Imagine being eager to get out of bed in the morning and going to work to get paid to do the outdoor activities that you love. Or you could spend your days skiing at your leisure, whilst working abroad in the hippest bar in the evening. This outdoor jobs list will help you find out about what opportunities are available and which ones are well paid or abroad. How do you go about getting the best outdoor job in the world?
What’s so Good About Working Outdoors?
Working in an office 9 to 5 will provide you with money, but it’s not for everyone. Why get stuck indoors looking at a computer all day when you can be doing an active job outdoors. Sunshine, fresh air, meeting all sorts of people. Working in the outdoors is not only good for you both physically and mentally, but you can also get career opportunities working with the environment.
What Types of Outdoor Jobs are Available?
If you don’t currently work in the outdoor adventure market, then it is most likely that your first outdoor job will involve seasonal work. This may suit you if you are in full time education, as you can work during your holidays and earn some cash for your own holiday or to pay for your time at university.
Unlike other outdoor job websites that only provide details of outdoor pursuits jobs, I have information on all forms of jobs that will get you working outdoors.
There are ten main types of outdoor jobs you can choose from:
- Summer seasonal jobs,
- Winter ski resort seasonal jobs,
- Outdoor pursuits instructor jobs,
- Guides, adventure, travel and exploration jobs,
- Environment and environmental management jobs,
- Sportsperson or athlete,
- Outdoor media and entertainment jobs.
- Outdoor skilled trades.
- Outdoor research, science and discovery jobs.
- Outdoor services and supplies.
Volunteering Jobs Overseas
In addition to these outdoor job categories, you may also be seeking a job in a specific location, such as outdoor jobs abroad in Canada or New Zealand. You may be looking to give your skills and time for the benefit of others by volunteering overseas for a charity. Then there are the ever popular gap year jobs. You will find jobs that you can do in your gap year in any of the outdoor job categories above. Have a look at the outdoor jobs in the various categories, and it may help you to plan your gap year.
Read my article on how to plan your gap year for lots of help from gap year experts.
Perhaps you want to look for environmental studies jobs abroad, or use your skills as a diving instructor. It has been shown that voluntary work overseas improves your employment chances
Outdoor activity jobs give you the opportunity to see new places and meet new people. Working for an outdoor adventure activity company gives you a sense of being part of a team. Not only that, but you can find a job doing the outdoor activities that you enjoy. Some outdoor jobs are highly skilled, such as construction jobs or oil rig jobs. Other outdoor jobs do not require training, such as apple picking, or ski chalet hosts. Whatever you choose, you will need to be flexible in your approach work, and be able to get on with all sorts of people.
The outdoor job pages in the outdoor jobs list below contain information on what the job entails, roles and responsibilities, the highs and lows of the job, what training is required, the experience, skills and qualifications required, and the key attributes that employers are looking for. The job pages also provide the expected salary range, links to professional bodies for that outdoor job, job sites, and who the key companies are that have job vacancies that you could apply to. If you want to earn big money, you will need to know which are the outdoor jobs that pay well.
Summer Seasonal Jobs
- Festival jobs
- Fruit picking jobs, apple picking or strawberry picking
- High ropes course instructor – Go Ape
- Lifeguard jobs
- Lodge seasonal employee
- Lookout tower spotter
- Outdoor events jobs – festival taxi driver, bar workers, stage crew
- Sailing crew
Winter seasonal ski resort jobs
- Chalet maid
- Chalet host
- Ice rink attendant
- Ski instructor and ski instructor courses
- Snowboarding Instructor courses
Outdoor pursuits instructor jobs
- Canoe instructor
- Climbing instructor
- Diving instructor
- High ropes course instructor, e.g. Go Ape
- Horse riding instructor
- Outward bounds instructor
- Outdoor activities instructor
- Sailing instructor
- Ski instructor and ski instructor courses
- Snowboarding Instructor courses
- Surfing instructor
- Windsurfing instructor
Guides, adventure, travel and exploration jobs
- Cruise ship jobs
- Fishing guide
- Hiking trail guide
- Hunting guide
- Mountain bike trail guide
- Mountain guide
- Off piste ski guide
- Ski guide
- Travel jobs
- Tour guide
- White water raft guide
Environment and environmental management jobs
- Animal jobs
- Conservation jobs
- Countryside jobs
- Ecology jobs
- Environment jobs
- Environmental engineering jobs
- Forest ranger
- Forestry jobs
- Gamekeeper or game warden
- Gardening jobs
- Green jobs
- Greenpeace jobs
- Groundsman
- Landscape gardener
- Nature jobs
- Nature conservancy jobs
- Park ranger
- Renewable energy jobs
- Tree planter or tree grower
- Wildlife jobs
- Wildlife conservation jobs
Sportsperson or athlete
- Footballer
- Personal trainer
Outdoor media and entertainment jobs
- Concert stage rigger
- Outdoor writer
- Outside broadcast engineer
- Photography jobs
- Roadie
- Travel writer
- TV and film industry jobs, such as extras, film crew, and production crew
- Tv and film set designers and builders
Outdoor skilled trades
- Agriculture jobs
- Army jobs
- Boat jobs
- Building jobs
- Construction jobs
- Bush Pilot
- Deckhand jobs
- Farm jobs, such as farmer, farmhand or farm labourer
- Horse jobs, such as farrier
- Fisherman, on trawlers at sea, or fly fishing for salmon in rivers
- Fish farmer
- Lumberjack
- Marine jobs
- Marine engineering jobs
- Military, armed forces, army, navy, air force
- Mountain bike trail builder
- Oil rig jobs
- Pisteur, piste basher driver
- Power line engineer
- Railway engineer
- Road maintenance
- Roofing jobs
- Roller coaster engineer or theme park engineer
- Sailing skipper
- Scaffolder
- Ship pilot, tug boat pilot
- Steeplejack
- Stuntman or Stuntwoman
- Surveyor
- Tree Surgeon jobs
- Tugboat jobs
- Yacht jobs
Outdoor research, science and discovery jobs
- Archaeologist
- Botanist
- Biology jobs
- Environmental science jobs
- Environmental studies jobs
- Hydrologist
- Marine biology jobs
- Zoology jobs
- Zoo jobs
Outdoor services and supplies
- Bicycle courier, despatch rider, bicycle messenger
- Bike rental service, sales and repair
- Car park attendant
- Car washing
- Canoe rental service
- Coastguard
- Festival taxi driver
- Fireman
- Fisherman
- Fishing bait and tackle shop owner
- Harbourmaster
- Lodge owner
- Luxury yacht crew, Sunseeker
- Marquee Rigger
- Motorbike courier, despatch rider, messenger
- Motorbike riding instructor
- National Trust Volunteering
- Security guard
- Stable hand
- Street cleaner, street sweeper
- Tower block or high rise window cleaner
- Traffic warden
- Tugboat operator
- Window Cleaner
- Water taxi driver
Find Out More About Jobs Abroad and Volunteering Overseas
If you want to find out more about the range of gap year jobs, jobs abroad, or volunteering overseas vacancies, take a look at the sites listed below:
- Outdoor Staff – Jobs in outdoor retail and outdoor adventure instructors
- Season Workers – seasonal work, such as ski resort jobs or summer vacation work
- Adventurework – Outdoor Adventure Jobs
- PGL – Outdoor instructor jobs, providing active holidays for active people
- Cool Works – Summer jobs and seasonal jobs in the outdoors US
- Adventure Pro – Australian & New Zealand Outdoors Adventure Jobs, ideal for gap years.
- Backdoor Jobs – US and Worldwide Adventure Jobs
- Natives – Ski jobs and seasonal work in ski resorts