Member of the Month

KilaTsunami
October, 2024

Online

Welcome to the Newschoolers forums! You may read the forums as a guest, however you must be a registered member to post. Register to become a member today!

Park Managers Pay

profile picture
Coalescent
Posts: 4871 - Karma: 2,063

Quick question for park managers out there.  If you wouldn't mind pm'ing me, can you provide me what you make and if your year-round full time or seasonal.  I know it's personal, but it would be a huge help to my current situation.

Thanks!

Aug 18 2010 1:58PM
0 0
profile picture
hemlockjibber8
Posts: 5975 - Karma: 3,530
when i did it I made $19/hour. that was until the GM found out and gave me a pay cut. Apparently I was making more then everyone except the senior managers and the head cat mechanic. It was not year round work.

moral of story: Ski hills underpay
Aug 18 2010 2:09PM
0 0
profile picture
Coalescent
Posts: 4871 - Karma: 2,063
LOL.  Mountains don't pay well, but you do it for the job.
Aug 18 2010 2:37PM
0 0
profile picture
Elmo.
Posts: 4317 - Karma: 663
and you usually get free skiing
Aug 18 2010 5:08PM
0 0
profile picture
Coalescent
Posts: 4871 - Karma: 2,063
To explain, I'm already the park manager.  Graduated from Penn State with a bachelors of science in marketing.  Trying to stay in the industry.  Been working at my mountain for the past 5 years.  Park manager last year, and the previous two years was the marketing assistant and events coordinator.  Trying to figure out what would be a good wage to ask for.  Helps to know what others in the industry are getting paid.
Aug 18 2010 5:13PM
0 0
profile picture
Wolvmatt.
Posts: 529 - Karma: 12
My grandpa is a ski instructor at copper (for elderly beginner skiers), and he doesn't get paid shit.  All he gets is a free season pass and a couple free day tickets.
Aug 18 2010 5:24PM
0 0
profile picture
steweperks
Posts: 222 - Karma: 137
I feel the pay rate will depend on multiple aspects of your job skills/exp. Your background will have an influence, can you make snow? Can you fabricate rails/boxes? Do you have grooming/park grooming exp? How much focus does your resort put on parks, is it a big draw or more just to have one to say they have one? Amoung other things but these are the big ones, yes it's true ski resorts pay vs. the work load don't line up in our favor but the more you can do within your job will have a direct effect on pay, all be it on the lower side. Learn to become a Jack of all trades
Aug 20 2010 7:21AM
0 0
profile picture
Pipe_Munky
Posts: 10888 - Karma: 2,184
You will more than likely make better money staying with the marketing/events coordinator job. Jobs like that are typically year round and pay better. When it comes to a job like Park Manager, most hills know there are tons of people that want that job and more than a few that will do the job for less than you.
Aug 20 2010 2:45PM
0 0
profile picture
montanan
Posts: 1787 - Karma: 1,346
pennies, son, pennies, dont do that job for the money
Aug 20 2010 3:11PM
0 0
profile picture
Coalescent
Posts: 4871 - Karma: 2,063
yeah. thanks kurt. you taught me how to build jumps at cutters camp this year. well a very small takeoff lol. pretty much do everything. luckily we have a great builder at our mountain so im just learning the ropes of a cat. the management and events is the easy part i think.
Aug 20 2010 7:42PM
0 0
profile picture
bdarb207
Posts: 3057 - Karma: 438
getting paid to ski park all day.. can't put a price on that.. i got a degree in ski resort mngt and my parents are still asking me this question 'what will you make' and every time i tell them ill get by and i wont want to kill myself when i wake up in the morning for work. park crew is whats up. you have to pay your due's somewhere in this industry might as well be hitting some rails while you're at it. like he said learn everything, being a jack of all trades will put you up for the better paying jobs when they're available.. people in this industry aren't in it for the money and if you are you picked the wrong field haha


also stowe parks are illyyy kurt
Oct 29 2010 6:40AM
0 0
profile picture
Coalescent
Posts: 4871 - Karma: 2,063
Hey! I'm actually glad you bumped the thread! ^.

My situation got a lot better. I was awarded a raise that I can actually live on. I'm being used for other operations other than just park and opportunities are opening up within due time.

Pay your dues. I've been at my mountain for the past 5 years holding various positions. Having a bachelor's degree and getting paid what I do can suck, but when I go to work everyday, can make ends meet and love what I do, like you said, the feeling can't be replaced.
Oct 29 2010 8:57AM
0 0
profile picture
SnowRidgeParks
Posts: 2146 - Karma: 88
Amen brother, couldn't have said it better myself. Cheers.
Oct 29 2010 10:22AM
0 0
profile picture
grambo
Posts: 1125 - Karma: 93
If you want to stay in the industry and use your education I would be trying to move into the marketing side at a larger resort. Less time on snow but you might actual earn a decent salary at some point in the future ($50k+). You won't want to make $15/hour when you are 30.
Oct 29 2010 1:40PM
0 0
profile picture
pghjibber
Posts: 1298 - Karma: 329
mammoth put up an ad recently looking for a terrain park manager that listed the salary range as 55-73k annually depending on experience...
Oct 29 2010 1:48PM
0 0
profile picture
RAWLAN
Posts: 1209 - Karma: 50
holy shit
Oct 29 2010 1:58PM
0 0
profile picture
SnowRidgeParks
Posts: 2146 - Karma: 88
Not surprising. We're talking a world class resort with world class parks, you need to have world class talent in order to obtain that job. This means you should be paid the best. With that said, unless you are the best in the world at designing and building terrain parks, you will not be paid anywhere near this haha.
Oct 29 2010 6:49PM
0 0
profile picture
TijmenDal
Posts: 4849 - Karma: 1,295
50k-70k a year isn't that much if that means they get a sick park. 50-70k is NÓTHING for a ski resort. Just think of how expensive lifts and snowmaking are.
If the 70k means they'll have one of the best parks in the US, they'll earn that money back EASILY!

But yeah, being a park manager must be awesome :)
Oct 29 2010 7:05PM
0 0
profile picture
gpitcher
Posts: 2626 - Karma: 1,691
alright so im in lower michigan and our season is about 4 months, and the hill is real small but the park is big, our park manager makes 20k a season
Oct 30 2010 12:00AM
0 0
profile picture
ski-swagga
Posts: 5276 - Karma: 219
what hill??
Oct 30 2010 12:28AM
0 0
profile picture
gpitcher
Posts: 2626 - Karma: 1,691

Alpine Valley, White lake, Michigan

Oct 30 2010 11:44AM
0 0
All times are Eastern (-5)