Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between park aides and park rangers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a park aide and a park ranger. Additionally, a park ranger has an average salary of $40,801, which is higher than the $28,379 average annual salary of a park aide.
The top three skills for a park aide include GRASS, general grounds and various maintenance. The most important skills for a park ranger are patrol, customer service, and CPR.
| Park Aide | Park Ranger | |
| Yearly salary | $28,379 | $40,801 |
| Hourly rate | $13.64 | $19.62 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 41,113 | 2,380 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 47% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A park aide is an administrative or grounds support staff in a park whose duties will vary according to the department in which they are posted. Park aides working in customer service interact with visitors to guide and give information or tour guides. Those working on the grounds may be assigned conservation and recreational duties or cleaning, while those in administration will be responsible for a variety of administrative roles such as working on outreach programs, visitor registration, or revenue collection.
A park ranger is responsible for maintaining and protecting the natural ecosystem landscape and coordinating with environmental organizations to develop strategies and programs to stabilize the condition of the lands. Park rangers conduct data analysis and research to improve agricultural integrity by utilizing adequate resources through scientific testing and investigations. They monitor the activities of landowners and other businesses that may pose risks to the environment. A park ranger should have excellent communication and organizational skills, as well as extensive knowledge of environmental programs and conservation.
Park aides and park rangers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Park Aide | Park Ranger | |
| Average salary | $28,379 | $40,801 |
| Salary range | Between $22,000 And $35,000 | Between $22,000 And $72,000 |
| Highest paying City | Las Vegas, NV | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | Delaware |
| Best paying company | Washington State University | National Park Foundation |
| Best paying industry | Hospitality | Government |
There are a few differences between a park aide and a park ranger in terms of educational background:
| Park Aide | Park Ranger | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 47% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Most common major | Environmental Science | Criminal Justice |
| Most common college | Stanford University | SUNY at Binghamton |
Here are the differences between park aides' and park rangers' demographics:
| Park Aide | Park Ranger | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 56.5% Female, 43.5% | Male, 66.2% Female, 33.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 0.8% Unknown, 3.2% Hispanic or Latino, 2.5% Asian, 1.4% White, 90.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3% | Black or African American, 0.5% Unknown, 2.9% Hispanic or Latino, 2.2% Asian, 1.4% White, 91.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |