Ultimate Guide: How to Find An Outdoor Job
Yes, your dream outdoor job exists – and it’s thankfully far, far away from an office or retail counter.
This guide will walk you through the steps of finding an outdoor job – how to find an outdoor job, what training is required, what the average salary is, and the fastest growing positions.
- What Are The Most Common Outdoor Jobs?
- What Training Is Required for an Outdoor Job?
- What College Majors Are Most Common in the Outdoors Industry?
- What Outdoor Jobs Can Teens Get?
- What Do Outdoor Jobs Pay?
- Where Are Outdoor Jobs Located?
- Where Can I Find An Outdoor Job?
What Are The Most Common Outdoor Jobs?
An ‘outdoor job’ sounds great, but what exactly does that mean?
Sure, there’s the obvious park ranger or landscaper, but there are dozens more outdoor careers you’ve probably never even heard of!
These are some of the most common outdoor jobs (and what they do):
Wilderness First Responder: Provide medical care and emergency response in remote settings
Outdoor Adventure Guide: Lead outdoor adventures like hiking, backpacking, kayaking, and rock climbing
Environmental Educator: Teach about ecology, conservation, and sustainability
Outdoor Recreation Therapist: Use outdoor activities to support your patients’ mental health
Park Ranger: Manage and protect natural areas, enforce regulations, and provide visitor services
Sustainability Consultant: Assess environmental risks and advise businesses on sustainable practices
Outdoor Gear Designer: Design and create outdoor gear
Outdoor Program Coordinator: Plan and oversee outdoor activities
Adventure Travel Specialist: Organize outdoor adventure trips and expeditions
Hunting or Fishing Guide: Lead group hunting or fishing excursions
Ski Lift Operator: Operate the ski lift and make sure everything is working safely
Horseback Riding Instructor: Give lessons on how to ride and take care of horses
Wilderness Firefighter: Put out wildfires, cut down fallen trees, and try to predict fire behavior
Landscape Gardener: Mow lawns, plant flowers, trim trees, and create beautiful gardens
Outdoor Event Planner: Organize large events like weddings, graduation parties, and corporate retreats
River Guide: Safely navigate group river adventures, like kayaking or white water rafting
Ski Instructor: Give private or group lessons to teach skiers proper technique
Trail Crew: Work for state and federal agencies clearing, constructing and maintaining public trails
Wildlife Biologist – Studies wild animals, their behaviors, habitats, interactions & population management and conservation.
Construction Workers, Engineers & Project Managers – Design, plan and build large public and private projects
Hydropower Engineers – Design, plan and build hydropower projects including dams, often in very remote areas
Archaeologists – study past societies by investigating artifacts at historically inhabited sites.
What Training Or Certification Is Required?
Once again, this totally depends on the job listing.
Some outdoor jobs require college degrees.
Others mandate specific field-related courses.
And some require no formal training at all!
While you should always do further research about your specific career path, these courses are widely accepted throughout the outdoors industry.
Wilderness First Aid Training
Wilderness First Aid: This course teaches you how to handle common injuries and medical emergencies that arise in remote environments. You’ll learn the basics of wilderness medicine, including dealing with hypothermia, snake bites, and fractures. It also covers survival skills, terrain awareness, and how to manage a medical emergency in the wilderness.
Wilderness First Responder: For more in-depth study, this Wilderness First Responder course covers patient assessment, emergency care, and making critical decisions. You’d practice giving physical exams, assessing spinal injuries, splinting tourniquets, and patient transport techniques.
CPR/AED: Knowing how to perform CPR and use an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) is an important skill for anyone working in outdoor environments.
Water Sports and Rescues
Swiftwater Rescue: Specifically designed for people working in fast-moving water, this course teaches rescue techniques and safety protocols for navigating swift water safely.
Dive Certification: If your future career involves spending time in open water, you may want to consider a diving certification. Courses range from basic open water certifications to emergency response training.
Lifeguard Certification: The Red Cross offers training on water safety, rescue techniques, and CPR, so you’re prepared to respond to emergencies in the water.
General Wilderness Training
Leave No Trace: Ideal for future outdoor educators, this course teaches you to show others how to enjoy the outdoors responsibly and minimize their impact on the environment.
Orienteering USA: If you want to improve your navigational skills, this course will teach you how to read maps and use a compass to find your way through the wilderness.
Mountain Certifications
Professional Ski Instructors of America and American Association of Snowboard Instructors (PSIA-AASI): Love shredding the slopes and want to share that passion with others? If so, here are courses for becoming a certified ski or snowboard instructor.
