Outdoor Employment Opportunities Galore

Picture yourself fighting a blazing forest fire next to your best friends or…

  • Patrolling the backcountry on a weeklong trip.
  • Cleaning up trash in a high alpine valley.
  • Searching and rescuing a stranded hiker.
  • Building a bridge over rushing river.
  • Studying the saps of different trees.
  • Tracking wild buffalo.
  • Forecasting avalanches.
  • Giving nature tours.
  • Greeting visitors as they come to see your natural home.

You may get training with a chainsaw or guest relations, proper building techniques, or low impact camping. You’ll breathe fresh air, watch sunrises, and cook dinner to the sound of glacial streams. You’ll wake up each day with a smile on your face guaranteed.

There are plenty of ways to get into working in the outdoors. The easiest way is to volunteer your time. You could spend your weekends gaining experience and helping out at the closest national park. If you want to get paid, you could get an entry-level position for the summer. You can even apply to get college credit for your hard work.



Yellowstone National Park Sign

Internships are another cool route to take. You may not make as much as a seasonal worker, but you’ll be able to focus in on what you’re studying in school or what you truly have an interest in. Internships help establish both professional and personal relationships that will help you further pursue your field of study. And with a few applications, government agencies like the Forest Service or the Bureau of Land Management are more than happy to help you out.

The most common work is seasonal. And it’s a great way to spend some time off. During the parks busy times, workers are in demand. You can make good money, gain great experience, be in nature, and it’s a great way to get your foot in the door if you want to pursue a full time career. If you’re working for a paycheck, you can plan on anywhere from $8 to $50 an hour – all for being outside and playing. Not bad.

The most lucrative way to work in the outdoors is to get a full time permanent position with the Park Service or the Fish and Wildlife Service. Often you need to work a few seasons or as an intern to get the opportunity to snag one of these coveted jobs. Once these jobs are filled, the employees hardly ever leave. There are full benefits, but beyond that you’re not cramped into a tiny cubicle. You’ll be doing what you love – feeding dolphins, resupplying remote field workers, guiding white water rafting trips, scuba diving reefs, or testing the snowpack.

Working outdoors is everyone’s dream. You may have to put in some time at the lower levels before you get to your dream job. But after you put in that hard work, you’ll be living your dream everyday. And no one would give that up for anything.

 

NEXT PAGE: Large Seasonal Outdoor Employers

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