Ten Great College Majors for Outdoor Lovers
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If you’re reading this, you have probably stumbled upon my humble blog because we share a love of the outdoors. We want to hike, climb, and travel in the wilderness. For many, the dream is to drop everything we’re doing and escape to the woods.
Unfortunately, not all of us can live the dirtbag dream. Some prefer to have money, eat good food, and sleep in a house. For those folks, there is college.
Fortunately, there are plenty of jobs out there that let you do both. You can both work, and play outdoors, while still leading a comfy lifestyle. For those who are young and naive like I am, I have compiled a list of the Ten Best College Majors for Outdoor Lovers.
Related: Looking for a Side Hustle? Click Here For Out List of Dirtbag Side Hustles
Wildlife Biology/Zoology
Wildlife Biologists, much like zookeepers, get to hang out with animals all day. Unlike zookeepers, wildlife biologists study animals from afar, while zookeepers lock up Chimpanzees in enclosures that encourage them to throw their feces at guests.
Wildlife Biologists get to sleep in a tent every night, while Zookeepers return to a warm home purchased with an oppressor’s salary.
A Wildlife Biologist, as the name implies, is a Biologist that specializes in studying wildlife. Contrasted with a cellular biologist, who may spend a lot of their time in a lab, a Wildlife Biologist gets to venture into the field to study and monitor animal behavior.
They may study large populations, an individual animal, or anything in between. These researchers may find themselves in mountains, desert, forests, jungles, and oceans throughout the world.
Wildlife Biology programs can be found throughout the United States. Many careers in this field fall under Academic and Government institutions, such as universities, labs, and land management agencies. Though a wildlife biologist primarily focuses on animal behavior, they may also incorporate the study of weather, geology, and statistics into their work.
Personally, I don’t think I could make it studying wildlife. I would get too distracted by all of the delicious majestic animals.
Wildlife Biologist/Zoologist Pay
The good folk at Recruiter.com state that the average annual salary for a wildlife biologist is right at $60,000. According to their handy graph, those employed under the government earn more than any other sector. Get yourself a cushy government job studying California Condors.
Park Ranger LEO Training
Combining the best parts of being a cop with the best parts of being a National Park Service employee is a park ranger LEO (Law Enforcement Officer). Law Enforcement Rangers are the uniformed individuals often seen riding around in police cars, and wearing cool Stetson hats.
A Park LEO’s job is to enforce the rules of the park, as well as to protect both its visitors, and the park itself. If any of this sounds appealing to you, consider undergoing training to become a Law Enforcement Ranger.
LEO Rangers are employed by multiple land management agencies, including the National Park Service (NPS), the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), as well as state and city parks.
To become an LEO Ranger, one can enroll in a Seasonal Law Enforcement Training Program (SLETP). SLETPs are certificate programs designed to teach all the skills and knowledge required to become a Law Enforcement Ranger. These programs can be found at colleges and universities throughout the country.
Most SLETPs last two semesters, and a graduate will be awarded a certificate. Other skills and experience that can be used to become a ranger is prior experience in law enforcement, military service, and a relevant degree, such as criminal justice. Often times, this certificate couples well with earth science degrees, such as environmental studies, or forestry.
Park Ranger Pay
According to Payscale.com, Law Enforcement Ranger Salaries range from about $29,000 to $90,000 per year, with the median being somewhere in the mid $40’s. The salary likely varies when factoring in experience, training, schooling, location, and employer.
As most park rangers work at the federal level, they will often fall under the government service pay scale. Most entry level federal employees start around GS-4. Promotions and increases in pay can be had with further training, education, and experience.
Geology
Geology, the study of rocks, is the mother of all Earth Sciences. To most, a rock is a boring piece of nature, not worthy of much attention. To a geologist, a rock forms a piece of a puzzle, that when solved, tells of a grandiose story dating to the beginning of the universe. The story of time is long, and the patient geologist may only focus on a small piece of the puzzle.
