Protective Service
Park Rangers, Law Enforcement
SOC 33-3051
Enforce laws and protect visitors in national and state parks.
The job
Median pay
$76k
$59k to $98k typical range
Outlook, 2025 to 2035
Growing
+3.5% projected
Openings a year
52k
BLS projection
Typical education
Bachelor's
Our model
AI displacement risk
High
How much of this job AI may do instead of the person
Works with AI
9/100
AI alongside the person rather than instead of them
AI exposure
56th pct
More exposed than 56% of occupations · modeled estimate · 50th pct in Microsoft's data
Future-proof
52/100
Key skills
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Learning
- Monitoring
Pay and jobs by state
BLS OEWS May 2025, 51 states. Sorted by jobs; per 1,000 is jobs per thousand workers in the state; vs national compares that rate with the country's.
| State | Jobs | Per 1,000 | vs national | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 65,940 | 3.6 | 0.8× | $119k |
| Texas | 63,100 | 4.5 | 1.0× | $76k |
| New York | 53,470 | 5.5 | 1.3× | $93k |
| Florida | 43,630 | 4.4 | 1.0× | $74k |
| Illinois | 29,180 | 4.8 | 1.1× | $101k |
| Pennsylvania | 26,510 | 4.4 | 1.0× | $85k |
| Ohio | 23,430 | 4.2 | 1.0× | $77k |
| North Carolina | 22,370 | 4.5 | 1.1× | $59k |
| Georgia | 22,170 | 4.5 | 1.1× | $58k |
| New Jersey | 21,780 | 5.1 | 1.2× | $93k |
All 51 states
| State | Jobs | Per 1,000 | vs national | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia | 19,970 | 4.9 | 1.1× | $66k |
| Massachusetts | 17,040 | 4.7 | 1.1× | $79k |
| Michigan | 16,750 | 3.8 | 0.9× | $74k |
| Tennessee | 15,630 | 4.8 | 1.1× | $59k |
| Missouri | 13,570 | 4.6 | 1.1× | $59k |
| Indiana | 12,980 | 4.1 | 0.9× | $73k |
| South Carolina | 12,930 | 5.6 | 1.3× | $58k |
| Louisiana | 12,400 | 6.4 | 1.5× | $48k |
| Wisconsin | 12,320 | 4.2 | 1.0× | $78k |
| Arizona | 12,010 | 3.7 | 0.9× | $79k |
| Alabama | 11,710 | 5.5 | 1.3× | $51k |
| Maryland | 9,720 | 3.5 | 0.8× | $78k |
| Oklahoma | 9,660 | 5.7 | 1.3× | $60k |
| Colorado | 9,610 | 3.3 | 0.8× | $97k |
| Minnesota | 9,160 | 3.1 | 0.7× | $83k |
| Washington | 9,160 | 2.6 | 0.6× | $102k |
| Mississippi | 8,070 | 6.9 | 1.6× | $46k |
| Kentucky | 7,890 | 3.9 | 0.9× | $60k |
| Connecticut | 6,500 | 3.8 | 0.9× | $82k |
| Kansas | 6,130 | 4.3 | 1.0× | $59k |
| Nevada | 5,720 | 3.7 | 0.8× | $78k |
| Arkansas | 5,710 | 4.4 | 1.0× | $48k |
| Utah | 5,500 | 3.2 | 0.7× | $77k |
| Iowa | 5,130 | 3.3 | 0.8× | $74k |
| Oregon | 5,030 | 2.6 | 0.6× | $88k |
| Washington DC | 4,720 | 6.7 | 1.6× | $89k |
| New Mexico | 4,580 | 5.3 | 1.2× | $69k |
| Nebraska | 3,490 | 3.4 | 0.8× | $75k |
| West Virginia | 2,900 | 4.1 | 1.0× | $57k |
| Idaho | 2,810 | 3.3 | 0.8× | $67k |
| New Hampshire | 2,460 | 3.6 | 0.8× | $72k |
| Hawaii | 2,420 | 3.9 | 0.9× | $84k |
| Montana | 2,160 | 4.2 | 1.0× | $70k |
| Maine | 2,120 | 3.3 | 0.8× | $67k |
| South Dakota | 2,000 | 4.4 | 1.0× | $61k |
| Rhode Island | 1,940 | 3.9 | 0.9× | $77k |
| Delaware | 1,800 | 3.7 | 0.9× | $93k |
| North Dakota | 1,630 | 3.8 | 0.9× | $75k |
| Wyoming | 1,310 | 4.7 | 1.1× | $66k |
| Alaska | 1,260 | 3.9 | 0.9× | $99k |
| Vermont | 1,020 | 3.4 | 0.8× | $69k |
Top metro areas
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ54,270 jobs · $106k median
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA24,720 jobs · $122k median
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN22,680 jobs · $108k median
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX16,430 jobs · $93k median
- Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX16,250 jobs · $75k median
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL14,710 jobs · $80k median
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV14,630 jobs · $84k median
- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD13,160 jobs · $90k median
Explore the rankings
Explore Park Rangers, Law Enforcement interactively →Pay and outlook from BLS (OEWS 2025, Employment Projections 2025-2035). Skills and work activities from O*NET 30.3. AI exposure and future-proof scores are modeled estimates. How these numbers are made.