maintenance person

laborer

technician

park ranger

administrative assistant

U.S. National Park Service

I’m glad I did it but in hindsight I wouldn’t recommend it to others.

Park housing is hit or miss. One location had mold growing out of the floor vents and we were told to stop showering so much and it would stop. One had a very sloped foundation and felt like it was going to fall apart. One location I worked at had very nice, clean housing with internet. Once you become permanent you typically don’t have housing, so expect to give up most of your paycheck to rent a bedroom and/or commute an hour each way. Cost of living is typically extremely high near most of the big parks. Many people live with multiple roommates or in trailers. Some people just sleep in their cars. If you don’t have a significant other with a decent job it’s highly unlikely you’ll be able to get your own apartment. 

Advancement is difficult. It’s mostly being in the right place at the right time and knowing the right people. There is a serious bottleneck leading to hundreds of people competing for a single higher graded job. Because of this you get a LOT of people who have no desire to become supervisors in management positions, simply because it’s the only way to make a living wage. I was fortunate to have decent supervisors but that seems to be a rarity.  

The job itself is mentally draining. You’ll work weekends, all holidays, and often completely random hours including nights and very early mornings. Most parks are seriously understaffed so you may end up working a booth or desk with a never ending line for 9 hours straight with few to no breaks. Most visitors are polite and appreciative but you do usually have a couple angry people a day who take it out on you and may verbally or even physically assault you. I often feared for my safety, especially working alone at night handling money. Fee collection can also be mentally exhausting as you’re just repeating the same few transactions hundreds to thousands of times a day but cannot make any mistakes on the register. 

The biggest perk is living in close proximity to outdoor recreation. You might have time to hike before or after your shift and on weekends. Usually there are other fun touristy things to do in the area. I always got along very well with my coworkers as most people are there because they genuinely care about the park. 

Overall it can be a fun summer job or a good transition job, but making it work long term is very difficult due to low pay and few opportunities to move up the ladder. 

Let's jump beyond the usual "beautiful place to work" type review and get down to brass tacks.

I worked in one of the top 5 national parks, starting with a Y. I even won an award while I worked there. 

The upper management in this park was outright vindictive, unsupportive, and retaliatory. Middle management had their hands tied, and a lot of their time is spent doing mostly meaningless tasks, leaving little time to cultivate a culture of professional growth.

If you happen to be a little older than most of your coworkers, and/ or are just "different", be prepared to be treated differently.  There was over 4 million visitors to this park, yet I've never felt so lonely in my life as I was in this job.

Simply put, you'd have a better chance of building a snowman in Death Valley in July, than you will ever have for advancement. There is sooooo much competition for the very limited full time positions.

The pay is mediocre at best, and after rent and food, it doesn't leave much to live on, despite this park being thousands of miles away from most people's usual hometowns.

The uniform components are not cheap, even with the uniform allowance.  If you happened to gain some weight and had to buy all new components again, you'd be looking north of $500.


The bureaucracy is mind numbing to the point of preventing progress.

As a park ranger, I spent a significant amount of every day spewing the same repetitive information time and time again. It was like working in a factory doing the same thing over and over and over again.

Besides your unpaid lunch, you are given exactly 0 minutes of allotted break time through the day.

Your limited time off is spent driving 4 hours for groceries, leaving little time to recreate in the park. If you have a dog, be prepared to forgo any and all overnight adventures in the backcountry.

All in all, I spent 3 years in this position, and it's one of the bigger regrets in my life. I gave my heart and soul to that park, and all I got in return was regret and a few photos. Most of the memories have just been blacked out.

I first visited the Gila Cliff Dwellings NM in September, 2003, in the course of trip to determine a suitable place to live following my graduation from college. The stunning beauty of the mountain wilderness made the open position of Volunteer Guide and Maintenance Worker instantly desirable. I returned to this place for two more tours of service as a volunteer, when I was not working in seasonal retail on the waterfront in San Diego.

What followed was enjoyable work and many days exploring the deep canyons and forests. Helpful fellow volunteers and supportive management and staff made my acclimation easy.

Guiding visitors through the Cliff Dwellings was the best. The most difficult was repairing the heavy damage suffered by the park improvements following flash floods. The experience of all hands pitching in to reopen the campgrounds and monument was unforgettable.

I learned to meditate and live peacefully in the present in this marvelous place.

