,460 | $84,770 | $42.05 |
| Texas | 490 | $85,980 | $82,050 | $41.34 |
| New York | 390 | $80,060 | $80,920 | $38.49 |
| North Dakota | 30 | $79,520 | $78,150 | $38.23 |
| Georgia | 200 | $79,440 | $77,730 | $38.19 |
| Tennessee | 220 | $75,930 | $76,160 | $36.51 |
| Ohio | 160 | $75,880 | $76,100 | $36.48 |
| Vermont | 40 | $74,940 | $73,210 | $36.03 |
| Alabama | 160 | $74,290 | $69,630 | $35.71 |
| Wyoming | 70 | $74,060 | $71,270 | $35.60 |
| Maine | 190 | $73,260 | $70,940 | $35.22 |
| Idaho | 110 | $73,200 | $76,380 | $35.19 |
| New Jersey | 90 | $72,920 | $76,200 | $35.06 |
| Arkansas | 80 | $72,200 | $71,740 | $34.71 |
| Missouri | 150 | $70,030 | $65,040 | $33.67 |
| Hawaii | 110 | $69,250 | $76,090 | $33.29 |
| Oklahoma | 170 | $69,120 | $70,040 | $33.23 |
| South Dakota | 100 | $68,810 | $67,080 | $33.08 |
| Virginia | 180 | $66,540 | $68,110 | $31.99 |
| Connecticut | 90 | $65,400 | $68,160 | $31.44 |
| Nebraska | 70 | $63,000 | $66,670 | $30.29 |
| West Virginia | 110 | $62,530 | $64,450 | $30.06 |
| Kansas | 100 | $61,840 | $63,970 | $29.73 |
| North Carolina | 190 | $61,430 | $62,280 | $29.53 |
| Louisiana | 110 | $59,940 | $59,940 | $28.82 |
| Montana | 70 | $59,490 | $61,670 | $28.60 |
| Kentucky | 70 | $54,570 | $57,250 | $26.24 |
| Pennsylvania | 80 | $50,250 | $53,840 | $24.16 |
| Florida | 290 | $31,200 | $33,440 | $15.00 |
| Delaware | 60 | not published | not published | not published |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- First-Line Supervisors of Protective Service Workers, All Other$76,400 a year
- Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers$76,210 a year
- Fire Inspectors and Investigators$75,920 a year
- Transportation Security Screeners$66,770 a year
- Firefighters$59,280 a year
- Correctional Officers and Jailers$58,940 a year
Common questions
How much do Fish and Game Wardens earn in the United States?
The median pay was $74,060 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $50,990 and the highest-paid 10% more than $100,980.
How many people work as Fish and Game Wardens?
About 5,770 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.