Fish and Game Wardens Salary
Fish and Game Wardens in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC make a median of $63,060 a year, or about $30.32 an hour. The range runs from $50K at the entry level to $81K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.94), that's roughly $64,386 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,713/month, about 41.3% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $63K get you in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk’s Regional Price Parity (97.94). 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 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk
Pay for fish and game wardens in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk runs about 15% below the U.S. median of $74K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,713/month, which is 41.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 97.94) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for fish and game wardenss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for fish and game wardens in metros near Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria | $89K | $82K |
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin | $81K | $85K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC
Entry-level fish and game wardens (10th percentile) start around $50K. Mid-career wages sit at $63K. Top earners bring in $81K or more, a $31K 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 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk numbers change.
Related careers in Public Safety
Frequently asked questions
Can a fish and game warden afford a 2BR apartment alone in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $63K, rent takes 41.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,713/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,200/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 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new fish and game wardens typically earn — is $50K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,999/month. At HUD’s $1,713/month FMR, rent would take 57% 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 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk?
Local pay runs 15% below the national median — $63K here vs. $74K nationally.
How does Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk compare to the national average for fish and game wardens?
Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk pays $63K median vs. the U.S. average of $74K — that’s -15%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.94), the purchasing-power equivalent is $64K — below the national median.
How much do fish and game wardens make in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC?
The median is $63,060 a year, that works out to about $30 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $49,990, and experienced fish and game wardens can clear $81,420. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $63K enough to live in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,133/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,713/month, which eats 41.4% 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 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk?
Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk has a Regional Price Parity of 97.94 (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 $64,386 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.