Last updated: 2025 BLS data · Page refreshed:
How much does a Fish and Game Wardens actually take home in California?
Progressive (up to 13.3%) — 27.5% effective total tax rateData: BLS OEWS 2025 + IRS/State Tax Brackets 2024 • Updated 2026-05-19
Detailed line-by-line tax calculation for a Fish and Game Wardens earning $100,090 in California (single filer, standard deduction).
| Tax Component | Annual Amount | Effective Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Gross Salary (Median) | $100,090 | — |
| Federal Income Tax | -$13,860 | 13.8% |
| California State Income Tax | -$5,961 | 6.0% |
| Social Security (OASDI) | -$6,205 | 6.2% |
| Medicare | -$1,451 | 1.5% |
| Total Taxes | -$27,478 | 27.5% |
| Take-Home Pay | $72,611 | 72.5% |
Take-home pay varies significantly across experience levels. Here is the after-tax breakdown for each salary percentile of Fish and Game Wardens in California.
| Percentile | Gross Salary | Total Taxes | Take-Home Pay | Tax Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile (P10) | $69,710 | -$15,645 | $54,064 | 22.4% |
| 25th Percentile (P25) | $74,790 | -$17,624 | $57,165 | 23.6% |
| Median (P50) | $100,090 | -$27,478 | $72,611 | 27.5% |
| 75th Percentile (P75) | $110,780 | -$31,642 | $79,137 | 28.6% |
| 90th Percentile (P90) | $116,330 | -$33,828 | $82,501 | 29.1% |
After federal income tax ($13,860), state tax ($5,961), and FICA ($7,656), a Fish and Game Wardens in California takes home $72,611 per year — or $6,050 per month. The effective tax rate of 27.5% is moderate compared to the national range.
A Fish and Game Wardens in California loses 27.5% of gross pay to taxes — higher than the ~25% national midpoint. Of the $100,090 gross, $72,611 lands in the paycheck after federal ($13,861), state ($5,961), and FICA ($7,657) withholding.
California uses a progressive state income tax, so brackets escalate as wages rise. For this Fish and Game Wardens salary the state tax works out to $5,961 (6.0% effective) — on top of federal and FICA.
Federal tax on this Fish and Game Wardens salary is $13,861 (50%), but combined state ($5,961, 22%) + FICA ($7,657, 28%) make up the other 50% of the bill.
Moving this same Fish and Game Wardens salary to a zero-state-tax state would yield around $78,572 net — a gain of $5,961 (8.2%) per year versus California.
For Fish and Game Wardens after-tax pay, California ranks #3 of 35 states — top quartile. High gross wages or low state-tax burden (or both) drive the strong ranking.
Translated into paycheck cadences, $72,611 net/year works out to $6,051/month or $2,793/bi-weekly for this Fish and Game Wardens in California — the numbers that actually hit a checking account after every deduction.
Where does a Fish and Game Wardens keep the most of their paycheck? Top 10 states ranked by after-tax take-home pay.
California ranks #3 out of 35 states for Fish and Game Wardens after-tax take-home pay.
A Fish and Game Wardens in California earning a median salary of $100,090 will take home approximately $72,611 per year after federal income tax ($13,860), state income tax ($5,961), and FICA ($7,656). That is $6,050 per month or $2,792 per bi-weekly paycheck.
The effective total tax rate for a Fish and Game Wardens in California is 27.5%, broken down as: federal income tax 13.8%, California state tax 6.0%, and FICA (Social Security + Medicare) 7.7%. This assumes a single filer with the standard deduction for 2024.
California has a progressive (up to 13.3%). On a Fish and Game Wardens's median salary of $100,090, the state income tax amounts to $5,961 per year, which is an effective state rate of 6.0%.
After all taxes, a Fish and Game Wardens in California takes home approximately $6,050 per month, or about $34.91 per hour (based on a standard 2,080-hour work year). These figures assume a single filer, standard deduction, and no additional pre-tax deductions.
We start with the 2025 BLS median salary of $100,090 for Fish and Game Wardens in California, then subtract: federal income tax using 2024 IRS brackets ($14,600 standard deduction), California state income tax (progressive (up to 13.3%)), Social Security (6.2% up to $168,600), and Medicare (1.45%). The result — $72,611/yr — does not include local taxes, pre-tax deductions (401k, HSA), or tax credits.
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This estimate assumes a single filer using the 2024 standard deduction ($14,600), with W-2 employment income only. It does not account for: itemized deductions, tax credits (e.g. earned income credit, child tax credit), local/city taxes, pre-tax contributions (401k, HSA, FSA), self-employment tax, or additional income sources. Actual take-home pay may differ. Consult a tax professional for personalized advice.
Our Methodology · Data Sources · Salary: BLS OEWS · Tax: IRS + State DOR