Park rangers keep our parks safe, beautiful, and clean. But, they also earn a pretty decent salary, making roughly $21 per hour, which is not a bad wage, especially for those fresh out of college!
If you want to become a park ranger, you’ll need to get a Bachelor’s Degree. You’ll also need to meet state and local requirements, depending on where you want to be a park ranger.
This guide goes into greater detail as to how to become a park ranger from nothing, and what you need to do in order to launch a successful new career. Let’s jump in!
First Things First: What Does a Park Ranger Do?
Before we dive straight into talking about how to become a park ranger, let’s take a minute to go over what you’ll be expected to do as a park ranger. Park rangers manage a number of different state-run and federally-run locations, such as:
- Parks
- Beaches
- Lakes
- Historic sites
- Cultural sites
- National monuments
- Nature reserves
- Recreational areas
Rangers are responsible for the safety and upkeep of these areas and help care for wildlife, give historical information, and serve as law enforcement in these zones. You’ll often interact with visitors to these areas, providing information and directions to help people while they’re in the parks.
How to Become a Park Ranger
If all that sounds appealing to you and you want to start a career as a park ranger yourself, it’s time to go over what you need to do to become a park ranger. Here are the steps you’ll need to follow in order to start this new career:
Step One: Meet the Age Requirements
Most states require you to be at least 18 years old, but there are some states that require you to be 21 years old. You’ll need to check your locality’s requirements to make sure that there are no other basic requirements you’ll need to meet in order to become a ranger.
Step Two: Get Your Bachelor’s Degree
Once you’ve got the age requirements in order, you’ll need to get a post-secondary education. In most cases, this means getting your bachelor’s degree. However, there are some states and some state and federal lands where you only need an Associate’s Degree.
Although some states allow you to have a degree in any field, others, such as Colorado, require you to have a degree in one of the following fields:
- Zoology
- Forestry
- Wildlife management
- Parks management
- Natural resource management
- Geology
- Outdoor recreation
- Environmental science
- Biology
Step Three: Get Some Experience
Many park ranger positions also require you to have some relevant experience to work in the parks. You can get this by volunteering in the parks or at local nature centers. The more experience you have under your belt, the easier it will be to launch a career as a park ranger.
Step Four: Apply to Jobs
With some experience under your belt and your degree completed, you’re ready to get out there and actually apply for jobs. You can check on state and federal government websites to look for general openings in your locality. Or, you can apply at particular parks on their websites or by heading into the visitor center in those parks.
When it comes to the interview process, remember that most questions will be behavioral. That means you’ll want to employ the STAR Interview Method in order to answer all the questions and pass with flying colors.
Step Five: Complete Your Ranger Training
Once you’ve landed a job, you’ll generally be required to complete ranger training. This training is conducted by the state or federal land that employs you, and gives you specialized skills needed in order to be successful at your job.
After you finish your training, you’re ready to start working in the park as a fully-fledged park ranger!
Start a New Career as a Park Ranger
When it comes to learning how to become a park ranger, the main takeaway is to understand that you’ll need post-secondary education and some experience under your belt. Otherwise, you’ll find it difficult to find employment as a park ranger.
However, once you’ve met those requirements, you shouldn’t have any problem landing an interview. From there, all you have to do is complete your training and you’re ready to get out there and start ranging all the parks in the US!