The work of this realm can prove both meticulous and frustrating. Still, as soon as one steps back, the spectacle of time makes it worth it. Geologists deal in billions of years, uncovering ancient earths when the planet was fire, ice, and desert. They soon recognize that human time, our measure of the passing of things, is minuscule, unimportant. We are insects, subject to the will of continents, oceans, and stars.
On a lighter note, geologists get to make corny jokes like: “That’s some Gneiss Schist”, and “Hey Babe. I can make your Bedrock.”. Joke around and distract yourself. It may lessen the existential dread.
Geologist Pay
Geology may be the highest paying career on this list. A geologists salary, depending on the nature of the work, can prove very fruitful. Oil and mining companies regularly shell out six figure salaries to geologists on their payroll, and pay often goes up with addition training and education.
Other sectors, like government and non profits, usually pay less, but can offer great benefits and retirement packages.
According to Payscale.com the median salary for geologists is $59,000. The reported entry level pay for a bachelor level geology degree is more than $90,000, and increases with more education.
This rivals many lucrative STEM fields, like computer science, and engineering. If you like being outside, traveling, and want to come home to a comfortable middle to upper middle class lifestyle, then I highly recommend Geology.
Related: Need a good hiking backpack for school use? I wrote up a list of the best hiking backpacks for college students.
Nursing
At first, nursing may not seem like an obvious choice. Typically, a nursing job will not have you spending a lot of time outdoors. Instead, nurses will be tending to patients in a hospital or clinic setting.
Yet, when one looks at the pay, benefits, and flexibility that the nursing field offers, the appeal to the outdoor lover becomes more apparent.
A typical nurse works a non-conventional schedule. Instead of a 9-5, many nurses work long shifts three to four days of the week. This leaves extra long weekends for your favorite outdoor activities.
Though this schedule sounds awesome, it is important to keep in mind that working days often call for 16-20 hour shifts. If that does not immediately turn you off, then read on.
A growing subset of nursing gaining popularity amongst the outdoorsy set is Travel Nursing. A traveling nurse will work at assigned hospitals, typically for multiple months. In that time, they often receive a living stipend, as well as a hearty salary.
To become a travel nurse, a nurse needs to sign up with a travel nursing agency. Once registered with an agency, the agency will seek out assignments for that nurse throughout the country.
Travel Nursing assignments are temporary, and it provides a good way for nurses to travel domestically while still balancing their lifestyle and career.
The dirtbag inclined (read: van/car dwelling) nurse will find this career path extra bountiful when they find that they can just pocket their living stipend.
Nursing Programs can be found throughout the country in both public and private universities, as well as community colleges. Education can range from the professional certificate level of CNA (certified nursing assistant) to the Nurse Practitioner at the doctorate level.
The future outlook for the nursing field is very positive. It is said that as baby boomer aged nurses begin to retire in larger amounts, a nursing shortage is coming about.
The result is a higher demand for nurses, leading to better pay, and more leverage in choosing how you want to work.
In this high tech age with the advent of AI and more advanced robotics, there is a fear that many current jobs will be lost to automation.
According to this Fortune.com article nursing, as well as other healthcare jobs, are some of the least susceptible to being replaced by automation. Fear not, new nurses, for you are still in demand for the foreseeable future.
Nursing Pay
Depending on amount of education, location, and the nature of the work, a nursing salary can range from a solid, middle class level pay, to the low six figures. According to Payscale.com the average hourly rate for an RN (a “mid-level” nursing degree) is $29 per hour, which roughly equates to a salary of $56,000 per year.
Generally, this rate increases with education. When factoring in the flexible schedule of a nurse, the work and lifestyle balance may couples well with this salary.
Travel Nurses are said to make more than a “stationary” nurse, especially when factoring in the housing and living subsidies that they often receive.
