Park Ranger Jobs in the United States

Park Ranger Jobs Overview

Do you sometimes wish you could get away from hectic city life, spend your days in nature and live in a remote cabin? Then it might be time to look for park ranger jobs. As a park ranger, you’ll get paid to protect and care for public land, such as a national park or state park. While you don’t have to live on location for all jobs, cheap housing in a scenic location can be a key benefit of this job.

Job responsibilities for park rangers vary from park to park and sometimes even within the same park. Smaller parks may only have a few rangers managing multiple departments, while larger parks might have rangers for each department. As a ranger you might focus on one or several of the following roles:

• tourism, such as greeting visitors, answering phones, and leading tours
• maintenance, such as cleaning facilities and clearing trails
• law enforcement, such as patrolling the park
• science, such as studying the animals and geology
• search and rescue
• issuing and managing permits
• fire prevention and management
• administrative duties, such as purchasing supplies and scheduling campsite reservations

Also consider searching for other jobs in protective services, for example:

• state trooper jobs
• wildlife officer jobs
• border patrol jobs

Education and Skills for Park Rangers

Park ranger jobs range from entry-level positions to roles that require years of experience. The exact requirements will vary depending on the job responsibilities, but these are some common requirements:

• getting a bachelor’s degree in forestry, environmental science, park administration, recreation, criminal justice, biology, botany, zoology, or a related field
• having U.S. citizenship
• passing a background check
• passing a medical and physical examination
• passing a drug test
• getting a driver’s license if you’ll be expected to drive on the job
• obtaining first aid and CPR certification

A park ranger is often a hands-on job where you’ll need to be in good physical health and prepared to step in to handle unexpected events such as natural emergencies, fires, encounters with wild animals, and more. If you’re looking for a less adventurous job, there are also administrative positions where you’ll primarily work in an office. For these jobs you’ll need excellent organizational skills, attention to detail, and communication skills.

Update Your Park Ranger Resume

Your personality and soft skills are essential for working as a park ranger, where you’ll have a lot of responsibility and independence. Make sure your dedication to the job comes through in your resume and cover letter by including concrete examples, like awards you’ve won or other recognition you’ve received at previous jobs. Brush up on your job application skills by learning a few tips and tricks from Monster’s articles on resume writing and cover letters.

Interviewing for a Park Ranger Job

Park ranger interview questions will likely include both questions about your soft skills and hard skills specifically related to the position. Depending on the job, you’ll want to study ahead for topics such as:

• wildlife
• fire safety
• forest maintenance
• permit processes
• the history of the park
• search and rescue procedures

Browse our collection of interview questions to learn more about common interview questions and get tips on how to answer them.

How Much Do Park Rangers Earn?

A median salary for a park ranger is $38,822. Park rangers who supervise other employees, for example at a large national park, can make significantly more. Subsidized housing can also be an extra benefit of the job. Use our Salary Tools to research the median salary in your area.

Ready to Start Your Hunt for Park Ranger Jobs?

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