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Park Ranger
Outdoor & AdventureYou protect natural spaces and the people who visit them — people who treat national parks like their personal trash can, ignore every posted sign, and try to pet bison. You'll patrol trails, lead educational programs, fight wildfires, and live in remote locations where your nearest neighbor is a bear. The scenery is unbeatable but the pay is aggressively modest.
Salary Range
Low
$32k
Median
$45k
High
$70k
10-Year Growth
average
US Workers
36K
Education
Bachelor's in Natural Resources, Environmental Science, or Park Management
Environment
outdoor
Tools & Technical Skills
- ▸Wildland firefighting and prescribed burns
- ▸Trail maintenance and backcountry navigation
- ▸Wildlife identification and ecology
- ▸Law enforcement (commissioned ranger duties)
- ▸Search and rescue operations
- ▸Interpretive program development
People & Mindset Skills
- ▸Public speaking and education
- ▸Physical fitness
- ▸Self-sufficiency in remote areas
- ▸Conflict resolution with visitors
- ▸Environmental stewardship
What you'll actually do
- 01Patrol trails and campgrounds while tourists ask 'where's the best selfie spot?' instead of reading the map
- 02Explain to visitors why they absolutely cannot feed, pet, or approach the wildlife
- 03Lead educational programs about ecosystems for kids who are way more interested than their parents
- 04Enforce park regulations for people who think rules are suggestions in the outdoors
- 05Assist in search and rescue operations for hikers who overestimated their fitness level by 200%
- 06Live in park housing that's remote, rustic, and beautiful — but also 90 minutes from a grocery store
Related Shifts
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