cook

food service associate

ride operator

carpenter

lifeguard

Knotts Berry Farm

Typical work day: Pretty much check your ride, do test ride, cleans, operate the ride and then closing procedures.

Pay: minimum wage
Benefits: only if your part time or full time. management picks who they wants to have as part and full time. No matter how long you have been there. I've been there 2 years and they offered full time to a guy was working there for 7 months. 

Hours: 
Very inconsistent scheduling. There are times where you can be schedule a whole week off or one to two days a week. Then out of nowhere 6 days a week. Rainy days is 50/50 you may be able to do all your hours or it gets cut because the park is closing early. By law you have to have an 8 hour turn around for your next shift . The schedulers will take it literally. For haunt closing time is 1am and 2am. If you close at either of those times the schedulers will literally put 8 hours and have you open the next day like your suppose to sleep at the job. 

Management:
There is a lot of favoritism at this job so if your good at sucking up and want to move up quick this is the job for you. Be careful when sharing personal things with supervisors as confidentiality means nothing because everything spreads like wild fire. Gaslighting, manipulation, and narcissism is played here. Seniority/ hard work gets you nothing. If you want to move up to be a trainer or team lead if you aren't a favorite with the office you will end up jump through obstacles to move up. No matter how hard you work, shifts you pick up, or how long you have been with the company. Your only chance to move up or "survive" is to become a favorite with someone in the office. 

Workplace culture:
No matter what age group you belong to your ride crew and starting buddies (if they are good) can be life long friends and make the job easier and manageable. There are work party events hosted by the company where you will have fun or work the event. Working rides you will experience a lot complaints, insults, and sometime assaults ( during haunt season) that you will have to solve on your own with your crew or team leads, security will do nothing and supervision will just watch and make you fill out forms. HR is not your friend. HR is not there for you, they are their so save face of the company. Please read any paper or form they give you before you sign it. You can fight it. They tend to pick on first timers for jobs because they don't know. 

The hardest part of the job:
You are left to fend for yourself. Your lucky if security arrives on time. Sometimes you see them walking by your ride after you called them and they ignore the call. If they do come up to get the story THEY WILL ALWAYS BLAME YOU. 
You deal with every kind of person under the sun. Get use to drunk people, and racism. You will be called every name in the book. 

Enjoyable part of the job:
Other than park benefits, and making life long friends. Leaving this job is the most enjoyable.

During my two and a half or so years at Knotts, I usually worked closing shifts at my specific store. Don't get me wrong; I LOVED working closing shifts and absolutely adored my team leads and direct supervisors. They made the entire experience worth coming in, even though I mostly worked weekends. What I didn't enjoy were the higher ups of my higher ups: those above my supers. It was obvious to me most of them rarely, if ever, worked at a position like mine (General Sales Associate) and only had a rough outline of what was expected of us by reading the leaflet I'm 100% sure we as GSAs were given when we got trained. They expected us to ALWAYS be doing something -- ANYTHING, I quickly found out -- as long as we weren't "idle." The guests we got at my time of working were hit-and-miss as all retail guests tend to be: I had regulars who were absolutely amazing and made my weekend to see and repeat offenders who came in just to complain we were out of something (again, in most cases).

On another note, if you're a closer working weekends.... be prepared to be working alone. A lot of the time, my younger coworkers who also only worked weekends would call out Fridays and/or Saturdays, and most of the time my department couldn't find a replacement. This often lead to me closing with just myself and my team lead, which absolutely SUCKED. I would touch on summer and the holiday events (mostly Scary farm), but I'd be typing FOREVER about how miserable working those events for the first and only time in 2021 was. I'll say this: summer was absolutely DREADFUL (the heat making guests incredibly short-tempered) with ridiculously late closing times (getting off at 12am to 1am SUCKED) and I cannot count how many times I had to ask a team lead to go tell guests in line for Scary Farm that they can't smoke [weed] in our area (which is completely smoke-free with appropriate signage EVERYWHERE). The only benefit to the latter was the fact that my store closed at 8!

All in all, it's a great job to start with. It was my second overall. My direct management seemed to try to work around availability okay enough (I was very, VERY rarely called in on days I was unavailable), but I would not go back if asked unless they plan on reinstating my tenure and paying me more. You're on your feet 8-9 hours a shift dealing with people who seem to genuinely hate you because the park is out of seedless boysenberry jam for the nth time that month  (it's the most popular item the park offers). It wore on me and eventually I couldn't take it anymore.

