Park Ranger

Park rangers are a combination of a law enforcement officer, environmental expert, and historian. Their job is to keep the plants, animals, and people who visit parks all safe, and to help people appreciate the cultural and natural beauty there.

Depending on the role, park rangers may focus more on enforcing park rules and regulations, or they may spend the better part of their day assisting visitors, giving group tours, and presenting visitor programs

To become a park ranger, you’ll first need to get a degree in a relevant major such as environmental science or wildlife and forestry management. While you’re in school, you’ll want to get seasonal park ranger jobs and volunteer as much as possible. 

Once you graduate, the connections you’ve made and resume you’ve built should help you land your first park ranger job. As a ranger, you can work for a city (municipal park), state (state park), or the federal government through the National Park Service.

Park rangers don’t make a lot of money, but if you value a simple life lived outdoors in potentially some of the most beautiful places in the country, being a park ranger could be a great career choice.