American Mountain Guides Association (AMGA): After taking this course, you could become a certified mountain guide, climbing instructor, or alpine expert!
American Avalanche Association (AAA): If there’s even a chance your dream job could lead to an avalanche encounter, knowing how to react could save lives.
Sport-Specific Training
Stand-Up Paddleboard Instructor Certification: If paddleboard instructor is your dream job, you might want to seek certification. As a certified paddleboard instructor, you can teach others how to safely navigate the waters and have a blast while doing it.
American Canoe Association (ACA): For more generalized water sports, the ACA offers certificates that make you qualified to lead canoeing, kayaking, or paddleboarding excursions!
American Sailing Association (ASA): If you’re more into sailing, ASA certifications can help prepare you for guiding groups or working on private charters.
Hunter Safety Education Certification: If your passion for the outdoors drives you to lead hunting excursions, you’re going to need firearms safety training.
Climbing Wall Association (CWA): Talk about a dream job – this certification gives you the skills to become a climbing instructor and lead sessions in the gym or the wilderness.
Working with Wildlife
National Animal Care & Control Association (NACA): For anyone looking to work in animal care, the NACA provides training on animal control, animal control dispatching, and mental health first aid.
Wildlife Tracking Certification: This course teaches you how to track animals in the wild, understand their movements, and contribute to wildlife conservation efforts.
National Wildlife Rehabilitators Association (NWRA): The NWRA offers courses in wildlife medicine, specifically made for veterinarians and vet students.
Canine Search and Rescue Certification: Education isn’t just for humans! If you’re joining Search and Rescue with your dog, you need to get your furry friend the proper training first.
What Majors Are Most Common in the Outdoors Industry?
If it turns out that you need a college degree for your outdoor dream job, that brings us to the next question… which major do you pick?
While your future employer is truly the only person who can answer that question, these are some of the most common college majors for the outdoors industry.
Environmental Science or Environmental Studies: This is one of the most versatile ‘outdoor degrees’ since it gives you a solid foundation in ecology, conservation, and natural resource management.
You’d be on your way toward a career as an environmental consultant, park ranger, or conservation scientist.
Geography: This major prepares you to work in roles like environmental planning, outdoor research, or managing natural resources.
Plus, many geography grads spend a lot of time in the field, so you’d be able to ditch the office every now and then!
Forestry: If you’ve ever joked about leaving civilization behind to live alone in the woods, maybe try a forestry degree.
You’d be able to work in the woods and promote forest conservation at the same time!
Recreation/Hospitality Management: If you love the idea of creating unforgettable outdoor experiences for others, this major may be for you.
It prepares you to manage recreational programs, making you a perfect candidate to land a job in a resort, national park, or outdoor gear company!
Environmental Studies: This major is versatile and incredibly useful to the outdoor industry! With it, you could pursue careers in environmental advocacy, environmental policy analysis, or sustainability consulting.
Biology: Interested in plants and animals? Consider a biology degree. This major opens doors for a career working with wildlife biology, marine biology, conservation biology, or field research.
You could work with government agencies, research institutions, or environmental nonprofits to protect wildlife habitats.
Geology: If you’re fascinated by the Earth, good at science, and love getting your hands dirty, a geology degree can lead to some exciting career paths.
Just imagine spending your days exploring landscapes, conducting geological surveys, or helping manage natural resources!
Experiential Education: The world always needs more educators!
Majoring in education, especially with a focus on environmental studies or another outdoor major, would prepare you to work as an experiential or environmental educator, park ranger, or even a zoo keeper!
Business: If you’re looking to work on the corporate side of the outdoors industry, a business degree can open up a lot of doors.
It’s incredibly versatile, so you can take on roles in management, finance, or operations. You could even start your own outdoor business one day!
Psychology: This may not seem like an obvious college major for working in the outdoors industry, but hear us out.
A degree in psychology offers insights into human behavior, which are invaluable in the outdoor industry!
What Outdoor Jobs Can Teens Get?
If you’re a teen who loves the outdoors, there are plenty of ways to turn that passion into a job.
Camp Counselor: Let’s start with the most classic teen outdoor job! This is where you go to spend your summer days leading activities, helping younger campers, and being surrounded by nature.
Outdoor Guide: If you’re into adventure and enjoy sharing your love of the outdoors, leading hiking, biking, or kayaking tours could be a great fit.
Park Attendant: Many parks and nature reserves hire teens, and you’ll spend your time helping to maintain trails and make sure the area stays beautiful and accessible.