What is the best part of working at the company?
Honestly, the best part of working at Knott’s is the people. My coworkers are awesome and make the long shifts way more enjoyable. The team dynamic is strong, and I’ve met a lot of solid people there. My supervisor is also really flexible, which has helped me balance school and work without burning out. That flexibility has made a big difference for me. Like anywhere, management isn’t perfect, but the people you work directly with make it worth it.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
The most stressful part can be the inconsistency in communication and expectations from upper management. Sometimes decisions change quickly or feel disconnected from what’s actually happening on the floor. It can also get overwhelming during peak seasons when the workload increases a lot. That said, having a strong team helps balance it out.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
The work environment is fast-paced, especially during peak seasons, but it’s also very team-oriented. At the crew level, the culture is supportive and collaborative. Most people genuinely try to help each other out, and there’s a strong sense of camaraderie during long shifts. It can feel a little disconnected at times between upper management and frontline employees, but day-to-day, the team atmosphere makes it a positive place to work.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
A typical day depends on the season, but usually it starts with checking in, seeing what the priorities are, and getting assigned to whatever needs attention. Some days are steady and routine, other days can get hectic fast, especially during events or peak times. There’s a lot of problem-solving on the fly and working closely with the team to get things done. The shifts can be long, but they usually go by quicker because you’re constantly moving and working with others.

Knott's isn't a terrible place to work. Management is pretty good and i enjoyed my coworkers' company. My job as a ride operator was rather fast paced and on busy days it was hard to catch a break. There was a lot of movement since checking restraints was an important part of the job, but it wasn't horrible. Sometimes it was a drag since hours were long and just about all of it was spend on my feet and in the summer it was hot and fans weren't usually a luxury and even if there was one, it wasn't usually effective. In the winter it was chilly and only one ride had a heater.

Even so I had fun while I was there and the people I worked with were great. We would even hang out outside of work and it was great. Unfortunately, as it is a customer service job dealing with unhappy customers does happen and that could be rough sometimes since I would just be doing my job and could end up yelled at, but you just take it like it is and try to defuse the situation as best as possible. Unfortunately, for the level of effort required for the job and the hours, the pay wasn't great. It was minimum wage, and considering how long I had to be on my feet and deal with unhappy people, not really all that worth it.

I had to leave when they weren't flexible with my school schedule though. They were pretty accommodating at first, but as soon as Knott's Scary Farm rolled around they were giving me hours I literally couldn't work. They had the mind set of "this is what we need so you need to be available." When I tried to explain that it would effect my schooling and I couldn't I was simply told that other people were able and if they could do it so could I. I had to leave and I wouldn't recommend this place if you need to be super flexible with hours. It won't work well, but as fast paced as it was, I did enjoy it there.

I worked in the rides dept. Training could have been better. My trainer at the time second guessed themselves a lot. I had come from working in Attractions at Disney for many years so luckily I picked things up quickly and knew the questions to ask. I had to help my training partner a bit bc he was lost on the material at times (it was his first job). They basically give you the bare minimum when it comes to training (not just in that dept. I have learned).
Depending where you work, hours can be minimal to no hours most of the time. Staffing was always an issue on busier days. If someone calls out, we wouldn't figure it out until they were supposed to be there, which would cause a domino affect for breaks/lunches being late. 
If you buy food, the cafeteria was pretty cheap. 
They give discounts on things in park and complimentary tickets as well.
They do try and give associate events too from time to time.
Break areas and restrooms aren't cleaned that often and if they were it was bare minimum. 
You don't really get a lot of supervision (again depends where you work).
They have team leads, supervisors, and management. In my time there, I never met the management or even knew who they were. Supervisors roamed the park so we'd see them once in a blue moon. Only time I would see them more is if our team lead called out or they didn't even have one scheduled. 
For the bigger rides, a team lead was stationed there all day. For the smaller ones they were usually be in charge of several so they would roam around. So it's a blessing and a curse. 
It can be fun if you make it fun. Just do your job. Interact with guests. Get that pay and go home. 

Horrible management, rude and entitled customers, lot of drama, lots of favoritism from management, supervisor always has her boyfriend in her office during their work hours, who is a supervisor in another shop and he gives orders as if he is in his own shop, horrible training, minimum wage pay when you are supposed to know about the whole park, nobody is allowed to take tips from customers, many people in authoritive positions abuse their authority, many people in authoritive positions only get there because they are friends with people in higher positions, always understaffed, management doesn't care about the employees, one of the busiest restaurants has a tiny kitchen and only one or two chefs make the orders at a time, employees are late to breaks and lunches a LOT, some men employees flirt with the younger girls, most leads play around all day, some leads don't do anything but give orders and mess around on their phone the whole day, there is a lack of training, people get written up for large amounts of missing money a lot of the time but management stops writing them up for coming up short after they start counting out their money manually at the end of the day. You will make some good friends here and they all know the bad things about this place but it make it a little bareable to work here.

