Game warden vs sheriff

The differences between game wardens and sheriffs 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 $46,053 average annual salary of a sheriff.

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

Game warden vs sheriff overview

	Game Warden	Sheriff
Yearly salary	$52,101	$46,053
Hourly rate	$25.05	$22.14
Growth rate	3%	3%
Number of jobs	55,088	347
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 53%	Bachelor's Degree, 36%
Average age	41	40
Years of experience	-	-

Game warden vs sheriff salary

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

	Game Warden	Sheriff
Average salary	$52,101	$46,053
Salary range	Between $24,000 And $110,000	Between $30,000 And $69,000
Highest paying City	-	Santa Rosa, CA
Highest paying state	-	New York
Best paying company	-	Apple
Best paying industry	-	Government

Differences between game warden and sheriff education

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

	Game Warden	Sheriff
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 53%	Bachelor's Degree, 36%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Criminal Justice
Most common college	North Carolina State University	Pennsylvania State University

Game warden vs sheriff demographics

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

	Game Warden	Sheriff
Average age	41	40
Gender ratio	Male, 89.8% Female, 10.2%	Male, 64.7% Female, 35.3%
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, 10.6% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 21.2% Asian, 2.9% White, 59.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%
LGBT Percentage	24%	7%

Differences between game warden and sheriff duties and responsibilities

Game warden example responsibilities.

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

Sheriff example responsibilities.

Evaluate all investigative and patrol functions to assure public safety and security needs are met.
Check visitors for warrants via NCIC and CIB.
Provide mentor and leadership guidance a to numerous personnel within the sheriffs office.
Create directed patrol for gang intervention, and enhance community policing.
Participate in developing and implementing safety policy for firearms range operations.
Assist in driver education training at local high schools with an emphasis on DUI prevention.

Game warden vs sheriff 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 sheriff skills

Patrol, 31%
Public Safety, 7%
Emergency Calls, 6%
Booking, 5%
Phone Calls, 5%
Data Entry, 5%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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