Fish and Game Wardens in South Dakota

Is South Dakota a good place for you to work as a Fish and Game Warden?

• Fish and Game Wardens in South Dakota earn lower salaries than the typical U.S. wage earner.

What Major Will Prepare You For a Fish and Game Warden Career?

• Natural Resources & Conservation
• Natural Resource Management
• Environmental/Natural Resource Economics
• Environmental/Natural Resources Law Enforcement and Protective Services
• Fisheries Sciences
• Fishing & Fisheries Sciences & Management
• Wildlife Management
• Wildlife, Fish & Wildl&s Science & Management

How Many Fish and Game Wardens Work in South Dakota?

There were approximately 110 workers employed as Fish and Game Wardens in this state in 2018.

There were 110 Fish and Game Wardens employed in this state in 2017.

The amount of jobs between 2017 and 2018 is holding steady.

The amount of Fish and Game Wardens working in the state is similar to the average state.

Job Projections for South Dakota

Jobs for Fish and Game Wardens in this state are not projected to grow or decrease, but nationwide they are growing at a rate of 4.3%.

South Dakota Annual Job Openings

The BLS estimates there will be 10 annual job openings, and 120 total jobs in 2026 for Fish and Game Wardens in this state.

Nationwide, the prediction is 700 annual jobs and 7,300 total jobs in 2026.

What do Fish and Game Wardens Make in South Dakota?

In 2018 wages for Fish and Game Wardens ranged from $30,530 to $59,330 with $44,930 being the median annual salary.

Broken down to an hourly rate, workers in this field made anywhere from $14.68 to $28.52. The median hourly rate was $21.6.

Workers in this field were paid a median of $21.6 an hour in 2017.

Wages between 2017 and 2018 did not increase or decrease.

The median salary in South Dakota is higher than the nationwide median salary.

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Top States for Fish and Game Wardens Employment

View the list below to see where most Fish and Game Wardens work.

State	Number Employed	Annual Median Salary
Texas	460	$70,970
New York	400	$69,220
North Carolina	370	$39,860
California	350	$79,780
Wisconsin	340	$49,360
Virginia	210	$48,750
Michigan	200	$64,170
Georgia	200	$58,660
Indiana	170	$60,430
Oklahoma	160	$50,340
Alabama	140	$48,750
Ohio	130	$64,820
Iowa	130	$70,250
Maine	130	$61,470
South Dakota	110	$44,930
Kansas	110	$42,740
Illinois	110	$89,740
West Virginia	110	$46,090
Arizona	110	$52,800
Washington	100	$79,960

Below are the states where Fish and Game Wardens get paid the most:

State	Annual Median Salary
Illinois	$89,740
Washington	$79,960
California	$79,780
Rhode Island	$75,430
Texas	$70,970
Iowa	$70,250
New York	$69,220
Ohio	$64,820
Michigan	$64,170
Wyoming	$63,020

References

• Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• Image Credit: By Nicholas A. Tonelli under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.