It looks like you are using an ad blocker. That's okay. Who doesn't? But without advertising revenue, we can't keep making this site awesome. Click the link below for instructions on disabling adblock.
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!
Ive been thinking about the future and the future of my skiing when im older, and was wondering what jobs that you can actually make a living off of that give you alot of time to ski.
work road construction. sucks in the summer 75+ hour weeks but layed off in the winter checks in the summer are easy 1k or more a week and 400$ unemployment in the winter
You can pretty much live anywhere you want and generally work 3 12's. That leaves 4 days a week for skiing. Also lot of resorts are hiring them as well for ski patrol or in their medical facilities.
^ That's what I do. You can make bank if you are good and you work at a resort that generates a lot of ski school students. Entry level base pay is usually $10 - $15/hr + tips. Once you gain certifications and experience, as well as solid clients that know how to take care of you, you can easily make $15,000 - $20,000 in a season (roughly 5 months). When the season ends, find a summer gig in the ski town you live in or fly to the southern hemisphere and keep teaching.
There are plenty of jobs that afford you the opportunity to ski. This is one of the few where you get paid to ski. Pretty awesome if you ask me.
Oh and best tip?? $900 for 9 kids for 6 days (double what I got paid through the mountain). They had never seen snow when they met me and by the end of the week they could all very comfortably ski groomed blue terrain. Obviously this is the exception, not the norm. Most tips average between $10-$20 per student, per day (if that).
SwitchMisty540^ That's what I do. You can make bank if you are good and you work at a resort that generates a lot of ski school students. Entry level base pay is usually $10 - $15/hr + tips. Once you gain certifications and experience, as well as solid clients that know how to take care of you, you can easily make $15,000 - $20,000 in a season (roughly 5 months). When the season ends, find a summer gig in the ski town you live in or fly to the southern hemisphere and keep teaching.
There are plenty of jobs that afford you the opportunity to ski. This is one of the few where you get paid to ski. Pretty awesome if you ask me.
Oh and best tip?? $900 for 9 kids for 6 days (double what I got paid through the mountain). They had never seen snow when they met me and by the end of the week they could all very comfortably ski groomed blue terrain. Obviously this is the exception, not the norm. Most tips average between $10-$20 per student, per day (if that).
Too bad im awful with kids, i guess ill go with brocka flockas idea and become a prostitute
All depends on the person. What you want to do, how much you're looking to work, and what your definition of livable wage is.
For me it's Terrain Park Crew. I get to ride everyday, build features I want, set them up how I want, take laps through and test stuff, on the hill everyday, and I make enough to get by.
Not rich but I've gotten paid to ski/snowboard for 12/13 seasons. Free pass, money for gear, discounted food, an excuse to be on the hill all the time, and enough money to live on.
Work in an on hill ski shop. I work a nine to five and ski before and after work and at all my breaks. Pay isn't all that but I'm friends with reps so great expenses are almost non existent.
theabortionatorAll depends on the person. What you want to do, how much you're looking to work, and what your definition of livable wage is.
For me it's Terrain Park Crew. I get to ride everyday, build features I want, set them up how I want, take laps through and test stuff, on the hill everyday, and I make enough to get by.
Not rich but I've gotten paid to ski/snowboard for 12/13 seasons. Free pass, money for gear, discounted food, an excuse to be on the hill all the time, and enough money to live on.
+1 for park crew
just gotta find the right mountain to do it at
Guggswork road construction. sucks in the summer 75+ hour weeks but layed off in the winter checks in the summer are easy 1k or more a week and 400$ unemployment in the winter
This. In MN you get $42 an hour minimum working road construction. I also get paid this when I go do construction staking for my company. My highest ever take-home pay for 1 week doing that was $2059 for about 65 hours.
Another good one is civil engineer or CE technician (which is what I do). Because we're often working on highway or utility projects, we are usually much busier in the summer when construction is happening. In the winter we still have design work to do, but we can swing a much more flexible schedule once the snow flies.
goonsquadjust gotta find the right mountain to do it at
Ain't that the truth. You never really know how things will turn out till you start working somewhere but I'm definitely being a lot more selective of where I go these days. Definitely took a few tries to find a mountain where things working real smooth.
.otto.Too bad im awful with kids, i guess ill go with brocka flockas idea and become a prostitute
Find the local cougar hang out.
ShastafarianOwning your own business or any job where you don't have to be there 9-5 that makes a lot of money...duh.
definitely not this. owning your own business is a bloody hard gig that takes soo much time. Plus you need the capital to get set up, which can be hard to get in the first place when you're trying to ski all the time.
Well either option a find a job that pays really well in the summer time and comes with a seasonal layoff so you can get Ei 900 every 2 weeks for the winter if you get enough hours.
I no some people who manage to get jobs as mechanics working full time but with an evening shift 3-11 so they can ski all day and then go to work and have 3 days off a week to ski full time. Not perfect but you make real good money and still ski more then 90% of the full time working pop
Almost every ski resort has a hotel on it. Hotels are 24/7/365 operations and typically have a substantial turnover rate in seasonal areas (ski towns). This makes it easy to get your foot in the door, and if your worthy, creates opportunity to move into positions that pay better. It's also nice having a steady year round job instead of worrying about how to get by in the off-season.
I work 4 10,s at an arena, 3 day weekend every week and it's Sunday Monday Tuesday off. It's not the weeked but hey gotta look on the bright side, no crowds, good parking! Chill days.
Health care. Nursing, respiratory therapist. Lots of jobs, great pay. You can work different shift lines. Some people work 5 days a week, some three, some casual and pick up shifts when they want. Live anywhere. Oh, and meet a ton of interesting fun girls at work.
SwitchMisty540you can easily make $15,000 - $20,000 in a season (roughly 5 months).
80% of people who work in the ski industry make less than 10k a year from the ski industry.
and lets do the math on your 15-20k figure: 5 months, 10 paychecks. to make 20k you need to make 2k a pay check. that's $1,000 a week which is $25/hour.
shit the military isnt that bad of a gig and be able to ski a lot.i work a mids shift. (2300-0700) and during the winter i ski every morning and have the Mtn to myself just about during the winter. only down side you could get a shitty base where it don't and shit.
SwitchMisty540Once you gain certifications and experience, as well as solid clients that know how to take care of you, you can easily make $15,000 - $20,000 in a season (roughly 5 months).
Possible if you put the time and effort into it, like he said. The problem lies within recruiting though. With so many wannabe instructors who will probs do a single season before heading off to uni, employers can take their pick of newbies at minimum wage. Very few people ask for a lvl 3 or higher instructor when booking a lesson. This keeps the average ski instructors wage around minimum. There's plenty of perks though like accommodation, lift pass, discounts and even meals out and drinks brought for you!
swanydHealth care. Nursing, respiratory therapist. Lots of jobs, great pay. You can work different shift lines. Some people work 5 days a week, some three, some casual and pick up shifts when they want. Live anywhere. Oh, and meet a ton of interesting fun girls at work.
last_tangoServer at a high end restaurant. Ski till 2:30-3ish and work at night.
Even though serving sucks BBC, I think it is the best for a ski schedule. I served for a couple years for that reason alone. You can even set your schedule to working doubles Friday-Sunday which are the busiest days on the hill and ski Monday-Thursday when everybody is at work! Also more time for pow days.
I have a much better job now though that allows more than enough ski time.
PimpHandsdefinitely not this. owning your own business is a bloody hard gig that takes soo much time. Plus you need the capital to get set up, which can be hard to get in the first place when you're trying to ski all the time.
You misunderstand. Owning a business isn't the same as managing a business that doesn't have enough start up capitol. It's all about paying someone to fulfill what you want to have done and hiring someone that is better than you. Yeah you have to marry your business in some situations but if you have more start up capitol to begin with that makes a huge difference.
Ag pilot. Make 60,000+ for a few months worth of work in the summer. Then find a good part time job through the winter that allows you to ski the hours you'd like.
There's also a lot of great jobs in forestry and firefighting that you can make great money through the summer, and allow you to have winters off.
