 Dorm-style bunkhouses for concessionaire workers in Yellowstone National Park. |
Living and working conditions vary greatly from employer to employer. Most employees live on-site in dorm-style accommodations built for seasonal employees. Other workers live off-site in apartments with other company workers as roommates.
Luckily, most employers provide housing assistance for out-of-town hires. For example, many employers who do not provide on-site accommodations help employees locate suitable short-term housing and/or roommates in the local area. It is also common for employers to provide transportation to and from work for those employees who don't own a car. Some employers even subsidize your off-site living expenses by paying for all or part of your rent and by giving you free or discounted meals while you are at work. Read each employer profile for an idea of what to expect.
Most employers described want employees to work a full work week, which can vary from 35 to 45 hours. Most employers make a real effort to give seasonal staff one or two days off per week, which may be spent skiing, swimming, horseback riding, hiking, or pursuing any recreational activity available in the area. Seasonal employers are known for offering employees free access to their recreational facilities.
Earnings
One question everyone asks is, "How much am I going to make?!" The answer to that question depends largely on where you work. Most employers pay pretty much the same hourly wage, so how much you keep depends mostly on how much you spend! For example, if you earn $1,500 a month from wages and tips and live at a guest ranch miles away from any city, chances are you'll save more money than someone who works in a large city/resort area, who may be enticed to spend money on restaurants and entertainment.
The easiest way to earn more money is to simply ask your employer to schedule you for more hours so you start raking in those overtime hours, which are paid at 1.5 times your normal hourly rate. You may also consider taking a CPR certification course - certification is easy to get, and that extra experience is sometimes enough to boost your pay by up to 20%. You may also consider taking a bartending course - bartenders are some of the highest paid summer workers, especially in nicer resorts.
While simply working and living in a new and exciting location is compensation enough for many workers, you should be able to save at least two to three thousand dollars during your first summer by carefully selecting your job and managing your money. If you return the following year, you may also get promoted and, consequently, earn more money.
