Are you on the hunt for a way to make your favourite hobby your next job? Or you may want a career switch that allows you to align your drive for outdoor activities with the most adventurous careers. Whether you love to fly planes or want to spend your days hiking mountain peaks, there are countless opportunities for adventurous jobs, you just have to know where to look.
If you are seeking adventure in your daily life, look no further because we found the top 15 adventure careers you may want to pursue. Be forewarned though, there are not many options if you are looking for adventurous jobs with no experience. Still, read on to find out what you need to become a professional adventurer.
15 Adventurous Jobs
01Wildland Firefighter
Wildfires are a reality for a large part of the United States, and this seasonal work is made for adventure seekers. There are different types of wildland firefighting, from being on an engine crew, being a hotshot, or even smoke jumping. No matter the type of firefighting, it is one of the most exciting and adventurous jobs out there. All kinds of firefighting require different levels of knowledge, training, and fitness. The benefits of this job are that it is very active, you get to travel, and you’ll spend a lot of time outside.
| Qualifications: | US citizen, meet IFPM qualifications, pass work capacity test, valid drivers license, must be 18 or older |
| Skills Needed: | ability to work long hours, physical stamina to keep up with the job, work under difficult and dangerous conditions |
| Average Salary: | $33,793 |
| Pros: | seasonal, work in beautiful locations |
| Cons: | very labor intensive, can be dangerous, low income |
02Deckhand
Being a deckhand is a broad job, and in general, it means being a part of a boat crew. That means you could work on a fishing boat, be a yacht staff member, or even work on a cruise ship. Deckhands will have different job duties depending on the type of boat they work on at the time, but generally, you assist guests or other crew members. Working on a boat gives you a chance to travel in some instances, while in different situations, you get to know the water quite well and may be put in stressful or dangerous situations.
| Qualifications: | knowledge of maritime safety, ability to work in harsh climates and conditions, high level of fitness, generally good coordination skills, some certifications or naval training may be required |
| Skills Needed: | enjoy being on the sea, teamwork, good vision, critical thinking, ability to act quickly in stressful situations, adaptability |
| Average Salary: | $56,163 |
| Pros: | exciting work environment, work with a team, learn maritime skills, travel in some cases |
| Cons: | long working hours, can be seasonal, work in harsh and dangerous conditions |
03Outdoor Adventure Guide
Being an outdoor adventure guide is one of the best jobs for adventure seekers and the role can apply to various outdoor disciplines and sports. For instance, you could be a mountaineering guide, a rock climbing guide, a backcountry ski guide, or even a kayaking guide. All these different opportunities require you to have the skill set to guide other people in backcountry settings to do those activities safely. In some cases, it will be front country tours on well-traveled trails or waters, while in other situations, you will be in remote areas. These jobs are often seasonal, and the pay varies depending on your experience, certifications, and the guiding company.
| Qualifications: | certifications may be required, advanced knowledge of chosen activity, good customer service skills, ability to work in all types of weather, backcountry medical training |
| Skills Needed: | teamwork, communication, practical skills of outdoor activities |
| Average Salary: | $32,000 |
| Pros: | work outside, participate in activities you love, meet new people, travel |
| Cons: | long hours, seasonal, some guides rely on tips for sustainable income |
04Ski or Snowboard Instructor
A ski and snowboard instructors generally works for a ski resort or winter sports facility and teaches people how to ski and snowboard. You’ll have a chance to work with people of all ages and skill levels, but many ski instructors primarily work with children and beginners. In those settings, you teach them basic skills. Some instructors do have a chance to teach advanced lessons to help more experienced skiers hone their skills and apply them to new settings (i.e., backcountry skiing).
| Qualifications: | knowledge of skiing, some training or certifications may be required, basic first aid or backcountry medical training |
| Skills Needed: | know how to ski, understanding of how to teach a variety of age groups, good communication skills, patience |
| Average Salary: | $38,000 |
| Pros: | free pass to ski resort, work outside, work with a variety of people |
| Cons: | seasonal, sporadic schedule, repetitive tasks |
05Watersports or Scuba Instructor
Like any other sports instructor, being a watersports or scuba instructor requires a deep knowledge of that activity. It gives you a chance to live in a place and explore the local waters daily, which is perfect for adventurers that love being in and on the water as much as possible. Options for this may include teaching surfing lessons, water skiing, guiding tour groups on snorkeling adventures, or teaching all levels of scuba diving. You don’t have to live on the ocean to do all of these things, as some scuba instruction can be done in pools and other bodies of water.
