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Fish and Game Wardens
Patrol assigned area to prevent fish and game law violations. Investigate reports of damage to crops or property by wildlife. Compile biological data.
Other titles employers use
Fisheries Enforcement Officer · Game Warden · Natural Resource Officer · State Game Warden · State Wildlife Officer · Wildlife Conservation Officer · Wildlife Officer · Conservation Enforcement Officer
Inside the work
What you would actually do.
6 responsibilities that define the role, before job titles and workplaces change the details.
- 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.
Who it suits
Would this work hold your attention?
This career often appeals to people drawn to practical, organizing and analytical work.
- Practical
- Building, repairing, using tools, or working outdoors
- Organizing
- Creating order, checking details, and keeping work accurate
- Analytical
- Investigating questions, testing ideas, and solving problems
Skills and strengths
What you would get good at.
Compare the skills the work relies on, the subjects behind it, and the abilities that make it easier to learn.
Core skills
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Speaking
- Reading Comprehension
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Monitoring
Subjects to know
- Law and Government
- Public Safety and Security
- Biology
- English Language
- Customer and Personal Service
Useful strengths
- Oral Comprehension
- Oral Expression
- Inductive Reasoning
- Problem Sensitivity
- Speech Recognition
Working day
Picture yourself doing it.
These measures show how much of the day involves people, movement, conversation, and hands-on work.
| Measure | Out of 5 | What that means here |
|---|---|---|
| Close to other people | 4.0 | Arm’s length or closer, most of the day |
| On your feet | 3.0 | Up and down through the day |
| Talking face to face | 4.7 | Continuous — the job is conversations |
| Working with your hands | 3.3 | Some of the day |
Preparation
How people prepare for this work.
Employers usually ask for a bachelor's degree. Other routes may also lead into the field.
- A four-year degree 79%
- High school or less 14%
- A two-year degree 4%
- A certificate or some college 3%
Tools of the work
Technology you may use.
- Spreadsheet software
- Office suite software
- Presentation software
- Word processing software
- Configuration management software
- Object or component oriented development software
- Data base user interface and query software
- Mobile location based services software
Opportunity near you
See where this work is growing.
Choose a state to compare the size of the field, annual openings, and expected hiring change.
- People doing this work
- 610
- Job openings each year
- 60
- Expected hiring change, 2022–2032
- −10.3%
Compare every available state
| State | People doing it | Job openings each year | Expected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florida | 610 | 60 | −10.3% |
| Texas | 460 | 50 | −2.1% |
| New York | 420 | 10 | 20.0% |
| Tennessee | 340 | 40 | −2.9% |
| Alaska | 240 | 30 | 4.3% |
| Virginia | 200 | 20 | — |
| Missouri | 190 | 20 | −5.0% |
| Oklahoma | 190 | 20 | −5.0% |
| Maine | 180 | 20 | −5.3% |
| Minnesota | 150 | 20 | −6.3% |
| Louisiana | 140 | 10 | −6.7% |
| Ohio | 140 | 10 | −6.7% |
| South Dakota | 140 | 10 | 7.7% |
| Wisconsin | 140 | 10 | −6.7% |
| Iowa | 120 | 10 | −7.7% |
| Washington | 120 | 10 | 9.1% |
| Arizona | 100 | 10 | −9.1% |
| Kansas | 100 | 10 | −9.1% |
| Kentucky | 90 | 10 | −10.0% |
| West Virginia | 90 | 10 | — |
| Idaho | 70 | 10 | — |
| New Mexico | 70 | 10 | — |
| Connecticut | 60 | 10 | — |
| Mississippi | 50 | 10 | −16.7% |
| Nebraska | 50 | 10 | — |
| New Jersey | 50 | 0 | — |
| Vermont | 40 | 0 | — |
| North Dakota | 30 | 0 | — |
Career to college
Build a path toward this work.
Start with a related major, then compare colleges where students complete that field.
Where to study
Colleges with strong activity in these fields.
Start with program size, admission, and likely cost. Open a college for the full picture.
Oregon State University
- Degrees each year
- 155
- Admit rate
- 79%
- Annual cost after aid
- $16,000
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
- Degrees each year
- 129
- Admit rate
- 30%
- Annual cost after aid
- $10,000
University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
- Degrees each year
- 75
- Admit rate
- 90%
- Annual cost after aid
- $11,000
Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College
- Degrees each year
- 58
- Admit rate
- 74%
- Annual cost after aid
- $20,000
Colorado State University-Fort Collins
- Degrees each year
- 51
- Admit rate
- 90%
- Annual cost after aid
- $16,000
Ohio State University-Main Campus
- Degrees each year
- 50
- Admit rate
- 51%
- Annual cost after aid
- $10,000
Auburn University
- Degrees each year
- 46
- Admit rate
- 50%
- Annual cost after aid
- $21,000
SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry
- Degrees each year
- 46
- Admit rate
- 83%
- Annual cost after aid
- $19,000
Compare every college offering environmental/natural resources management and policy