Fish and Game Wardens Salary
Fish and Game Wardens in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN make a median of $81,490 a year, or about $39.18 an hour. The range runs from $67K at the entry level to $99K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 96.34), that's roughly $84,586 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,730/month, about 31.7% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $81K get you in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin’s Regional Price Parity (96.34). 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 Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin
Fish and game wardens pay in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin tracks closely to the national median, $81K locally vs. $74K nationwide, a 10% difference. Rent runs $1,730/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 31.6% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 96.34) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for fish and game wardens in metros near Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk | $63K | $64K |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell | $79K | $79K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN
Entry-level fish and game wardens (10th percentile) start around $67K. Mid-career wages sit at $81K. Top earners bring in $99K or more, a $33K 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 Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin numbers change.
Related careers in Public Safety
Frequently asked questions
Can a fish and game warden afford a 2BR apartment alone in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $81K, rent takes 31.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,730/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,600/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for fish and game wardens in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new fish and game wardens typically earn — is $67K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,993/month. At HUD’s $1,730/month FMR, rent would take 43% 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 Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $81K locally vs. $74K nationally, a 10% difference.
How does Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin compare to the national average for fish and game wardens?
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin pays $81K median vs. the U.S. average of $74K — that’s +10%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 96.34), the purchasing-power equivalent is $85K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do fish and game wardens make in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN?
The median is $81,490 a year, that works out to about $39 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $66,550, and experienced fish and game wardens can clear $99,330. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $81K enough to live in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,476/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,730/month, which eats 31.6% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a fish and game wardens salary go in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin?
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin has a Regional Price Parity of 96.34 (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 $84,586 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.