Game warden vs police officer

The differences between game wardens and police officers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a police officer has an average salary of $52,638, which is higher than the $52,101 average annual salary of a game warden.

The top three skills for a game warden include patrol, law enforcement agencies and public safety. The most important skills for a police officer are patrol, public safety, and law enforcement agencies.

Game warden vs police officer overview

	Game Warden	Police Officer
Yearly salary	$52,101	$52,638
Hourly rate	$25.05	$25.31
Growth rate	3%	3%
Number of jobs	55,088	116,287
Job satisfaction	-	2
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 53%	Bachelor's Degree, 49%
Average age	41	40
Years of experience	-	-

Game warden vs police officer salary

Game wardens and police officers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Game Warden	Police Officer
Average salary	$52,101	$52,638
Salary range	Between $24,000 And $110,000	Between $38,000 And $71,000
Highest paying City	-	Anchorage, AK
Highest paying state	-	Alaska
Best paying company	-	Icma-rc
Best paying industry	-	Government

Differences between game warden and police officer education

There are a few differences between a game warden and a police officer in terms of educational background:

	Game Warden	Police Officer
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 53%	Bachelor's Degree, 49%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Criminal Justice
Most common college	North Carolina State University	Pennsylvania State University

Game warden vs police officer demographics

Here are the differences between game wardens' and police officers' demographics:

	Game Warden	Police Officer
Average age	41	40
Gender ratio	Male, 89.8% Female, 10.2%	Male, 83.2% Female, 16.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 12.3% Unknown, 1.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.8% Asian, 11.2% White, 56.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 3.6%	Black or African American, 12.9% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 18.2% Asian, 3.3% White, 60.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%
LGBT Percentage	24%	7%

Differences between game warden and police officer duties and responsibilities

Game warden example responsibilities.

Perform public programs using PowerPoint.
Handle and review investigative reports, EEO, fraud and discrimination violations.

Police officer example responsibilities.

Apprehend violators and log evidence, complete require USAF and DoD forms, and accomplish report.
Train in CPR and first aid, radar speed enforcement, domestic violence intervention, pepper spray, and basic anti-terrorism.
Gather preliminary investigation information as a first responder to crime scenes.
Perform basic patrol functions including criminal and traffic law enforcement, incident reporting and community relations.
Complete numerous testimonies at criminal hearings and traffic violations, serve summons, subpoenas and other official documentation.
Patrol MARTA trains and bus lines.

Game warden vs police officer skills

Common game warden skills

Patrol, 25%
Law Enforcement Agencies, 25%
Public Safety, 21%
Emergency Management Functions, 4%
Law Enforcement Training, 4%
Wildlife Conservation, 4%

Common police officer skills

Patrol, 27%
Public Safety, 6%
Law Enforcement Agencies, 5%
Emergency Situations, 5%
Field Training, 4%
CPR, 3%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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