The outdoor work landscape, unknown to many, has an abundance of well paying, fulfilling and respectable job opportunities, with The Bureau of Labor Statistics expecting the number to grow to 30,813,700 by 2024. The cubicle life, suffice to say, is not for everyone. Choosing the right career is key to work happiness and fulfillment. Some people prefer walking in the woods in hiking boots and athleisure wear, the wind in their hair, over wearing a suit and sitting in an office from 9 to 5, and for these people, there are endless work opportunities out in the wild.
Forestry And Logging Jobs
The sheer volume of jobs in this particular industry is very alluring. Forests in the US cover a whopping 747 million acres. Work in this field revolves around plants and animals present in US forests. Thankfully, careers in forestry and logging are accommodating to people with all sorts of educational backgrounds, from those with high school diplomas to those with doctorate degrees. Persons considering taking up the venture, however, need to have skillful hands, stamina, and good communication skills, as well as being physically strong.
Logging is one of the many lucrative career choices available in the forestry industry, offering a median salary of $38,840, according to US News. It usually involves the cutting, processing, loading, and transportation of trees to interested parties such as sawmills. The logs can then be used as fuel, electricity poles or in the construction of furniture or cabins and log cabin homes. As far as educational qualifications go, all you need is a high school diploma. And be sure get some excellent trekking poles.
Alternatively, if you have a bachelor’s degree, you can consider being a forester or conservationist, jobs that offer a salary of about $60,970 and revolve around replenishing and protecting endangered plant and animal species, tree cultivation and adept stewardship of natural resources in your field of practice. Other jobs in the field include being a veterinarian or a post-secondary professor, both of which require a doctorate degree and pay $90,420 and $84090 respectively. Worry not if you have no diplomas or degrees. You can take up hunting or fishing jobs which require no classroom education and pay an average of $28,530.
Archaeology Careers
Careers in this field are science-focused and demanding, but very interesting and rewarding, especially if you have an innate interest in how people in the past lived. All you need is a tonne of curiosity and excellent observation, communication, and analytical skills. Work involves archaeological digs, studying and conserving samples and artifacts collected, and writing reports. Careers in the field are usually divided into three categories: cultural and linguistic archaeology, physical archaeology and architectural archaeology. Although the qualifications for these jobs are high – masters or doctorate degree – they are highly rewarding, with salaries for biological archaeologists ranging from $59,280 to $62,280. Museum conservators earn $49,120, while professors in the practice make an average of $62,330.
Farming And Agriculture Careers
Careers in this industry revolve around the production of food and other consumer goods from both plants and livestock. Like forestry, careers in this field are open to people from all educational backgrounds. Running a farm or ranch, for example, needs only a high school diploma, and pays $69620 on average. If you do not want to be stationary, you can opt to be an agricultural surveyor. Your job would require you to travel around, advising farmers on the right crops to grow depending on their soil composition, the right time to plant, ideal farming techniques, and how to fight common challenges like pests and weeds. Deep understanding of STEM subjects and a bachelor’s degree is mandatory for this. You will also partner with financial firms to provide loans for such farmers to buy land and machinery. Essentially, an agricultural surveyor’s job is to ensure farmers have productive, sustainable, protected and profitable businesses. Although still new, fresh produce developing is another career option in the agricultural industry. It involves traveling worldwide in search of new grains, fruits and vegetables, researching them and then recreating them in labs. Food scientists make up to $62,910.
Other outdoor careers include being a marine biologist, zoologist, beekeeper, tour guide, park ranger, nature photographer, firefighter, environmental scientist, landscape architect, resort manager, and regional planner, to highlight a few. Working in the great outdoors is amazing, especially if you get tired of routines and prefer each day to be different. You get to work with people from all walks of life, stay active, experience all sorts of adventure and still make money. What could be more rewarding than that?
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