Fish and Game Wardens build judgment and decision making, systems analysis and social perceptiveness skills that carry over to other work. Below are 25 careers ranked by how closely their skills match, with pay from BLS May 2025. The closest match is Forest and Conservation Technicians (77%).
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
Sorted by skill match.
| # | Career | Skill match | Median pay | Pay change | Extra education |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Forest and Conservation Technicians | 77% | $54,560 | −26% | None |
| 2 | Range Managers | 77% | $73,010Pay for the broader BLS group “Conservation Scientists” | Not compared | Bachelor's degree |
| 3 | Fire Inspectors and Investigators | 74% | $75,920 | +3% | None |
| 4 | Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists | 74% | $56,870 | −23% | None |
| 5 | Conservation Scientists | 73% | $73,010 | −1% | Bachelor's degree |
| 6 | Forensic Science Technicians | 73% | $72,060 | −3% | None |
| 7 | Environmental Compliance Inspectors | 71% | $80,730Pay for the broader BLS group “Compliance Officers” | Not compared | Bachelor's degree |
| 8 | Foresters | 71% | $76,400 | +3% | Bachelor's degree |
| 9 | Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters | 70% | $78,000 | +5% | None |
| 10 | Animal Control Workers | 70% | $45,660 | −38% | None |
Compared with Fish and Game Wardens, median $74,060. Skill match is our estimate (0–99) from O*NET 31.0 skills, knowledge, work activities and interests, adjusted for preparation and big pay drops. Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025, national median.
How important each skill is in work as fish and game wardens (O*NET importance, scale 1–5).
The gaps that show up most often across your top 10 matches.
Free and low-cost training: use the CareerOneStop training finder below.
A concrete first step, the skills to add, and the hard parts of each job, from O*NET 31.0 education, training and work context data.
77% skill match · $54,560 · −26% pay
Equipment Selection · Equipment Maintenance · Programming
77% skill match · $73,010 (broader BLS group)
Operations Analysis · Complex Problem Solving · Systems Evaluation
74% skill match · $75,920 · +3% pay
Instructing · Quality Control Analysis · Troubleshooting
If you want to stay close to what you do now, these roles are the nearest.
The closest matches are Forest and Conservation Technicians (77% skill match, median $54,560), Range Managers (77% skill match, median $73,010) and Fire Inspectors and Investigators (74% skill match, median $75,920), based on O*NET 31.0 data and BLS May 2025 pay.
Among the 25 matches, 12 pay more than fish and game wardens at the median. The biggest increases: Air Traffic Controllers (+100%, $148,080), Commercial Pilots (+66%, $123,220) and Power Distributors and Dispatchers (+44%, $106,730).
18 of the 25 matches usually need no more education than you have now, based on O*NET Job Zones.
We compare the importance of skills, knowledge, work activities and interests in O*NET 31.0 for your job and every other career, then adjust for extra preparation and big pay drops. The full method is on our Methodology page.