Texas / Parks and Wildlife Department

Agency file

Parks and Wildlife Department

Source file: Texas — State Employee Salaries (Texas Tribune) / ingested Jun 18, 2026

The Parks and Wildlife Department protects natural resources and the environment — conservation, parks and wildlife, and environmental regulation.

In 2026, this agency had 3,257 employees with median total compensation of $64,469; the highest distinct record was $268,230.

Year: 2026
Total payroll: $230.3M
Employees: 3,257
Median total: $64,469
Highest record: $268,230

What the records show

Compensation analytics

These summaries compare pay within the agency before listing individual records.

Salary distribution

$9,148$138,581+

Hover a bar for its range; click to filter the list below.

How 2026 total compensation is spread across the 3,257 employees. Each bar is a pay range; taller bars mean more people earn in that range. The amber line marks the median ($64,469) — half earn less, half more. The far-right bar collects the highest earners.

Average pay composition

Base — $70,695 (100%)
Overtime — $0 (0%)
Other — $0 (0%)
Benefits — $0 (0%)

What an average paycheck here is made of — base salary versus overtime, other pay (bonuses, allowances), and benefits. A large overtime or other-pay share means take-home often exceeds base salary.

Pay percentiles

10th

25th

Median

75th

90th

$45,360

$51,293

$64,469

$85,989

$98,085

The pay ladder for this department. Someone at the 90th percentile earns $98,085 — more than 90% of the department; the 10th percentile earns $45,360. The shaded band is the middle half of employees (25th–75th percentile).

Largest job titles

Game Warden

378 · $89,789

Maintenance Specialist III

187 · $47,048

Customer Service Representative I

180 · $40,038

Natural Resources Specialist IV

95 · $81,322

Fish and Wildlife Technician II

93 · $54,576

The most common job titles in this department by headcount, with the median total compensation for each. Click a title to see everyone who holds it.

Trend

Year over year

How this department's total payroll, headcount, and median pay changed across the 2 published years.

Year	Total payroll	Employees	Median pay
2025	$220.3M —	3,220 —	$63,741 —
2026	$230.3M ▲ 4.5%	3,257 ▲ 1.1%	$64,469 ▲ 1.1%

Compare

Similar departments

Departments elsewhere with the most similar mix of roles — a proxy for the same kind of agency, matched by workforce composition rather than name. Pay is not cost-of-living adjusted.

Soil and Water Conservation Board Texas47% match
Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife Maine44% match

Record list

Employees

Page 1

Kevin Mayes

Manager VI/Parks and Wildlife Department

2025 total comp

$126,738

Base pay: $126,738
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $126,738
Employment type: Crf - Classified Regular Full-Time
Full-time equivalent (FTE): 1
Middle name: B

Source-specific fields

Class Code: 1605
Hire Date: Jan 29, 1990
Monthly Pay: $10,561
State Employee Number: 148748

Kevin Mayes is a Manager VI at Parks and Wildlife Department. They work crf - classified regular full-time. 2025 total compensation came to $126,738.

J Reed

Veterinarian III/Parks and Wildlife Department

2026 total comp

$126,142

Base pay: $126,142
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $126,142
Employment type: Crf - Classified Regular Full-Time
Full-time equivalent (FTE): 1
Middle name: H

Source-specific fields

Class Code: 4129
Hire Date: Oct 11, 2021
Monthly Pay: $10,512
State Employee Number: 1286388

At Parks and Wildlife Department, J Reed serves as a Veterinarian III. They work crf - classified regular full-time. Their 2026 pay totaled $126,142.

Dee Halliburton

Program Management Specialist III/Parks and Wildlife Department

2026 total comp

$125,000

Base pay: $125,000
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $125,000
Employment type: Crf - Classified Regular Full-Time
Full-time equivalent (FTE): 1
Middle name: A

Source-specific fields

Class Code: 1672
Hire Date: Aug 1, 1987
Monthly Pay: $10,417
State Employee Number: 126686

Dee Halliburton is a Program Management Specialist III at Parks and Wildlife Department. They work crf - classified regular full-time. 2026 total compensation came to $125,000.

Scott Kelly

Data Officer/Parks and Wildlife Department

2026 total comp

$124,973

Base pay: $124,973
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $124,973
Employment type: Crf - Classified Regular Full-Time
Full-time equivalent (FTE): 1
Middle name: T

Source-specific fields

Class Code: 217
Hire Date: Apr 1, 2024
Monthly Pay: $10,414
State Employee Number: 818616

Scott Kelly holds the role of Data Officer at Parks and Wildlife Department. Their status is crf - classified regular full-time. In 2026, their total compensation was $124,973.

Errol Hardin

Manager VI/Parks and Wildlife Department

2026 total comp

$124,362

Base pay: $124,362
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $124,362
Employment type: Crf - Classified Regular Full-Time
Full-time equivalent (FTE): 1
Middle name: L

Source-specific fields

Class Code: 1605
Hire Date: Feb 1, 2007
Monthly Pay: $10,364
State Employee Number: 43169

At Parks and Wildlife Department, Errol Hardin serves as a Manager VI. They work crf - classified regular full-time. Their 2026 pay totaled $124,362.

Cayley Birchfield

Manager VI/Parks and Wildlife Department

2026 total comp

$124,362

Base pay: $124,362
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $124,362
Employment type: Crf - Classified Regular Full-Time
Full-time equivalent (FTE): 1

Source-specific fields

Class Code: 1605
Hire Date: Jan 6, 2020
Monthly Pay: $10,364
State Employee Number: 478273

Cayley Birchfield holds the role of Manager VI at Parks and Wildlife Department. Their status is crf - classified regular full-time. In 2026, their total compensation was $124,362.

Lisa Seals

Architect IV/Parks and Wildlife Department

2026 total comp

$124,267

Base pay: $124,267
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $124,267
Employment type: Crf - Classified Regular Full-Time
Full-time equivalent (FTE): 1
Middle name: C

Source-specific fields

Class Code: 2268
Hire Date: Sep 1, 2014
Monthly Pay: $10,356
State Employee Number: 771367

At Parks and Wildlife Department, Lisa Seals serves as a Architect IV. They work crf - classified regular full-time. Their 2026 pay totaled $124,267.

Brian Lofgren

Manager V/Parks and Wildlife Department

2026 total comp

$122,801

Base pay: $122,801
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $122,801
Employment type: Crf - Classified Regular Full-Time
Full-time equivalent (FTE): 1
Middle name: L

Source-specific fields

Class Code: 1604
Hire Date: Jul 7, 2008
Monthly Pay: $10,233
State Employee Number: 141265

Brian Lofgren works as a Manager V for Parks and Wildlife Department. Their status is crf - classified regular full-time. Brian earned $122,801 in 2026.