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Law Enforcement Officer
In Canada, the federal government groups and organizes occupations based on a National Occupational Classification (NOC) system. This alis occupation may not reflect the entire NOC group it is part of. Data for the NOC group can apply across multiple occupations.
The NOC system is updated every 5 years to reflect changes in the labour market. Government forms and labour market data may group and refer to an occupation differently, depending on the system used.
Here is how this occupation has been classified over time.
2006 NOC
2006 NOC-S
2011 NOC
2016 NOC
2021 NOC
2023 OaSIS
Park wardens are responsible for protecting natural and cultural resources on federal lands. They also keep visitors safe.
To monitor wildlife interactions with recreational users, anglers, and hunters, park wardens may:
Frequently patrol their areas by truck, foot, boat, or off-highway vehicle
Sometimes patrol by plane, snowmobile, skis, or horseback
Watch for potential hazards
Investigate complaints, including those about human-wildlife conflict
Take appropriate wildlife control measures and advise visitors of measures they can do themselves
Park wardens perform administrative duties and enforce the Canada National Parks Act, the Species at Risk Act, and other federal and provincial legislation. They also enforce other laws, regulations, rules, and orders relating to recreation, fish, and wildlife. Park wardens:
Supervise and train park wardens and other park employees
Respond to correspondence, complete reports, and issue permits
Apprehend violators
Prepare administrative and court documents
Issue summonses and warnings
Prepare and present evidence in court
To keep visitors safe and ensure quality visitor experiences, park wardens:
Minimize conflict among visitors
Cooperate with other first responders and law enforcement agencies to help visitors in need
Provide public education activities such as school presentations
To learn about other occupations that protect natural resources, visit the Fish and Wildlife Officer and Conservation Officer occupational profiles.
Park wardens work indoors and outdoors. Sometimes they work in extreme weather, remote areas, or rough terrain. They may work seasonally or year-round.
They work irregular hours. This can include evenings, weekends, and holidays. They may work split shifts or on-call. They may need to work overtime to respond to complaints or serious events.
Park wardens may regularly need to lift items up to 20 kilograms. They may sometimes need to lift items over 45 kilograms.
They may work alone for extended periods, such as when working in remote locations. They might face risks in the management of wildlife and during the enforcement of legislation.
Sometimes, park wardens may be called in to work on short notice. They must be willing to perform all types of law enforcement activities. They must also be willing to be assigned to any temporary workplace across Canada when needed.
Park wardens must wear the issued uniform. To reduce the risk of injury, park wardens also wear protective clothing and use personal protective equipment such as:
A defensive baton
Pepper spray
A sidearm
In Alberta, this occupation is part of 1 or more 2023 National Occupational Classification (NOC) groups. If there are multiple related NOC groups, select a NOC heading to learn about each one.
Many NOC groups include 1 or more related occupations. The labour market data shown is for the whole group, not for a specific occupation. For examples, see Note.
To find out how well this occupation fits your work personality types, complete the Work Personalities Quiz in Find Your Fit.
Click or tap a personality type for its description.
Find other alis occupations that match this occupation’s work personalities.
To identify or change your work personalities, complete the Work Personalities Quiz in Find Your Fit.
In Alberta, this occupation is part of 1 or more 2023 National Occupational Classification (NOC) groups. If there are multiple related NOC groups, select a NOC heading to learn about each one.
Many NOC groups include 1 or more related occupations. The labour market data shown is for the whole group, not for a specific occupation. For examples, see Note.
Conservation and fishery officers
2023 OaSIS: 22113.00
The graph below shows how well your scores match the overall abilities for this occupation.
The closer your ability scores are to the center, the more they match this occupation’s. The further away they are, the less they match this occupation’s.
The lower your ability scores are compared to the occupation’s, the more challenging the occupation will likely be for you. The higher your ability scores are compared to the occupation’s, the less challenging the occupation will likely be for you.