Software Engineering and Web Development
Like Nursing and Freelance work, Software Engineering, Web Development, and other fields in Tech are not initially seen as being outdoor friendly. A tech worker is often depicted as sitting hunched over a computer screen, coding all hours of the day in a dark room. This stereotype is often far from the truth.
Many tech workers eschew this image. Instead, they take their jobs on the road. From internet cafe’s, coffee shops, and libraries, people telecommute to work.
The age of the internet has allowed many to work entirely location independent. This new class of worker has been dubbed Digital Nomadism.
Workers in many professions can make the transition to digital nomadism, but Web and Software developers are often the most readily location independent jobs. Some work freelance web development jobs, while others have established a remote position with their office job.
The modern dirtbag has evolved from its humble roots. Instead of eating discount cat food, today’s rock climbing, river rafting dirtbag makes six figures, all while living in their sprinter Van. Sounds like the life to me.
The typical computer science college curriculum will have the student learn coding and computer science theory, as well as relevant mathematical concepts. Nearly every college offers some sort of Computer Science program.
A freshly graduated CS student can land a comfortable job at a tech giant like Google or Facebook, a promising startup, or maybe a big corporation. Income often increases with education, and tech workers holding graduate degrees make the big bucks.
Before going full digital Nomad, it is often helpful to gain experience in the field. Pay off your student loans, make connections, build a strong CV. All of this will prepare you for your work on the road.
Don’t wanna major in CS? Not interested in going back to school? Consider a coding boot camp, or many of the free coding courses available online. Code boot camps are intensive programs, typically lasting no more than a semester.
During that time, the boot camp student will learn everything they need to land a job in the tech field. Many graduates of coding boot camps have found themselves in sweet tech jobs.
For an accurate depiction of the life of a coder, watch the 1995 film Hackers starring Angelina Jolie and Johnny Lee Miller.
Software Engineering and Web Development Pay
Here you are, having landed your first coding gig, and making six figures. Your pay can only go up from here. Living the life, you put a down payment on a new Tesla (can you live in a Tesla?). This is the typical life of a newly minted tech worker. They make the big bucks. Their skills are in high demand, the Information Age is in full swing.
Software Developers and their Ilk are easily the highest paid professionals on this list. The average pay for a software developer is a whopping $105,000. Many developers are given plenty of bonuses and stock options in their company, pushing their pay ever higher.
Dirtbags making this kind of cash can live like royalty, or save a bunch and retire early. Of all the jobs on this list, this is the one most likely to make you rich.
Outdoor Education and Guiding
Outdoor Education is an umbrella term for a number of fields encompassing everything from wilderness therapy to expedition leadership. While there are few collegiate programs that actually offer this sort of degree, there are educational institutions elsewhere that offer this sort of training. One such organization is NOLS, which may be the world leader in offering training in Outdoor Education.
Established in Lander, Wyoming in 1965, NOLS began offering backpacking and mountaineering courses in the nearby Wind River Range. Since then, NOLS has expanded its operations all over the world, and now offers expedition courses ranging from rock climbing, to whitewater rafting, to cultural immersion.
NOLS also offers wilderness medicine courses, and their popular WFR (Wilderness First Responder) course has become the gold standard amongst the guiding and outdoor education community. For a better look at the NOLS wilderness medicine program, check out the article I wrote about my experiences in the NOLS WEMT program
Another organization that offers Outdoor Education and training is Outward Bound. More specific schooling can also be had. The AMGA offers guide level certifications for rock climbing, mountaineering, and alpinism. Another popular certificate is Swiftwater Rescue, in which you are taught rescue skills in a whitewater scenario.
If you are interested in starting a career in guiding, outdoor education, or wilderness therapy, enrolling in one of these programs can give you the skills and knowledge you need.
Truthfully, relevant training is not always required to be a guide. In my own short stint in the guiding life, I got in simply by bothering my boss for a job. Still, the training, skills, and experience offered by NOLS and other programs will help you edge out the competition.
Outdoor Education and Guiding Pay
The field of Outdoor Education, in my opinion, is the most fun and rewarding job that I have listed. Unfortunately, that also comes with trade offs. Your typical boots on the ground field instructor does not get paid very well.
Many times, their pay is toe to toe with minimum wage. For all the effort, stress, and long hours that is required of field instructors and guides, their compensation can seem lacking. It is rare that full time guides see any additional benefits, making this line of work a poor choice for long term employment.
Many guides and outdoor educators do not stay in their position for long. Some guides move into managerial positions with better pay and benefits, while others only guide seasonally, and work elsewhere during the rest of the year.
Those who do choose to do field work full time often do so because they really really love their job. They get paid in sunsets, as they say. Many full time guides do not maintain a rental or home. Their meager pay starts to add up when they don’t have any living expenses.
Guide pay can vary by field. Private guides often more than make up for their pay in tips. Grand Canyon River Guides, for example, have been known to take home thousands in tips on top of their daily base pay. Private ski guides for the ultra rich are often compensated very well indeed.
Environmental Studies
Having trouble deciding your field of study? Do you just love all the earth sciences? Why pick just one, when you can major in Environmental studies, and study all of them!
An Environmental Studies curriculum often incorporates the best parts of Geology, Biology, Forestry, Climate Studies, and more! Environmental Studies majors often spend long amounts of time outdoors, studying the natural world. One class may have you studying local aquatic invertebrates, while another may have you collecting soil samples. Environmental Studies will prepare you to fit in a number of scientific roles, most often focusing on Earth Sciences.
The jobs available for an environmental studies major are numerous and diverse. These can include becoming a soil scientist, oceanographer, a sustainability coordinator, a recycling manager, and plenty of others. You’ll probably find that careers in environmental science often overlap and work alongside many of the other jobs on this list.
If you are anything like I was in undergrad, then you are having a lot of trouble deciding on a major. Luckily, environmental studies is a fair compromise,and is a good choice if you want to work in the great outdoors.
Environmental Studies Pay
This is a hard question to answer, as the pay is about as diverse as the career options. To get a better idea of what you can expect to make, look to specific fields.
Archaeology
Archeology is the study of ancient stuff. More specifically, an archeologist will find themselves in the field digging up old stuff, and then studying it. It is an interdisciplinary subject that can incorporate elements from many different fields of study, including history, anthropology, geology, paleontology, and many others.
Much of an archeologists work is done outdoors. They may be digging up Mayan ruins in Guatemala, excavating lost Egyptian tombs in the Sahara desert, or combing through a civil war battlefield. If you are one with an urge for travel, and a strong interest in history, archeology may be the major for you.
At most schools, Archaeology will fall under the Anthropology department. As an undergrad, your curriculum may entail visiting and even working in active dig sites. Many of the jobs in the field of Archaeology fall under the academic or government sectors.
Professors and Graduate students probably make up the bulk of employed archaeologists. If you are not interested in being an academic your whole life, consider that schools often pay to have their researchers sent to dig sites in far off, often remote lands. Archaeology offers great opportunities to get outside, while learning more about human history.
Archaeologist Pay
The average pay for an archaeologist in the United States is $58,000. Entry level pay starts at $27,000, and peaks around $82,000. The proportion of part time and full time jobs in archeology is split down the middle, at roughly 50-50 for each.
Still have an itch to dig, but not interested in going through all the schooling necessary to become a professional archeologist? Consider volunteering at active dig sites.
A volunteer archaeologist gets all the fun of crawling around in the dirt with a brush and trowel, with none of the tedium of cataloguing, photographing, and cleaning that a real archaeologists does.
Freelance Blogging, Photography, and Writing
The 9-5 rat race isn’t for everyone. Not everyone wants to spend their work life under the thumb of an employer. Some of us would prefer to dictate our own path. If you have a creative bone in your body, then consider Photography and writing.