Don’t be shy, come see and feel the vibe! Competitive pay and customizable hours, good benefits for part- and full-time, relaxed atmosphere—and convenience of an app (UKG Kronos) for all your scheduling/PTO/sick day needs. Also includes solid training and a good challenge/learning curve.
Though it can be noisy, a bit hectic, and perhaps cold/hot/windy (depending on whether you’re indoors/outdoors/or both),  it’s okay, you’re in a historic, exciting theme park! (How cool is it to work in California’s first theme park?) Your hard work always pays off—employees regularly enter drawings for a “Value Card”/prizes as a reward/recognition for good work.
And don’t get me started with Scary Farm, Merry Farm, the Peanuts and Boysenberry Festivals, or other special occasions that only happen here, in Knott’s Berry Farm, the Friendliest Place in the West! In one shift alone, you can see Snoopy, a cat or curious squirrel under a tree next to you, Scary Farm talent/actors prowling in the fog, and/or “snowfall” in a sparkling, festive Ghost Town! 
Good second/side job, and/or first job for high school/college students, also very accommodating for those with special needs/medical conditions/etc. Highly recommend for anyone who wants to work somewhere that doesn’t feel like they’re working! :)

--Typical day is either an opening shift, mid, or closing
--Open the game usually with a Team Lead, clean the game, check up on stock, adjust displays, wait for guests
--I learned how to better talk with people and guests
--The management definitely had blatant favoritism 
--If you were not on their good side it was difficult for career advancement
--They only give real benefits to management (Paid Days Off, 401K etc.) 
--They do not allow Games Associates or Team Leads to work more than 39 hours a week because they would have to give benefits 
--Only the other employees made it fun
--The job can be quick-paced at times but is manageable
--Many guests tend to be rude and demanding at times 
--Break room is a common area with people in other departments there was a kitchen but they only have it open during the summer and Knott's Scary Farm
--The main cafeteria, Crews Nest is a 5-7 min walk and your lunch is only 30mins 
Lunch breakdown: 5 mins walk to Crews Nest, average 10-15mins wait in line, 5 mins walk back to Lakeside (the Games/Rides break room behind HangTime), and then your left with 5mins to eat!!
--In Lakeside they have self-service snack station which is completely overpriced

A typical day at work can consist of answering 200 calls regarding information about our park, reserving a group visit, and transferring calls to other departments. a days work can also consist of being out in the field communicating face to face with guest, providing excellent customer care and information, along with sales and recording and retrieving lost items. and in some cases we are requested to guide high profile guests throughout our park. I have learned how to handle incoming calls in a professional and quick manner and I have improved my communication skills as well. Management has helped to balance my work schedule and educational schedule. My co-workers are all hardworking and always willing to lend a hand, making sure to promote fun and professionalism within the work environment.The hardest part of my job is handling angered guests who come to us for compensation. The most enjoyable part of my job is working with a group of great individuals, meeting new people everyday, meeting guests from all over the world, given the chance to meet and work with high profile guests and building my customer care experience.

A typical day at work involved clocking in, assuming multiple positions on dock, heading up on the panel, assisting guests with questions and concerns, and working closely with a crew. I have learned at this job especially what it means to work with a team, as we were all responsible for the upkeep of the ride and ride area, knowledge of Standard Operating Procedures, and the safety of all, including guests and other employees. Communication and alertness was key, as the environment was noisy and hectic, and as such, often times hand signals were required and used, along with verbal notification. As Knott's Berry Farm and the Cedar Fair Company are rather large entities with a large pool of employees, I felt that it was a little difficult for the management to relate to the employees some of the times, as there were so few supervisors to so many ride operators. The hardest part of the job would be to turn away small children that did not meet the height requirement for their safety, as it was a difficult but necessary proponent of the job. The most enjoyable part of the job was getting to work with a close-knit crew that shared the same knowledge and understanding, as well as a good support system in times of great stress, as is often the case working at a theme park.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Cook 21 salaries reported	$20.51 per hour
Food service associate 6 salaries reported	$17.00 per hour
Ride operator 6 salaries reported	$17.15 per hour
Carpenter 2 salaries reported	$27.36 per hour
Lifeguard 3 salaries reported	$18.17 per hour

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