Also called: Mountaineering Ranger, Backcountry Rescue Ranger
Patrols high mountains like Denali and Mount Rainier and rescues injured climbers.
Climbing rangers spend weeks on glaciers, teaching climbers safety, cleaning up camps, and leading high-altitude rescues with helicopters. It's one of the most extreme ranger jobs in the National Park Service.
Federal pay; often seasonal.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
High school diploma, about 4 years after high school. Extensive mountaineering experience, EMT, and rescue training.
Ways in: On-the-job training, Certification. Training cost: Under $15k.
Majors to look at: Outdoor Education, Kinesiology, Natural Resources.
Growing slowly. Tiny field.
Low risk for 10 years. Better forecasts and satellite messengers help; glacier patrol and high-altitude rescue stay human.
Classes: PE / fitness, Earth science, Health / first aid.
Official data: O*NET occupation 33-9099.
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