A commissioned ranger who enforces laws, responds to emergencies, and protects visitors and resources in national and state parks. BLS does not publish separate figures for fish and game wardens; it counts them within fish and game warden (SOC 33-3031), whose median pay is $74,060 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
- SOC 33-3031
- Protective Service
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Law Enforcement Park Ranger in four numbers
- Median pay
- $74,060a year, or $35.60/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $51KTop 10% $101K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- -5.7%DecliningBLS EP, 2025–2035This career−5.7%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career −5.7% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 5006,200 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 20256.2K
- Projected 20355.8K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 6.2K Projected 2035 5.8K - Typical education
- Bachelor'sneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
Also advertised as: Protection Ranger, Commissioned Park Ranger, Seasonal Law Enforcement Ranger, Park Police Ranger, Federal Park Ranger.
Pay
How much do Fish and Game Wardens make?
Every law enforcement park ranger in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$74,060
Middle half earn $61,430 to $89,110
- 10th
- $50,990
- 25th
- $61,430
- 75th
- $89,110
- 90th
- $100,980
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $50,990 |
| 25th | $61,430 |
| Median | $74,060 |
| 75th | $89,110 |
| 90th | $100,980 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $74,060
- Median hourly wage
- $35.60/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $74,950
- People employed
- 5,770
Versus all US occupations
At $74,060, Fish and Game Wardens earn 45% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $23,080 a year.
Versus protective service occupations
The median is typical for the Protective Service group, where the middle occupation pays $74,060.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $100,980 or more while the bottom 10% earn $50,990, a gap of 2.0×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 48% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Cost of living
California posts the highest raw median ($100,090), but once local prices are taken into account Iowa leads at $111,962 in national-average dollars.
Pay by state
Which states pay Fish and Game Wardens the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1California | $100,090 | $90,399 | 330 |
| 2Iowa | $98,260 | $111,962 | 120 |
| 3Indiana | $93,990 | $100,708 | 170 |
| 4Nevada | $91,750 | $91,769 | 50 |
| 5Maryland | $89,300 | $85,081 | 60 |
| 6Wisconsin | $89,110 | $94,702 | 150 |
| 7Michigan | $87,460 | $90,899 | 210 |
| 8Texas | $85,980 | $88,587 | 490 |
| 9New York | $80,060 | $74,184 | 390 |
| 10North Dakota | $79,520 | $89,389 | 30 |
Job outlook
Is Law Enforcement Park Ranger a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Declining. -5.7% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Fish and Game Wardens | −5.7% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Declining
BLS projects employment of Fish and Game Wardens to change -5.7% over 2025–2035, while total US employment is projected to rise 3.5%. That is 400 fewer jobs.
Annual openings
About 500 openings are projected each year, 8.1% of the 6,200 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Law Enforcement Park Ranger
For the National Park Service, many rangers start through the Seasonal Law Enforcement Training Program, also called the Park Ranger Law Enforcement Academy, offered by accredited colleges. Graduates who pass background, medical, and drug screening can receive a law enforcement commission. Parks typically require Emergency Medical Responder certification, and many require EMT.
Most new rangers work several seasons before landing a permanent position, and permanent rangers attend federal training at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers. A degree in criminal justice, park management, or natural resources helps, and state park systems run their own academies.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
Bachelor's degree
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Some preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
The work
What does a Law Enforcement Park Ranger do?
Law enforcement park rangers, often called protection rangers, are the police, first responders, and rescuers of parks. They patrol roads, trails, campgrounds, and backcountry, enforce federal or state laws and park regulations, investigate crimes, and make arrests when needed.
They also respond to medical emergencies, vehicle accidents, wildland fires, and search and rescue incidents, often in remote terrain. Protection rangers protect natural and cultural resources from poaching, looting, and vandalism, and they spend much of their time helping visitors and preventing problems before they happen.
Day-to-day tasks
- Patrol park roads, trails, campgrounds, and backcountry
- Enforce laws and park regulations and make arrests
- Respond to medical emergencies and vehicle accidents
- Conduct search and rescue operations
- Investigate crimes and resource violations such as poaching
- Assist and educate visitors
- Write incident reports and testify in court
Typical tasks, researched by NueCareer from the sources below.
Working conditions and hours
Rangers work outdoors in parks of every kind, from busy urban parks to remote wilderness, in all weather. Shifts include nights, weekends, and holidays, and rangers may live in park housing in remote areas. The job carries physical risk from law enforcement, rescue, and terrain.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather at least weekly.
