Game warden vs ranger

The differences between game wardens and rangers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a game warden has an average salary of $52,101, which is higher than the $32,117 average annual salary of a ranger.

The top three skills for a game warden include patrol, law enforcement agencies and public safety. The most important skills for a ranger are patrol, customer service, and reservations.

Game warden vs ranger overview

	Game Warden	Ranger
Yearly salary	$52,101	$32,117
Hourly rate	$25.05	$15.44
Growth rate	3%	3%
Number of jobs	55,088	748
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 53%	Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Average age	41	40
Years of experience	-	-

Game warden vs ranger salary

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

	Game Warden	Ranger
Average salary	$52,101	$32,117
Salary range	Between $24,000 And $110,000	Between $23,000 And $44,000
Highest paying City	-	Boston, MA
Highest paying state	-	North Dakota
Best paying company	-	Student Conservation Association
Best paying industry	-	Finance

Differences between game warden and ranger education

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

	Game Warden	Ranger
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 53%	Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Criminal Justice
Most common college	North Carolina State University	California State University - Bakersfield

Game warden vs ranger demographics

Here are the differences between game wardens' and rangers' demographics:

	Game Warden	Ranger
Average age	41	40
Gender ratio	Male, 89.8% Female, 10.2%	Male, 73.6% Female, 26.4%
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, 10.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 15.4% Asian, 3.3% White, 64.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage	24%	7%

Differences between game warden and ranger duties and responsibilities

Game warden example responsibilities.

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

Ranger example responsibilities.

Lead team providing cargo, personal property and passenger movements for DoD personnel.
Evaluate students on leadership, time management, organization and ability to accomplish missions.
Operate and inspect backpack blowers, pressure washers, and motor utility vehicles.
Respond to medical emergencies, assist with firefighting and search and rescue operations, and operate ranger stations.
Mow, edge, and trim lawns using tools such as mowers, weed whacker, edger and water grass.
Perform general grounds cleaning work; empty trash barrels, pick up debris, pull weeds; trim and mow grass.

Game warden vs ranger 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 ranger skills

Patrol, 21%
Customer Service, 12%
Reservations, 8%
Law Enforcement, 6%
Natural Resource Management, 6%
Hand Tools, 5%

Game Warden vs. similar jobs

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Natural Resource Officer responsibilities

Updated January 8, 2025

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