Would you like a job that allows you to spend most of your time outdoors instead of sitting behind a desk? Fortunately, there are opportunities to earn a good salary while enjoying the sun. Here are five great careers for hippies, free spirits, and outdoor enthusiasts that let you work outdoors:
1. Park warden
2. Chemical or geological oceanographer
3. Wildlife biologist
4. Archaeologist
5. Landscape architect
1. Park warden
With 417 national park sites in the United States, there must be people willing to watch and care for the 84 million acres. This is where the park rangers come in.
These individuals are required to take on several roles in national parks and historic sites, including serving as law enforcement, dealing with injuries, and providing information to guests. They also help ensure that parks and sites are well maintained, report any abnormal behavior of visitors and animals, and indicate if there is an increase in natural disasters, such as fire.
Best of all, it all requires you to spend a ton of time outdoors. So much so that parks warn would-be rangers that they will have to endure all kinds of weather and temperature conditions. Better to like the cold and the heat!
- Average salary: $ 40,168 per year
- Education requirements: A bachelor’s degree in forestry, wildlife management or environmental science is generally required. Any additional training in something like emergency medical services could help both find employment and increase in the level of remuneration. Additional on-site training, similar to other patrol careers such as policing, might also be required.
- Potential career growth: The exact details of ranger employment prospects are unclear, but the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that careers in forestry and conversation will increase by 5% by 2029. An important reason for the continued need for rangers is to help prevent forest fires.
2. Chemical or geological oceanographer
If your ideal day is diving in the ocean or putting your toes in the sand, you might want to consider an outdoor career as an oceanographer. Not only are you outside for several days to several months at a time, but often in the open sea.
Oceanographers can have a variety of tasks, such as studying the changing chemical composition of the ocean and seabed or the movement of tectonic plates. You might specialize in currents and tides or volcanic activity. The options are endless, as long as you love the ocean. In addition, you could get a job in the government that could eligible for a student loan forgiveness.
- Average salary: $ 70,426 per year
- Education requirements: You will need a bachelor’s degree in a related field, such as marine biology, marine geology, biological oceanography, hydrology, geosciences, etc. In addition, an internship with fieldwork is usually required and training in research and computer science to complement mathematical calculations and data entry.
- Potential career growth: Oceanographers encompass so many specialized careers, so it’s a little difficult to pinpoint an exact career growth prospect. But, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said employment for geoscientists is expected to increase 5% by 2029. There is an ever-growing need for energy and environmental protection. Various institutions, both public and private, continue to seek ways to promote responsible management of natural resources.
3. Wildlife biologist
While we’ve already covered you for a list of careers for animal lovers, there is a job for animal lovers who also love the outdoors. A wildlife biologist visits combine these two passions by studying animals and their habitats.
Daily tasks may include studying the physical characteristics of animals, their behaviors, their impact on humans, and what they do to the environment. Most of this work cannot be done sitting behind a desk. It takes a lot of time outdoors in natural animal environments to observe and collect data.
- Average salary: $ 50,757 per year
- Education requirements: You will need a bachelor’s degree for entry-level positions in this field, but having a master’s degree is typical for higher-level scientific work. If you really want to conduct a study for a university, a doctorate. is necessary.
- Potential career growth: According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the employment of wildlife biologists is expected to increase by 4% by 2029. Wildlife populations evolve and change, creating a demand for people to study them. Unfortunately, the budgetary constraints of government agencies can limit funding for such research.
4. Archaeologist
Calling all real life Indiana Joneses! Okay, Harrison Ford might not play you in a movie, but you can still spend a lot of time outdoors studying ancient cultures.
As an archaeologist, you will research the physical traces left by our ancestors to better understand historical languages, past behaviors and lifestyles. This happens all over the world and may involve fieldwork to examine these objects and locations. You could find a job in a research organization, government agency or private research firm.
- Average salary: $ 56,498 per year
- Education requirements: You need a masters or a doctorate. in anthropology or archeology. Field experience in either discipline is also important.
- Potential career growth: Unfortunately, the employment of anthropologists and archaeologists is growing more slowly compared to other occupations. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that the field will grow 5% by 2029. But it warns that the field may be competitive due to the large number of applicants for jobs.
5. Landscape architect
Do you know all those neighborhood houses and parks with perfectly preserved plants? Well, someone has to come up with the design.
Before landscapers can come and plant trees, there has to be a landscape architect to make the whole vision a reality. This can range from designing campus grounds and parks to landscaping around businesses and private homes.
Like any architect, it takes a while for an office to draw up plans. But, there is still a decent amount of time spent outside on the actual job site chatting with clients and watching the project come to life. It’s a great career if you love design, drawing and art, but would rather be in the wild than a studio.
- Average salary: $ 73,970 per year *
- Education requirements: To be a landscape architect, you need a license. This licensing process varies by state, but generally requires you to have a bachelor’s degree in landscape architecture, practical internship experience, and a passing score on the landscape architect registration exam.
Potential career growth: According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment in this field is expected to decline a little (by 2%) by 2029 due to technological developments. But even if the field narrows slightly, developers of new commercial properties and old renovated properties will continue to need landscape architects.
So whether you love the ocean, animals, or trees, there are careers for hippies or any type of outdoor enthusiast. The main thing in common: No costume or discussion with a water cooler is required. If this sounds appealing to you, search on job sites like Indeed or LinkedIn with these titles and see where some outdoor career opportunities lie.
*Average salaries are based on data available from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and Wage scale.
Rebecca Safier contributed to this report.
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