| Qualifications: | knowledge of specific sport, certifications may be required, knowledge of oceans and currents, water safety training |
| Skills Needed: | practical skills applicable to the sport you’re instructing, interpersonal skills, communication skills, ability to work under pressure |
| Average Salary: | $37,656 |
| Pros: | work outside and in the water often, work with people, learn new skills |
| Cons: | can be seasonal depending where you live, pay may vary depending on sport and skill level |
06Skydiving or Base Jumping Instructor
Skydiving and base jumping instructors tend to have more advanced knowledge of the sport and, in some cases, may be professional athletes or come from a military background. That means that they have countless hours of training and have jumped potentially thousands of times before. These are jobs for adrenaline junkies and not ones that beginners can easily break into. They require a high level of knowledge, safety, and skill to do properly.
| Qualifications: | 18 years or older, logged 500 skydives or jumps, USPA D license, USPA instructional rating, FAA Class III flight medical certificate, minimum of 3 years experience in most areas |
| Skills Needed: | knowledge and training required to perform dives and jumps, attention to detail, high level of safety awareness, ability to instruct all learners calmly |
| Average Salary: | $40,000 |
| Pros: | go skydiving or base jumping daily, work in a variety of places, meet new people, advance your skills |
| Cons: | dangerous, requires a lot of training and certification for a somewhat low wage |
07Search and Rescue
Search, and rescue teams work in many different environments but must have the knowledge and training necessary to navigate the environment they serve. Some areas may utilize volunteers for search and rescue, while others will be full-time paid positions. These careers require a high level of medical training and knowledge of the backcountry making them one of the most high-paying adventurous jobs out there. You may work in the mountains in all seasons, or in other areas, you may perform rescues on or near bodies of water.
| Qualifications: | search and response training, medical training (varies according to area and position), SAR TECH training |
| Skills Needed: | backcountry navigation, stay calm and perform tasks in stressful situations, critical thinking and decision making, teamwork, communication |
| Average Salary: | $99,800 |
| Pros: | work with a team, visit and train in beautiful outdoor places, help people |
| Cons: | dangerous, high levels of stress |
08Park Ranger
Being a Park Ranger is an excellent career for anyone who loves state or national parks and wants to help others enjoy them. Many park rangers work directly with the public and teach classes or do tours, while others may perform tasks similar to that of a police officer but for the park service. The level of training required depends on the park ranger position and the park itself. These jobs are very secure but can be seasonal and reasonably competitive in some areas.
| Qualifications: | varies according to state, bachelor’s degree in relevant field or police academy training, additional academy training require to work for the NPS |
| Skills Needed: | interpersonal skills, knowledge of the park and natural areas, communication, teamwork, skills relevant to your specific position, basic customer service skills |
| Average Salary: | $75,000 |
| Pros: | work outside, often live in the park, generally a secure position with decent pay |
| Cons: | can be seasonal in some areas, may be understaffed in some parks, work with demanding visitors, repetitive or mundane tasks |
09Bush Pilot
Bush pilots are kind of like an air taxi and are utilized in remote areas to fly people or cargo from one place to another. They often work independently or for small companies that offer chartering services and serve isolated communities. To do this job it requires a pilot’s license and may require that you own your own plane. Since bush pilots serve isolated areas, being comfortable living remotely is a must. Another similar career path and one of the most adventurous jobs would be to work as a fighter pilot. This tends to be a job that involves much higher risk, but if flying is your go to adventure, it is worth considering.
| Qualifications: | pilots license, minimum of 500 hours of flight experience, A&P license, high-performance endorsement |
| Skills Needed: | understanding of math and physics, spatial awareness, coordination, communication, teamwork, ability to act in difficult or stressful situations |
| Average Salary: | $84,788 |
| Pros: | work in beautiful places, enjoy flying planes often, generally high paying |
| Cons: | work in isolated areas, spend a lot of time alone, can be somewhat dangerous |
10Travel Writer or Content Creator
Being a travel writer or content creator can come in many forms and allows those successful to visit, live in, and travel to places worldwide. There are many niches of travel writing and content creation, and you can pave the way for yourself in freelance writing or work for a publication that assigns you areas to cover. These fields are pretty competitive, and freelancing often takes time to build into a sustainable career. Once established, you can enjoy the flexibility of remote work anywhere in the world. If you are looking for the most action packed jobs, this may not be the one for you, but it does give you a chance to build your own schedule and essentially get paid to travel.
