Fish and Game Wardens Salary
Fish and Game Wardens in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX make a median of $85,980 a year, or about $41.34 an hour. The range runs from $55K at the entry level to $98K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 98.63), that's roughly $87,174 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,573/month, or 27.3% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $86K get you in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands’s Regional Price Parity (98.63). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About fish and game wardens
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What this looks like in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands sits well above the national pay line for fish and game wardens, local pay runs about 16% higher than the U.S. median of $74K. Rent runs $1,573/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 27.4% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 98.63) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX
Entry-level fish and game wardens (10th percentile) start around $55K. Mid-career wages sit at $86K. Top earners bring in $98K or more, a $43K spread from bottom to top.
Fish and Game Wardens pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Fish and Game Wardens salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $100K | +35% | 330 |
| Iowa | $98K | +33% | 120 |
| Indiana | $94K | +27% | 170 |
| Nevada | $92K | +24% | 50 |
| Maryland | $89K | +21% | 60 |
| Wisconsin | $89K | +20% | 150 |
| Michigan | $87K | +18% | 210 |
| Texas | $86K | +16% | 490 |
| New York | $80K | +8% | 390 |
| North Dakota | $80K | +7% | 30 |
| Georgia | $79K | +7% | 200 |
| Tennessee | $76K | +3% | 220 |
| Ohio | $76K | +2% | 160 |
| Vermont | $75K | +1% | 40 |
| Alabama | $74K | +0% | 160 |
| Wyoming | $74K | +0% | 70 |
| Maine | $73K | -1% | 190 |
| Idaho | $73K | -1% | 110 |
| New Jersey | $73K | -2% | 90 |
| Arkansas | $72K | -3% | 80 |
| Missouri | $70K | -5% | 150 |
| Hawaii | $69K | -6% | 110 |
| Oklahoma | $69K | -7% | 170 |
| South Dakota | $69K | -7% | 100 |
| Virginia | $67K | -10% | 180 |
| Connecticut | $65K | -12% | 90 |
| Nebraska | $63K | -15% | 70 |
| West Virginia | $63K | -16% | 110 |
| Kansas | $62K | -17% | 100 |
| North Carolina | $61K | -17% | 190 |
| Louisiana | $60K | -19% | 110 |
| Montana | $59K | -20% | 70 |
| Kentucky | $55K | -26% | 70 |
| Pennsylvania | $50K | -32% | 80 |
| Florida | $31K | -58% | 290 |
Showing 1–10 of 35 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track fish and game wardens salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a fish and game warden afford a 2BR apartment alone in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?
Yes — at the median salary of $86K, rent takes 27.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,573/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for fish and game wardens in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new fish and game wardens typically earn — is $55K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,326/month. At HUD’s $1,573/month FMR, rent would take 47% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is fish and game warden a high-paying job in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?
Local pay is 16% above the national median — $86K here vs. $74K nationally.
How does Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands compare to the national average for fish and game wardens?
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands pays $86K median vs. the U.S. average of $74K — that’s +16%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 98.63), the purchasing-power equivalent is $87K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do fish and game wardens make in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX?
The median is $85,980 a year, that works out to about $41 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $55,430, and experienced fish and game wardens can clear $98,070. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $86K enough to live in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,739/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,573/month, which eats 27.4% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a fish and game wardens salary go in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands has a Regional Price Parity of 98.63 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median fish and game wardens salary is worth about $87,174 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do fish and game wardens get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.