Animal Rescue Volunteer: If animals are more your thing, there are often volunteer or part-time opportunities to help out at your local shelter. You could socialize with cats, clean kennels, or take dogs out on walks!
Outdoor Gear Shop Worker: If you’re interested in outdoor gear, working at a local shop is a solid option—it’s a chance to learn about the gear people use while being surrounded by outdoor enthusiasts.
How Much Do Outdoor Jobs Pay?
Now, onto the finance side of things!
While salaries always vary based on experience, employer, and location, these are average salaries for some of the most common jobs in the outdoor industry.
Outdoor Adventure Guide: $30,000 – $50,000 per year
Environmental Educator: $40,000 – $60,000 per year
Park Ranger: $35,000 – $60,000 per year
Outdoor Recreation Therapist: $45,000 – $70,000 per year
Sustainability Consultant: $60,000 – $100,000 per year
Outdoor Gear Designer/Engineer: $50,000 – $90,000 per year
Outdoor Program Coordinator: $35,000 – $60,000 per year
Wilderness First Responder: $35,000 – $50,000 per year
Adventure Travel Specialist: $40,000 – $70,000 per year
Environmental Consultant: $50,000 – $90,000 per year
Outdoor Education Instructor: $30,000 – $50,000 per year
Wildlife Biologist: $50,000 – $70,000 per year
Outdoor Retail Manager: $40,000 – $70,000 per year
Outdoor Event Planner: $40,000 – $70,000 per year
Outdoor Photographer/Videographer: $30,000 – $70,000 per year
Where Are Outdoor Jobs Located?
The short answer is that you can find an outdoor job anywhere!
Depending on your interests and skill set, the location of your job could range from urban parks to remote wilderness areas. Even cities have nurseries, landscapers, and summer camps!
But to help you narrow down your job search, here are some ideas on where to start looking for a job in the outdoors industry:
National and State Parks: National parks and protected public lands are some of the most well-known places to find outdoor jobs.
Forest Areas: For those who love the wild, national forests, wildlife reserves, and wilderness areas provide many outdoor job opportunities.
Recreation Destinations: Think of your local ski resorts, hiking destinations, and climbing areas – these are great places to start looking for adventure-related jobs!
Coastal Environments: Coastal areas and oceans also provide a range of outdoor job opportunities. This is where you’ll find jobs in marine biology, fishing, and recreational water sports.
Rural Regions: If you’re open to working in more remote locations, rural areas offer plenty of outdoor job opportunities, particularly in agriculture, conservation, and construction.
City Parks: When you’re looking for outdoor jobs, don’t overlook cities! City parks, green spaces, and botanical gardens often require groundskeeping and environmental education roles.
Environmental Consulting Firms: If you’d rather work in a less traditional outdoor job setting, environmental consulting firms offer positions that blend office work with fieldwork.
Construction and Land Development Projects: For those with an interest in infrastructure, construction sites and land management companies are almost always hiring.
Agriculture and Farming Regions: Farms, ranches, vineyards, and orchards are great places to find outdoor work. These jobs can be more physically demanding, but you’d be able to spend your career working with nature.
Non-Profit and Volunteer Organizations: Many environmental non-profits have jobs that would let you get your hands dirty as you worked outdoors.
Zoos and Aquariums: Most cities have a zoo or an aquarium, where you could spend your days working with critters and teaching about conservation!
Where Can I Find An Outdoor Job?
There are literally hundreds of ways to find an outdoor job!
But, since that can quickly get overwhelming, we’ve compiled a list of the best-vetted outdoor job boards.
Here, you’ll find websites that specialize in connecting people with careers in the great outdoors.
General Outdoor Job Boards
Outdoor Industry Jobs: As the name suggests, this site connects job seekers with positions in the outdoor world. With listings updated regularly, it’s one of the most active and well-established job boards in the outdoor space.
Cool Works: If you’re looking to add “Zipline Guide” or “River Cruise Operator” to your resume, you can find it on this page. With specialized searches just for ‘jobs on the water,’ ‘jobs with paid accommodation,’ and ‘island jobs’, you know it won’t be boring.
Adventure Job Board: For those seeking adventure-filled careers beyond the U.S., this board has a global reach. It features outdoor and adventure industry jobs, with both short-term and long-term opportunities. Pay details are posted upfront for full transparency, so you can easily see what you’re working with.
Adventure Jobs: No, it’s not the same site as above. If you want your resume to say that you were a Peru Trip Leader, Outdoor Educator, or Adventure Guide, head to this job board. It focuses on adventure-based jobs that let you spend your time outside.