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantConstant contact with other people.
Face-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayDealing with the public
Not importantExtremely importantDealing with customers or the public is very important.
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayConflict situations
NeverEvery dayHandling conflict situations at least monthly.
Cost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lotA lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first.
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Speaking3.9
- Reading Comprehension3.8
- Active Listening3.8
- Critical Thinking3.8
- Writing3.1
- Monitoring3.1
- Active Learning3.0
- Learning Strategies2.6
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Speaking | 3.9 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.8 |
| Active Listening | 3.8 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.8 |
| Writing | 3.1 |
| Monitoring | 3.1 |
| Active Learning | 3.0 |
| Learning Strategies | 2.6 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Judgment and Decision Making3.6
- Social Perceptiveness3.1
- Persuasion3.1
- Systems Analysis3.1
- Coordination3.0
- Service Orientation3.0
- Complex Problem Solving3.0
- Operations Monitoring3.0
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.6 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.1 |
| Persuasion | 3.1 |
| Systems Analysis | 3.1 |
| Coordination | 3.0 |
| Service Orientation | 3.0 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.0 |
| Operations Monitoring | 3.0 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Configuration management software · in demand
- Object or component oriented development software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Data base user interface and query software
- Internet browser software
- Map creation software
- Mobile location based services software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a Law Enforcement Park Ranger?
NueCareer estimate (Holland code RSE) built on O*NET's Fish and Game Warden profile, scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Law Enforcement Park Ranger |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 6 |
| Investigative | 4 |
| Artistic | 1 |
| Social | 3 |
| Enterprising | 4 |
| Conventional | 4 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors, combined with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
- Realistic6.4
- Conventional4.2
- Investigative3.9
- Enterprising3.7
- Social3.4
- Artistic1.0
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Law Enforcement Park Ranger
O*NET related occupations
- Protective Service
- Life, Physical, and Social Science
- Protective Service
- Life, Physical, and Social Science
- Life, Physical, and Social Science
- Farming, Fishing, and Forestry
- Fishing and Hunting Worker · N/A median
More protective service careers
Median annual pay, with fish and game wardens highlighted
- Detective and Criminal Investigator$93,790
- Intelligence Analyst$93,790
- Police Officer$76,210
- Custom and Border Protection Officer$76,210
- Law Enforcement Park Ranger$74,060
- Firefighter$59,280
- Correctional Officer and Jailer$58,940
- Private Detective and Investigator$51,220
- Security Guard$38,020
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Detective and Criminal Investigator | $93,790 |
| Intelligence Analyst | $93,790 |
| Police Officer | $76,210 |
| Custom and Border Protection Officer | $76,210 |
| Law Enforcement Park Ranger | $74,060 |
| Firefighter | $59,280 |
| Correctional Officer and Jailer | $58,940 |
| Private Detective and Investigator | $51,220 |
| Security Guard | $38,020 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Law Enforcement Park Ranger appears on
Questions
Law Enforcement Park Ranger: frequently asked questions
How much do Fish and Game Wardens make?
BLS does not publish a separate wage for fish and game wardens. It counts them within fish and game warden, whose median pay is $74,060 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of that occupation earn between $61,430 and $89,110, and the top 10% earn $100,980 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Law Enforcement Park Ranger?
Yes. BLS reports a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for Fish and Game Wardens, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as some preparation. BLS also lists moderate-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training.
Is Law Enforcement Park Ranger a growing career?
No. BLS projects employment to fall 5.7% over 2025–2035, a loss of 400 jobs (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 500 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Law Enforcement Park Ranger do?
Law enforcement park rangers, often called protection rangers, are the police, first responders, and rescuers of parks. A typical task: patrol park roads, trails, campgrounds, and backcountry. Employers most often ask for Configuration management software, Object or component oriented development software, Office suite software.
Which states pay Fish and Game Wardens the most?
The highest state medians for Fish and Game Wardens are California ($100,090), Iowa ($98,260), Indiana ($93,990) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Adjusted for local prices using BEA Regional Price Parities, Iowa moves to the top at $111,962.
What personality type suits a Law Enforcement Park Ranger?
O*NET scores Fish and Game Wardens highest on the Realistic, Conventional and Investigative interest areas, so the work mixes hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping that lines up most closely with ISTJ personalities. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.