What is the best part of working at the company?
The employees are patient and understanding towards all who come in. It is rare to encounter negative people, mostly everyone is very kind, and curious toward your job and the area. 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
The part that takes most of your time and mind is the events, such as a La Fiesta and the Luminaria. It takes tedious planing and much more interaction with people compared to regular days.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
The environment itself is calm and relaxing. Within the park you can hear much of the outdoors. A plus, is the questions visitors ask which can allow you to know more of a person and think on something you don’t know how to answer.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Usually the day is calm at the stats and get somewhat hectic during midday when we get a handful of groups within and hour or so. After that, the day continues on and you do a minimal task, such as restocking or cutting and organizing informational papers.

Working for the Federal Government was great. I absolutely loved my positions, liked most of management, and had great co-workers. I started in 2015 and it was the best. They offered complete and comprehensive training on what they asked me to do as well as offered opportunities for me to learn other things. From 2015 until 2020, it was the absolute best job I ever held and best company I ever worked for. Then our CEO changed to Joseph R. Biden, who believes every single one of his employees were his personal property and he started ordering us to do things that are not part of our jobs and ordering us to receive experimental medical procedures. When I first started with the Federal Government, I made my own personal decisions for my personal time as well as my own medical decision. After 2020, my rights to my body were removed by the signing of Executive Order 14043. EO 14043 simply says that it might be your body, but it certainly is NOT your choice.

Coming away from an extremely toxic industrial environment beforehand, this job has offered everything i couldve dreamed of. It's very progressive mentally and socially, its very people oriented, they care about your personal self rather than the job first. I had a minor leg cramp while out camping and I was given the rest of the day to rest- while at my last job I had suffered heat exhaustion but was requested to come in the next day. Working with such powerful women has changed my outlook so heavily its beyond me anyone would want to work anywhere else. They always look out for you, have amazing federal benefits, theres the ability to move up the ladder in other DOI positions that they do not stop you from pursuing. They are always willing to help you and never make you feel inferior. This job is definitely one of  kind and will always be my favorite!

Your experience with NPS entirely depends on the park you're stationed at; I've only worked in two so take my review with a grain of salt. 

Personally, I had a good time at both locations solely because of the crew I worked with. I was able to find a niche of people to build good work and personal relationships with. 

The work can be rewarding but also so very frustrating. Funding is a huge roadblock for a lot of science based industries, and the NPS is no exception. A lot of it comes down to not enough funding to hire enough employees/pay the employees decent wages. Additionally, things move at a snails pace within the federal government because of all the paperwork needed to move forward with projects.

Management depends on location; both locations I was at had less than ideal management. I won't get into specifics, but it seemed that it had to do with higher up employees- until they retire or switch parks, nothing will change. 

A typical day would either be cutting grass, Chipping down trees, or cleaning restrooms and facilities.  Didn't learn much because I got stuck cleaning all the time due to the stand in supervisor leaving and seasoned guys knowing how to avoid it.   The stand in supervisor was a good guy and very helpful. The new supervisor we got toward the end of the term was top notch. The culture was a bunch of individuals at first but grew into a team when the new supervisor arrived and gave direction.  Too bad we didn't have him from the start. The hardest part of the job is the computer work and not being able to run common small equipment because you don't hold a certification. The best part of the job is the comradery and how everyone is very helpful.  

Working for NPS is complex.   It may take years to get a permanent position.  Starting positions are 1039 seasonal.   6 months on, 6 month off.  Look up GS pay scale tables for location pay.  Benefits are decent working for the Feds.  The team you work with and your supervisor have a lot do do with whether it is a positive or negative experience.  I am trying to leave after 12 years in the service and am only a GS6.  You have to relocate to move up.   Jobs are found on USAJOBS. 

What is the best part of working at the company?
The leadership mainly.  Also, working out doors and the beautiful park to explore.  The housing as well very helpful. 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
There was nothing stressful about it.  Sometimes the tourist could give you a hard time but leadership has a fantastic way of supporting you and giving advise. 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
It is very helpful and kind.  It is kinda laid back with the ability to be professional when necessary. 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Our leadership schedules your duties for the day.  And has a casual meeting most mornings to discuss happenings.   On one’s spare time during the day finding a project to work on was encouraged.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Maintenance person 15 salaries reported	$28.28 per hour
Laborer 5 salaries reported	$27.13 per hour
Technician 4 salaries reported	$25.19 per hour
Park ranger 4 salaries reported	$31.99 per hour
Administrative assistant 2 salaries reported	$26.02 per hour

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