The completion of an internship at a park or nature center is recommended. Individuals looking to secure a federal position in the highly competitive National Park Service would do best to secure a bachelor's degree with a considerable amount of course work in natural resources and apply for an internship with the federal government.
As a park ranger, you should believe in the importance of the country's park resources and the mission of the park system. If you enjoy working outdoors, independently and with others, you may enjoy park ranger work. Rangers need self-confidence, patience, and the ability to stay levelheaded during emergencies. To participate in rescues, you need courage, physical stamina, and endurance, and to deal with visitors you must have tact, sincerity, a personable nature, and a sense of humor. A sense of camaraderie among fellow rangers also can add to the enjoyment of being a park ranger.
- Active and Contemplative Religious Sisters and Brothers
- Adventure Travel Specialists
- Agricultural Scientists
- Air Quality Engineers
- Airport Security Personnel
- Ambassadors
- Amusement Park Workers
- Aquarists
- Arborists
- Archaeologists
- Archivists
- Aviation Safety Inspectors
- Bail Bondsmen
- Bailiffs
- Bank Examiners
- Bicycle Mechanics
- Biochemists
- Bioenergy/Biofuels Workers
- Biofuels Processing Technicians
- Biofuels Production Managers
- Biofuels/Biodiesel Technology and Product Development Managers
- Biologists
- Biomass Plant Technicians
- Biomass Power Plant Managers
- Bodyguards
- Border Patrol Agents
- Botanists
- Bounty Hunters
- Brownfield Redevelopment Specialists and Site Managers
- Campaign Workers
- Chemists
- Chief Sustainability Officers
- City Managers
- Civil Engineers
- Climate Scientists
- Congressional Aides
- Construction Inspectors
- Corporate Climate Strategists
- Corrections Officers
- Crime Analysts
- Cruise Ship Workers
- Cryptographic Technicians
- Customs Officials
- Demographers
- Deputy U.S. Marshals
- Detectives
- Directors of Corporate Sponsorship
- Directors of Fund-Raising
- Directors of Security
- Directors of Volunteers
- Ecologists
- Economists
- Emergency Management Directors
- Emergency Medical Technicians
- Emergency Services Dispatchers
- Energy Conservation Technicians
- Energy Consultants
- Environmental Economists
- Environmental Education Program Directors
- Environmental Engineers
- Environmental Lawyers
- Environmental Lobbyists
- Environmental Planners
- Environmental Restoration Planners
- Environmental Scientists
- Environmental Technicians
- EPA Special Agents
- FBI Agents
- Federal and State Officials
- Fire Inspectors
- Fire Investigators
- Fire Protection Engineers
- Fire Safety Directors
- Fire Safety Technicians
- Firefighters
- Fish and Game Wardens
- Flight Attendants
- Foreign Service Officers
- Forensic Experts
- Forensic Meteorologists
- Forest Fire Prevention Specialists
- Foresters
- Forestry Technicians
- Fraud Examiners, Investigators, and Analysts
- Fund-Raisers
- Futurists
- Gaming Occupations
- Genetic Genealogists
- Geological Technicians
- Geologists
- Geophysicists
- Grant Coordinators and Writers
- Green Builders
- Green Hotel/Resort Ecomanagers
- Green Products Manufacturers
- Green Transportation Careers
- Grounds Managers
- Groundwater Professionals
- Hazardous Waste Management Specialists
- Hazardous Waste Management Technicians
- Health and Regulatory Inspectors
- Historians
- Historic Preservationists
- Horticultural Inspectors
- Horticultural Technicians
- Hosts/Hostesses
- Hydropower and Marine Energy Industry Workers
- Inbound Tour Guides
- Indoor Environmental Health Specialists
- Industrial Ecologists
- Intelligence Officers
- Interpreters
- Land Acquisition Professionals
- Land Trust or Preserve Managers
- Landscape Architects
- Landscapers
- Librarians
- Lifeguards and Swimming Instructors
- Lobbyists
- Marine Biologists
- Methane/Landfill Gas Collection System Operators
- Methane/Landfill Gas Generation System Technicians
- Microbiologists
- Military Recruiters
- Military Workers, Enlisted
- Molecular and Cellular Biologists
- Museum Attendants
- Museum Directors and Curators
- Museum Technicians
- Music Venue Owners and Managers
- National Park Service Employees
- Naturalists
- Nonprofit Social Service Directors
- Occupational Safety and Health Workers
- Oceanographers
- Parking Attendants
- Parole Officers
- Pilots
- Police Officers
- Policy Analysts
- Political Consultants
- Political Scientists
- Polygraph Examiners
- Press Secretaries
- Proposal Managers
- Public Interest Lawyers
- Public Opinion Researchers
- Public Relations Specialists
- Rabbis
- Range Managers
- Recreation Workers
- Recycling and Reclamation Workers
- Recycling Coordinators
- Regional and Local Officials
- Renewable Energy Careers
- Renewable Energy Engineers
- Reservation and Ticket Agents
- Resort Workers
- Rewilders
- Roman Catholic Priests
- Secret Service Special Agents
- Security Consultants
- Security Guards
- Ship's Captains
- Ski Resort Workers
- Social Workers
- Soil Conservationists and Technicians
- Soil Scientists
- Spa Attendants
- Spa Managers
- Space Tourism Managers
- Sports Facility Managers
- Sports Instructors and Coaches
- Stadium Ushers and Vendors
- Strength and Conditioning Coaches
- Swimming Pool Designers
- Tour Guides
- Traffic Engineers
- Translators
- Transportation Planners
- Travel Agents
- Urban and Regional Planners
- Wastewater Treatment Plant Operators and Technicians
- Water/Wastewater Engineers
- Wildland Firefighters
- Yoga and Pilates Instructors
- Zoo and Aquarium Curators and Directors
- Zoologists