To find out how well this occupation fits your abilities, complete the Abilities Quiz in Find Your Fit.
The 49 abilities are grouped into 5 abilities sets: Critical Thinking, Numbers and Patterns, Physical Activity, Mind-Body Coordination, and Senses.
Some abilities are more relevant to an occupation than other abilities. Individual abilities that are not relevant to an occupation are greyed out.
To fill in or change the values for your abilities, complete the Abilities Quiz in Find Your Fit.
Critical Thinking includes 9 abilities related to identifying and solving problems, thinking of ideas, and communication, such as speaking and writing.
This is how well your scores match the set of Critical Thinking abilities for this occupation:
Numbers and Patterns includes 10 abilities related to math, memorizing, and multitasking. It also includes how we perceive patterns, shapes, and distances.
This is how well your scores match the set of Numbers and Patterns abilities for this occupation:
Physical Activity includes 9 abilities related to strength, balance, flexibility, coordination, and endurance.
This is how well your scores match the set of Physical Activity abilities for this occupation:
Mind-Body Coordination includes 9 abilities related to movement control and how we react to signals. It also includes fine motor skills, such finger and hand dexterity and hand-eye coordination.
This is how well your scores match the set of Mind-Body Coordination abilities for this occupation:
Senses includes 12 abilities related to seeing, hearing, and speaking.
This is how well your scores match the set of Senses abilities for this occupation:
Park wardens need:
Interpersonal skills, tact and diplomacy
The ability to deal effectively with difficult people and situations
The ability to remain calm in stressful situations
Leadership skills
Oral and written communication skills
Problem-solving skills
An interest in nature and genuine concern for the environment
They should enjoy:
Working outdoors in various geographic and weather conditions
Conducting patrols
Compiling information
Park wardens need to be physically fit and strong.
At minimum, park wardens require a diploma or equivalent in a related field, which includes:
Biology
Criminology
Education
Environmental sciences
Indigenous studies
Natural resources conservation
Natural resources law enforcement
Police science
Psychology
Social science
The minimum work experience requirement is 1 year of directly-related experience in:
Interpreting and applying rules, regulations, acts, or policies
Interacting with diverse groups
Researching, gathering, or analysing data
Experience in any of the following areas is considered an asset:
Working in resource conservation, law enforcement, or regulatory compliance
Working outdoors including hiking, skiing, boating, mountain climbing, wilderness camping, horseback riding
Working with marginalized groups or those with challenging behaviours
Participating in program delivery, education, or outreach
Using Indigenous knowledge or working with Indigenous communities
Parks Canada accepts different combinations of education and experience. For example, a technical diploma or certificate in enforcement with a minimum of 2 years directly-related work experience might be acceptable.
Other requirements and conditions of employment include:
Successful completion of the Parks Canada Agency Park Warden Cadet Training Program
A Secret security clearance which requires a clear criminal record
Successful completion of a medical evaluation
Successful completion of a fitness test
Successful completion of a psychological assessment
Standard first aid certification
Level C CPR certification
A valid Class 5 driver’s licence, with the possibility of other certifications such as defensive driving requested
Proof of boat operation competency, usually a Pleasure Craft Operator’s Licence
Parks Canada law enforcement’s annual certification
Eligibility for firearms certification
The following schools offer programs and courses that meet this occupation’s educational requirements. Other eligible programs and courses may be available.
The following schools offer programs or courses that are related to this occupation but are not required to enter the field.
To expand or narrow your program options, visit Post-Secondary Programs and start your search with:
Completing a program does not guarantee entrance into an occupation. Before enrolling in an education program, prospective students should look into various sources for education options and employment possibilities. For example, contact associations and employers in this field.
There is currently no provincial legislation regulating this occupation in Alberta.
Source: 2021-2025 Alberta Regional Occupational Demand Outlook
Park wardens are law enforcement officers who work for Parks Canada. They work in national parks and historic sites.
