Fish and Game Wardens
Also called: Conservation Enforcement Officer, Conservation Officer, Conservation Warden, Environmental Conservation Officer, Fish and Game Constable, Fish and Wildlife Warden, Fish Warden, Fishing Game Warden
Patrol assigned area to prevent fish and game law violations.
What fish and game wardens do
Typical tasks
- 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.
- Serve warrants and make arrests.
- 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.
Typical path into the job (BLS)
Fish and Game Wardens salary
The median annual wage for fish and game wardens is $74,060 (BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, national). The lowest 10 percent earn less than $50,990 and the highest 10 percent earn more than $100,980. The mean annual wage is $74,950.
The mean hourly wage of $36.00 is 5.0× the federal minimum wage of $7.25. State minimums are higher in most large states. Minimum wage by state →
How does your pay compare with people your age?
Your numbers are not sent or stored. The comparison uses this occupation's BLS wage percentiles, adjusted for age with BLS median weekly earnings by age group (Q3 2026).
Pay by percentile
Annual wage percentiles from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Percentiles are a good proxy for pay by experience.
Projected pay for Fish and Game Wardens (3, 5 and 10 years)est.
Today $74,060 → in 3 years $80,200 → in 5 years $84,600 → in 10 years $96,600 (10-year range $83,100–$112,200). The model assumes pay growth of +2.7% per year.
What drives the annual growth rate
Projected pay = current pay × (1 + annual growth)^years. The annual growth rate starts from a base wage-growth rate and adds or subtracts labor demand (BLS projected employment growth), wage momentum and AI replacement risk for each occupation. Projections are not guarantees. How it is calculated →
Outlook score for Fish and Game Wardens
Each component is a percentile rank among all occupations in the same country (0–100). Weights: labor demand 25, wage momentum / openings 15, pay level 15, AI resistance 25, aging workforce 10 (Japan only), entry barrier 10.
Will AI replace Fish and Game Wardens? AI replacement risk
How AI is changing this job
A written analysis for this occupation is being prepared.
AI replacement risk compares the parts of a job that are easy to hand to AI or software (processing information, documentation, repetitive computer work) with the parts that are hard to automate (physical work, working closely with people, judgment in unpredictable settings), using O*NET work activities, work context, skills and knowledge. The result is a relative position among all occupations in the country, scaled to 0–100%. Methodology →
Labor demand for Fish and Game Wardens
Employment projections are from the BLS Employment Projections program (2025–35). Annual openings include both new jobs and replacement of workers who leave the occupation.
Skills, education and requirements for Fish and Game Wardens
Key skills
O*NET skill level ratings (0–7).
Key knowledge areas
What the work involves
Important abilities
Training before entry
Related work experience
Job Zone 3 — medium preparation needed (O*NET)
Difficulty of entry: ★★☆☆☆ Fairly easy (from education, training, experience and Job Zone)
How to become fish and game wardens
A step-by-step guide for this occupation is being prepared. The education, training and experience data above show the typical path.
Career path and how to earn more as fish and game wardens
Career-path guidance is being prepared. Pay by percentile is shown in the Pay section.