Get Outdoor Jobs: This site offers a global selection of outdoor job listings, including remote opportunities. While you can access some of their job postings for free, you’ll need to subscribe to unlock the full list of positions.
NOLS Jobs Network: This outdoor education company hosts a job board with a huge range of different outdoor jobs – they have listings for a Water Program Manager, a Black History Interpreter, and a Ropes Course Director.
Basecamp Outdoor: For a weekly newsletter packed with outdoor job opportunities, freelance gigs, and events, check out Basecamp Outdoor.
The Snow Pros: If your idea of the perfect job involves snow, skiing, and snowboarding, then this is the board you’ll want to check out. It specializes in ski and snowboard-specific job opportunities.
OutdoorEd.com: This board is smaller, but it still has plenty of jobs that get you working out in nature!
Good Work (CA): For Canadian work and volunteer opportunities in sustainability or conservation, check out this job board!
Work Cabin (CA): Another Canadian job board, Work Cabin, has hundreds of job opportunities in conservation and wildlife research.
America Outdoors: While positions on this site are limited, it’s still a good place to start finding a career in the outdoors industry.
Outdoor Leaders: This Christian organization has a job board with quite a few international opportunities! Some positions have you working directly in nature, and others have you working with the outdoors industry in general.
Mountain Careers: Looking for a job in a mountain community? While not every job on this list is within the outdoors industry, there are several listings at ski resorts, mountain tour groups, and conservation nonprofits.
Mountain Jobs: Another job board for those seeking a mountain community! Most of the listings are seasonal, but there are a handful of full-time positions too.
Environmental Advocacy Jobs
Conservation Job Board: If your passion is protecting the environment, the Conservation Job Board is where you’ll find roles in conservation, forestry, wildlife, and fisheries management.
JusticeOutside: Focused on advancing environmental justice, this board has remote and in-person opportunities across the United States.
Environmental Career Center: For those seeking a green job, this job board posts the latest opportunities in sustainability and environmental science.
Green Jobs Board: This job board was created to connect people with careers that could combat the climate crisis.
Career Outdoors: Each Tuesday, this organization sends out a newsletter with new environmental jobs, career advice, and the outdoor industry’s latest news.
Outdoor Business and Education
Outdoor Industry Association: This board has a little bit of everything! Corporate and outdoor roles, international opportunities, internships – they even offer job coaching resume writing services.
Association of Experiential Education: If you’re seeking a job in outdoor and experimental education, head to this job board where you can find listings like “Expedition Trip Leader” “Director of Outdoor Programs”, and “Environmental Center Coordinator.”
Outdoor Business Alliance: Covering positions in ‘outdoor-oriented businesses’, this board is perfect for those who love the industry, but don’t necessarily want to work directly in nature.
Outdoor Jobs for Teens and Young Adults
Greening Youth: This job board connects under-represented youth with the outdoors and conservation careers. They also have a handful of their own youth employment programs!
Conservation Careers: If you’re looking for a broad range of conservation jobs, this site is worth checking out. It offers global internships, volunteer positions, and early career jobs.
Association of Outdoor Recreation and Education: This members-only job board is specifically made for students and young adults pursuing careers in outdoor education.
The Corps Network (Conservation Corps): The Conservation Corps hosts programs to help launch young adults’ careers in environmental conservation. Most of their job listings involve taking care of public lands.
Occupation Wild: With both short-term gigs and full-time positions, this site posts camp counselor and outdoor education instructor jobs.
Outdoor Jobs for Underrepresented Communities
Queer Outdoors: This jobs board is hosted by a grassroots initiative aimed at getting more queer people hired in outdoor and environmental spaces.
In Solidarity Project Job Board: Created to make the wilderness more inclusive, this organization helps job seekers from underrepresented communities find positions in the outdoors and travel industries.
Latino Outdoors: This job board connects members of the Latino community to career opportunities in the great outdoors. The positions range from trail leader to office manager, but all are outdoors-adjacent!
Travel Unity: This job board connects individuals from underrepresented communities with careers in travel, as well as youth outdoor career programs.
Travel Jobs and Seasonal Work
WanderJobs: Want to travel and have your boss pay for your accommodation? Every listing on Wander Jobs offers staff housing!
VagaJobs: Doesn’t getting paid to travel full-time sound like a dream come true? This job board lists global seasonal roles in tourism, hospitality, and outdoor adventure, so you can earn while on the road.
Season Workers: Looking for a gap year opportunity or a short-term adventure job? Season Workers recruits for positions worldwide, so you could work at a ski resort in France, on a yacht in Greece, or become a mountain biking instructor in New Zealand.
