Are you the outdoorsy type? Do you enjoy history and cultures? Do you want an opportunity to experience your America?  Then build a fulfilling career by joining the Department of the Interior's National Park Service (NPS) as a National Park Ranger!

Established August, 25 1916 and responsible for managing all National Parks, many National Monuments and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations, its mission is to:

"...conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wild life therein and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations."

As a National Park ranger your responsibilities will be many and diverse from teaching people to respect the delicate natural balance of our national and state parks and forests to preserving and protecting our parks.

In addition to protecting natural resources, park rangers protect people. They may rescue a rock climber who has fallen or chase away a bear that is threatening campers.  Rangers also act as educators by teaching campers how to use camping equipment, taking visitors on nature walks, setting up exhibits, and lecturing on historic topics.

Law enforcement is among the many duties of a park ranger and some national park rangers carry guns. Park rangers sometimes recover stolen cars or quiet rowdy visitors. As peace officers, they are in charge of investigating any suspected illegal activity committed in national parks.

Park rangers are usually required to have a bachelor's degree; however, high school graduates are sometimes eligible for ranger jobs after three years of progressively responsible experience in conservation work or park operations. Interested individuals should study botany, zoology, geology, and ecology in college. Other useful subjects include park management, forestry, and the social sciences.

Candidates with master's degrees in these fields often have an advantage over other applicants who are seeking jobs as park rangers.  Other requirements for park rangers include physical strength, good health, and good eyesight.

Rangers should enjoy the outdoors and working with people. They should also be creative, resourceful, responsible, and energetic.

Park rangers can advance into positions of increased responsibility within their field after acquiring the necessary experience and education. For example, some rangers become park superintendents, who manage employees in their parks. Some transfer to larger parks that pay their rangers higher salaries. Others advance by becoming specialists in interpretation, resource management, or park planning.

Salaries for full-time rangers in the National Park Service depend on education and experience and range from $31,000  to $149,000, depending on your geographic location. If you are overly ambitious and politically connected, you even can serve at the service of the President as the National Park Service Director, a Senate confirmed position.

The NPS offers a broad range of job opportunities, from permanent career positions to temporary and seasonal positions.

For more information on PERMANENT jobs, click here.

For more information on TEMPORARY AND SEASONAL opportunities, click here.

To learn about opportunities to VOLUNTEER for the NPS, click here.

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