Parks and Public Lands

There is a wide range of jobs on parks and public lands in this country, but their numbers depend on the economy and the priorities of Congress, the president, and state and local government budgets. In recent years, many state and local governments have reduced their spending and cut funding to parks. The result has been a greater dependency on volunteers to help staff parks.

The greatest difficulty in getting jobs in this field is the stiff competition for them. Although most jobs in parks and public lands are not very high paying, they are quite secure and are considered very desirable by people who enjoy working outdoors or with the various elements of the natural world.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), the number of jobs for conservation scientists is expected to grow by 6 percent through 2033, which is faster than the average for all occupations. The DOL says that "heightened public interest in issues involving the environment, such as protecting wildlife habitats and preserving water supplies, will create demand for conservation scientists." Opportunities will be best at the local and state levels, due to tightened federal government budgets. Employment for foresters is expected to increase about as fast as the average for all careers through 2033. The DOL expects fire prevention, management, and restoration to be the primary tasks of these employees in the coming years. "With the increasing numbers of forest fires and of people who live on or near forest lands, foresters and conservation scientists will be needed to mitigate growing humanitarian and environmental impacts of forest fires," according to the DOL. Foresters will also find job opportunities with private forests or companies that are utilizing the land to obtain timber and pellets. Foresters and conservation scientists with strong knowledge of geographic information system technology, remote sensing, and other software tools will have the best job prospects.

Another common job in the park system is groundskeepers, and it is one job in the industry that is expected to grow at a good rate. The DOL says the number of groundskeeper jobs will increase by 5 percent through 2033, which is about as fast as the average. Although this category includes workers of landscape companies, the DOL does say that a factor leading to the increase is the number of new urban parks that are being developed in large cities throughout the country.

Wildlife biologists or specialists will have about average employment growth of 4 percent through 2033. The DOL says that some wildlife biologists are "expected to be needed to help combat the loss of biodiversity caused by human activities, as well as to research climate-driven ecosystem changes. These workers also may be needed to develop and implement conservation plans to reduce threats to animals and protect natural resources." Although the number of wildlife biology jobs is dependent on government funding, which has been less than in past years since the mid-2000s, there are also more areas of cities that are expanding beyond their borders, affecting the local wildlife at area parks and creating the need for these workers.

Environmental scientists and specialists will have strong job growth, 7 percent, through 2033. The population growth has placed increased demands on the environment, and environmental scientists and specialists will be needed by state and local governments to analyze environmental problems and develop solutions to ensure the health of communities. Businesses will also need environmental scientists and specialists to help improve their operations, reduce waste, prevent pollution, and conserve resources.

Another job that has a positive outlook is that of the recreation worker or educational program employee at parks. The DOL expects the number of these jobs to increase about as fast as the average for all careers through 2033. As mentioned, most opportunities for these workers occur at state and city parks, but they may also find good opportunities during the summer for special camps.

Other good opportunity in parks and public lands will be found in environmental education as managers of these lands continue to educate the public about their importance and benefit to the communities they serve.