In this day and age, creatives are able to carve out a career path for themselves as bloggers, photographers, and writers that allows them to travel, and explore the great outdoors.
With hard work and a good hustle, anyone can break their own trail in this field. Basic photography skills can be learned with little training, and minimal equipment. These days, smart phone camera image quality is beginning to rival that of more conventional cameras. As digital editing software becomes ever more advanced, amateur photographers are finding it easier to create professional level photographs.
Some say that journalism is less relevant today than it has ever been before. Yet, creative writing is still thriving, and many make a living with blogs, websites, and social media.
Personally, I hope to one day make a decent side income with my own blog, and utilize it to become more location independent. Such is the dream.
By combining these two skills, a blogger can create an interesting, informative, and pleasing webpage that attracts users. With enough web traffic, it is possible to harness that into an income. The challenge lies in attracting people to your blog.
Majoring in either or both of these fields can give you a strong foundation to build a blogging income. Being able to compose photos, and write attractive articles are two important skills in this line of work.
Freelancer Pay
The pay in this field can vary greatly. Many bloggers make a full time living, while others make little to no money. It all depends on the quality of your content, and your drive to work hard. Many bloggers make solid six figure incomes off of their blogs, while others make a few dollars per month.
To others, blogging is a fun writing project, where any income is secondary to their creative outlet. As an outdoor adventurer, you should find plenty of inspiration to create interesting and compelling blogs.
There are many ways to monetize a webpage. Two of the most popular methods are affiliate marketing, and banner ads. With creativity and clever marketing, there are plenty of more ways to turn your blog into an income.
Many write supplementary e-books, and others use their blog to market their own products. A common saying amongst bloggers and online marketers is that “content is king”. Meaning that as long as you create meaningful, interesting content that adds value to your readership, then you will create traffic. As long as the blogger has steady traffic, then they will always find a way to monetize it.
That being said, don’t let dollar signs get in the way of your content. Don’t try and create articles that are full geared to attract readers. Your readers will see how disingenuous your writing is, and all of your efforts will be for not.
Forestry
The traditional image of the Lumberjack is a hirsute, masculine gentleman wearing flannel and touting a heavy axe. Lumberjacks like to chop trees, eat pancakes, and become spokespersons for paper towel brands. Folk heroes like Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox come to mind.
Long gone is the romance of these tree men. These days, lumberjacks come in all shapes and sizes, and are no longer limited to hairy men, but hairy women too. They are better known as foresters, and they have traded in their axes and knit hats for tape measures and hard hats.
In a way, they are sort of like the carpenters of the forest, but instead of chopping trees down, they are monitoring the health of the forest and also sometimes chopping it down. Before this analogy become too convoluted, you should know that Foresters study forests.
Typically, a forester can be seen walking through the woods, using specific tools and instruments to measure things like trunk width, slope, erosion, and ground cover density. They’ll wear hard hats, and work in forests throughout the world.
Many Forestry Majors find work as wild land firefighters. Though tough, wildland firefighting can prove to be both rewarding and fruitful.
In school, a Forestry Major should expect a heavy emphasis on general biology, as well as forestry specific field courses. You will need to memorize many different plant species, and become handy with field data collection techniques. Like many others, forestry can be a multi disciplinary field that incorporates knowledge from other studies.
As a bonus, many Forestry schools operate a Logging Sports Team (shoutout to my alma mater!). If you like cutting wood, and then competing against other people who also like to cut wood, then Forestry may be for you.
Forestry Pay
As of April 2018, a forester can expect to see a median annual income of $67,000. Personally, I expect this to only increase. As drought and climate change begin to affect the western United States, the demand may go up.
If you choose to go the wild land firefighter route, expect to rake in a decent chunk of change every season. According to the Penny Hoarder, Wildland Firefighters can make in the neighborhood of $40,000 per season. The fire season typically lasts 4-6 months, and many wildland firefighters use the rest of the year to work other jobs, go to school, or travel. Sounds pretty rad to me.
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