Park Ranger: Is It a Cool Job?

Senior rangers usually get a car that they use to patrol their park.  Though park rangers have to work abnormal hours, they get the usual benefits and a lot of time, they get housing.  The average salary for a park ranger is a little over 41,000 dollars.  The beginning salary of park rangers is about 21,000 dollars to 31,000 dollars in national parks.  This is also where the rangers are more likely to acquire housing.  At local and state parks, the beginning salary is about 30,000 dollars to 36,000 dollars.

More people want the job than can get it.  About 100 people apply for each opening.  The amount of job openings increases each year at the same rate as most other jobs.  There are over 842,000 jobs in this field of law enforcement.  This includes police officers and detectives.  Some other careers that are related to this one are: being a nursery and greenhouse manager, a museum technician and conservator, a residential advisor, and an animal trainer.

Being a park ranger would be an extraordinary job.  In my opinion, the best aspects of this job are that you get to work outdoors and you get to teach people things.  The worst aspect of the job is the pay.  You do not make all that much as a park ranger.  You make enough to support yourself, but not enough for too many extras.  Being a park ranger would be a fun and rewarding job.  You would have the satisfaction of helping the environment and helping others to learn.