Fish and Game Wardens

Employers

There are about 6,800 fish and game wardens in the United States. The largest number of jobs in the field is found with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other agencies of the Department of the Interior—such as the National Park Service. Individual states also have positions in this area; contact your local state government, especially the state's park association. In Illinois, for example, you might contact the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

Starting Out

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service fills jobs in various ways, including promoting or reassigning current employees, transferring employees from other federal agencies, rehiring former federal employees, or hiring applicants from outside the federal service. Some summer jobs are also filled by hiring applicants. Applications for these positions must be submitted during a specified period—usually sometime between January and April of each year. The number and types of temporary positions vary from year to year. Contact the regional office nearest you to learn about current opportunities.

For information about specific Fish and Wildlife Service job openings, visit https://www.usajobs.gov. Career planning and placement directors at colleges and universities can supply occupational information and training opportunities. Also, state employment or job services offices maintain listings of federal position vacancies. These offices can help you obtain the necessary forms to apply for jobs or direct you to sources for additional information.