Fish and Game Wardens Salary
Fish and Game Wardens in New Jersey make a median of $72,920 a year, or about $35.06 an hour. The range runs from $44K at the entry level to $114K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 99.34), that's roughly $73,404 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,067/month, about 43.4% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. This is an aggregate across all of New Jersey. BLS does not publish metro-level data for this occupation in this state.
Where the paycheck goes
What $73K actually covers in New Jersey, month by month
About fish and game wardens
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What this looks like in New Jersey
Fish and game wardens pay in New Jersey tracks closely to the national median, $73K locally vs. $74K nationwide, a 2% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,067/month, which is 43.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 99.34) 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, New Jersey
Entry-level fish and game wardens (10th percentile) start around $44K. Mid-career wages sit at $73K. Top earners bring in $114K or more, a $70K spread from bottom to top.
Compare to other states
Track fish and game wardens salary changes
BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when New Jersey numbers change.
Related careers in Public Safety
Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a fish and game warden afford a 2BR apartment alone in New Jersey?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $73K, rent takes 43.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,067/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,400/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 New Jersey?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new fish and game wardens typically earn — is $44K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,066/month. At HUD’s $2,067/month FMR, rent would take 67% 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 New Jersey?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $73K locally vs. $74K nationally, a 2% difference.
How does New Jersey compare to the national average for fish and game wardens?
New Jersey pays $73K median vs. the U.S. average of $74K — that’s -2%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 99.34), the purchasing-power equivalent is $73K — below the national median.
How much do fish and game wardens make in New Jersey?
The median is $72,920 a year, that works out to about $35 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $44,450, and experienced fish and game wardens can clear $114,320. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $73K enough to live in New Jersey?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,763/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,067/month, which eats 43.4% 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 New Jersey?
New Jersey has a Regional Price Parity of 99.34 (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 $73,404 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.