Fish and Game Wardens
Agriculture, Food and Natural ResourcesO*NET 33-3031.00United States
Patrol assigned area to prevent fish and game law violations. Investigate reports of damage to crops or property by wildlife.
- Median annual earnings
- $73,907
- Projected change
- −4%
- Typical education
- Bachelor's degree
- Employment
- 6.23K jobs
50th percentile, United States
2025 to 2035
79.3% of the workforce
Growing to 5.98K by 2035
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The work
What fish and game wardens do
Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.
- 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.
- Participate in search-and-rescue operations.
- Arrange for disposition of fish or game illegally taken or possessed.
- Promote or provide hunter or trapper safety training.
- Seize equipment used in fish and game law violations.
- Address schools, civic groups, sporting clubs, or the media to disseminate information concerning wildlife conservation and regulations.
- Recommend revisions in hunting and trapping regulations or in animal management programs so that wildlife balances or habitats can be maintained.
- Inspect commercial operations relating to fish or wildlife, recreation, or protected areas.
- Survey areas and compile figures of bag counts of hunters to determine the effectiveness of control measures.
- Collect and report information on populations or conditions of fish and wildlife in their habitats, availability of game food or cover, or suspected pollution.
- Design or implement control measures to prevent or counteract damage caused by wildlife or people.
- Provide advice or information to park or reserve visitors.
- Investigate crop, property, or habitat damage or destruction or instances of water pollution to determine causes and to advise property owners of preventive measures.
- Issue licenses, permits, or other documentation.
Pay and outlook
What the job pays and where it is heading
Annual earnings range
Reported earnings by percentile, United States
- 10th percentile
- $50,149
- 25th percentile
- $60,913
- 50th percentile
- $73,907
- 75th percentile
- $88,018
- 90th percentile
- $99,997
The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $73,907 and half earn less.
Employment outlook
2025 to 2035 projection
−4%projected to decline
20256,231 jobs
2035 projected5,983 jobs
248 fewer positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.
Preparation
Education levels
What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.
- Bachelor's degree
- 79.3%
- High school diploma or less
- 13.8%
- Associate degree
- 4.4%
- Some college
- 2%
- Certificate
- 0.6%
Skills
Skills employers ask for
Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.
How the work gets done
Core competencies
Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.
- Critical Thinking
- Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Active Listening
- Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Speaking
- Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Reading Comprehension
- Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Social Perceptiveness
- Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Monitoring
- Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Persuasion
- Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
- Complex Problem Solving
- Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Coordination
- Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Writing
- Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Systems Analysis
- Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
- Service Orientation
- Actively looking for ways to help people.
- Active Learning
- Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Systems Evaluation
- Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
- Instructing
- Teaching others how to do something.
- Time Management
- Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Operations Monitoring
- Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
- Learning Strategies
- Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
- Negotiation
- Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
In the market
Job titles and employers
Recent job postings in United StatesCommon job titles
- 01Game Wardens86 postings
- 02Air Interdiction Agents50 postings
- 03Wildlife Managers22 postings
- 04Courtesy Patrols11 postings
- 05Lieutenants10 postings
- 06Sergeants9 postings
- 07Field Supervisors7 postings
- 08Role Players7 postings
- 09Utility Officers7 postings
- 10Child Supervisors5 postings
- 11Correctional Supervisors5 postings
- 12Off Duty Officers5 postings
- 13Range Safety Officers5 postings
- 14Police Officers4 postings
- 15Wildlife Technicians4 postings
- 16Field Training Officers3 postings
- 17Fish and Wildlife Biologists3 postings
- 18Game Day Staff3 postings
- 19Law Enforcement Investigators3 postings
- 20Law Enforcement Specialists3 postings
Top employers
- 01State of California42 postings
- 02United States Department of Homeland Security33 postings
- 03State of Louisiana22 postings
- 04Texas Parks and Wildlife Department10 postings
- 05Mhc Property Management9 postings
- 06State of South Carolina9 postings
- 07Allied Universal8 postings
- 08California State Personnel Board8 postings
- 09Commonwealth Of Pennsylvania8 postings
- 10Applied Training Solutions7 postings
- 11Marksman Security Corporation7 postings
- 12Equity Lifestyle Properties6 postings
- 13State of Montana6 postings
- 14State of Wyoming6 postings
- 15New York City5 postings
- 16Walden Security5 postings
- 17Department Of Fish And Wildlife4 postings
- 18Fish Wildlife And Parks4 postings
- 19BNSF Railway3 postings
- 20Commonwealth of Kentucky3 postings
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