| Qualifications: | may require a bachelor’s degree in a related field, high level of writing skills, portfolio of work |
| Skills Needed: | writing skills, creativity, communication skills, self starter, ability to work independently |
| Average Salary: | $57,000 |
| Pros: | write about and travel to a variety of places in the world, flexible schedule, remote work |
| Cons: | can be hard to get started, pay varies |
11Storm Chaser
A storm chaser is a meteorologist performing research in the field to report on various types of storms and weather patterns. Storms that they follow may include tornadoes and hurricanes but can also be any other high-impact weather conditions. They require a relevant degree and often in-person training to perform their tasks and accurately report to the weather bureau. Many weather forecasting and warning systems rely on information from storm chasers, so data must be accurate and timely.
| Qualifications: | degree in meteorology or related field, on the job experience, SKYWARN certification |
| Skills Needed: | understanding of weather and weather patterns, problem solving, data collection |
| Average Salary: | $59,000 |
| Pros: | generally work in one area of the country, work with a small team, study weather |
| Cons: | can be dangerous, unpredictable schedule |
12Professional Outdoor Athlete
Becoming a professional outdoor athlete is an exciting field and often begins with a strong desire or passion for a specific sport. As you hone your skills and become more proficient, you may enter competitions or garner media attention that brings on the potential to make it into a career. Many athletes make their money from brand sponsors but may be employed by specific companies or agencies to do specific competitions or go on expeditions.
| Qualifications: | high level of skill in one or more outdoor sports |
| Skills Needed: | fitness, dedicated time for training, ability to travel and compete |
| Average Salary: | $51,000 |
| Pros: | enjoy a sport you love daily, work outside, travel, mett like minded individuals |
| Cons: | difficult to break into as a career, physically demanding |
13Oceanographer
Oceanographers or marine biologists study life within marine environments for various reasons. They monitor and learn about plants, animals, and other aquatic organisms, which requires them to understand marine ecosystems and have practical skills such as scuba diving to enter those places safely. Most of the time, they study these organisms to see how they relate to one another and how they interact with the ecosystem. To enter this field, you must earn at least a bachelor’s degree, but most that work in these fields either have a master’s or, eventually a Ph.D.
| Qualifications: | degree in oceanography or marine biology |
| Skills Needed: | observational skills, ability to use necessary equipment, understanding of math and statistics, research skills |
| Average Salary: | $73,800 |
| Pros: | work outdoors, research things you’re passionate about, spend a lot of time in and on the water |
| Cons: | competitive field, requires a degree |
14Adventure Filmmaker
Being an adventure filmmaker can mean a lot of different things and is often tailored to the experiences you enjoy to do yourself. Many adventure filmmakers start as athletes themselves and begin to document their experiences. They may pursue a degree related to filmmaking or learn skills on their own or from a mentor. Many adventure filmmakers start by making shorts and then enter into making documentaries about different adventure sports or expeditions.
| Qualifications: | experience or degree in filmmaking, ability to film adventure sports |
| Skills Needed: | expertise in a variety of outdoor sports and activities, understanding of filmmaking, communication, teamwork |
| Average Salary: | $15,000+ (freelance) |
| Pros: | work outside, do a job you love, travel, meet professional athletes |
| Cons: | very competitive, difficult to make full-time income freelancing |
15Outdoor Photographer
Outdoor photography is another competitive field and can mean many different things. For instance, someone may be a skilled wildlife photographer, while someone else may enjoy taking photos of adventure sports or even focus on landscapes. Finding your niche within photography in outdoor spaces is an excellent place to start, and then from there, it takes time to build a client base or sell work to publications. You may work as a freelance photographer or for specific companies or publications.
| Qualifications: | portfolio of work, knowledge of photography |
| Skills Needed: | developing photographic style, research skills, editing, knowledge of outdoor places, communication skills to work with clients |
| Average Salary: | $41,000 |
| Pros: | do what you love, work outside, work alone or with clients |
| Cons: | can be difficult to make it a full-time career when freelancing |