Park wardens may be posted or transferred to different locations. These assignments may be temporary or permanent. Most are transferred at least once during their first few years of employment.
Those with several years’ experience may advance to supervisory positions. In order to advance, they may specialize in particular types of work through training and in-service experience.
This section shows the industries where the majority of people in this occupation work. The data is based on the 2016 Census.
In Alberta, this occupation is part of 1 or more 2016 National Occupational Classification (NOC) groups.
Conservation and fishery officers
2016 NOC: 2224
85.3% of people in this occupational group work in:
Many NOC groups include 1 or more related occupations. The labour market data shown is for the whole group, not for a specific occupation. For examples, see Note.
This section shows the Alberta job market condition, or short-term demand forecast, for this occupation over a 3-year period. It also shows the number of people employed in the occupation.
In Alberta, this occupation is part of 1 or more 2021 National Occupational Classification (NOC) groups.
Source: 2024-2026 Alberta Short-Term Employment Forecast
Many NOC groups include 1 or more related occupations. The labour market data shown is for the whole group, not for a specific occupation. For examples, see Note.
To see data for all occupations, visit Occupations in Demand.
This section shows the employment outlook for this occupation in Alberta over a 5-year period.
Employment outlook is influenced by a wide variety of factors including:
In Alberta, this occupation is part of 1 or more 2016 National Occupational Classification (NOC) groups.
Source: 2021-2025 Alberta Regional Occupational Demand Outlook
Annual growth is from 2021 to 2025. New positions created each year are in addition to job openings created by employment turnover.
Many NOC groups include 1 or more related occupations. The labour market data shown is for the whole group, not for a specific occupation. For examples, see Note.
Employment turnover is expected to increase as members of the baby boom generation retire over the next few years.
Park wardens are part of a group represented by the Public Service Alliance of Canada. They are subject to the Parks Canada collective agreement.
Park warden salaries range from $73,557 to $83,639 per year (Source: Government of Canada, 2023 estimates).
In Alberta, this occupation is part of 1 or more 2021 National Occupational Classification (NOC) groups. If there are multiple related NOC groups, select a NOC heading to learn about each one.
Many NOC groups include 1 or more related occupations. The labour market data shown is for the whole group, not for a specific occupation. For examples, see Note.
Unless otherwise noted, the data shown here is for all industries and all regions in Alberta.
All wage estimates are hourly except where otherwise indicated. Wages and salaries do not include overtime hours, tips, benefits, profit shares, bonuses (unrelated to production), and other forms of compensation.
To see the full survey data for this NOC group, visit the wage profile.
Other wage sources
To make an informed wage and salary decision, research other wage sources to supplement this data. Examples of wage sources may include but are not limited to associations, government, schools, or unions. Not all sources may be available for every occupation.
High Reliability, represents a CV of less than or equal to 6.00% and 30 survey observations and/or represents 50% or more of all estimated employment for the occupation.
| Wages* | Low (5th percentile) | High (95th percentile) | Average | Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starting | $30.45 | $39.52 | $33.15 | $30.45 |
| Overall | $30.45 | $51.04 | $39.44 | $38.72 |
| Top | $37.50 | $51.04 | $41.94 | $38.72 |
Swipe left and right to view all data. Scroll left and right to view all data.
* All wage estimates are hourly except where otherwise indicated. Wages and salaries do not include overtime hours, tips, benefits, profit shares, bonuses (unrelated to production) and other forms of compensation.
Pay brackets for hourly wages
| ALL INDUSTRIES | $75,006 |
|---|---|
| Public Administration | $75,339 |
Parks Canada jobs website: parks.canada.ca/agence-agency/emplois-jobs
Public Service Alliance of Canada website: psacunion.ca
Get information and referrals about career, education, and employment options from Alberta Supports.
Updated Mar 31, 2024. The information contained in this profile is current as of the dates shown. Salary, employment outlook, and educational program information may change without notice. It is advised that you confirm this information before making any career decisions.