A lot of good points here. I feel like I should chime in and say some stuff since I've been doing this for 7 years in Colorado:
- Chefs dont start at 4pm, til 2pm, and thats cutting it close, still not bad
- Ive worked in the hotel business, and this is a great option, especially since you can full time year round, the hardest part is the slow season, yeah people talk shit about living in breck but our slow season we actually make money unlike Jackson Hole and Crested Butte's slow season where your pretty much begging for money
- the 80 % comment under 10k in the ski industry is true but there are ski instructors that get paid 30 an hour plus tip and crush it in privates....however they are in their 50s and have worked their way up
- Working 65 hours a week construction in the summer....thats some godam dedication right there, ive worked 32 days straight maybe pushing 55-60hours at times but i never hit 65 consistently, thats hard labor man. I mean shit talk about no life, your gonna be tired as fuck everyday
- Go the real life option and make a ton of money to buy a 2nd home? Well consider high altitude and overall ability, if you can afford use your 2nd home and get 20, maybe 30 days in a season, it will more thank likely be the busiest time of year and you will have to acclimate to the altitude cause yoru probably not in the best of shape since you make 100k a year. Quality or quantity at that point...
- Ive worked in the fine dining restaurant industry and thats a def a good option. Keep in mind your schedule will always be changing and its not always a solid 40 hour a week job
- Basically the best job in the ski industry is far from it, unless you want to be IN THE industry - example being a magazine, ski company brand ( clothing rep, sales, marketing) - and plan on partying a lot more than skiing....
-Resort industry jobs like marketing and operations do not allow for ample ski time and usually boring and too corporate
Theres a lot of good responses to this topic. The best option is whatever you think it, not what others say. On that note, I work in the golf business.....far from the ski industry. Good luck
THE40HOBARTA lot of good points here. I feel like I should chime in and say some stuff since I've been doing this for 7 years in Colorado:
- Chefs dont start at 4pm, til 2pm, and thats cutting it close, still not bad
- Ive worked in the hotel business, and this is a great option, especially since you can full time year round, the hardest part is the slow season, yeah people talk shit about living in breck but our slow season we actually make money unlike Jackson Hole and Crested Butte's slow season where your pretty much begging for money
- the 80 % comment under 10k in the ski industry is true but there are ski instructors that get paid 30 an hour plus tip and crush it in privates....however they are in their 50s and have worked their way up
- Working 65 hours a week construction in the summer....thats some godam dedication right there, ive worked 32 days straight maybe pushing 55-60hours at times but i never hit 65 consistently, thats hard labor man. I mean shit talk about no life, your gonna be tired as fuck everyday
- Go the real life option and make a ton of money to buy a 2nd home? Well consider high altitude and overall ability, if you can afford use your 2nd home and get 20, maybe 30 days in a season, it will more thank likely be the busiest time of year and you will have to acclimate to the altitude cause yoru probably not in the best of shape since you make 100k a year. Quality or quantity at that point...
- Ive worked in the fine dining restaurant industry and thats a def a good option. Keep in mind your schedule will always be changing and its not always a solid 40 hour a week job
- Basically the best job in the ski industry is far from it, unless you want to be IN THE industry - example being a magazine, ski company brand ( clothing rep, sales, marketing) - and plan on partying a lot more than skiing....
-Resort industry jobs like marketing and operations do not allow for ample ski time and usually boring and too corporate
Theres a lot of good responses to this topic. The best option is whatever you think it, not what others say. On that note, I work in the golf business.....far from the ski industry. Good luck
swanydHealth care. Nursing, respiratory therapist. Lots of jobs, great pay. You can work different shift lines. Some people work 5 days a week, some three, some casual and pick up shifts when they want. Live anywhere. Oh, and meet a ton of interesting fun girls at work.
This guys got it figured.
Also, if you live in western Canada, get into the trades, specifically industrial. After 3-4 years of basically free education where you get paid for most of the year, you can work 8 months a year in northern Alberta and easily make 100k+ and then ski for the next 4 months. Once you get old and are no longer interested in skiing that much you can get a gravy maintenance job.
THE40HOBART-Resort industry jobs like marketing and operations do not allow for ample ski time and usually boring and too corporate
this is probably true among the highly competitive, corporate-owned resorts in CO but will vary wildly depending on the market and location of the resort.
"i got into the ski industry to ski more, then i got out of the ski industry to ski more"
KravtZMake a lot of money so you can afford a ski house and take vacations to go ski...they dont call it a rich white mans sport for nothihng
Can you shut up already? In every thread on this topic, "You need a million+ a year and 3 ski houses because it's a rich white mans sport"
HeisenburgCheck out Norway, min wage just over $22!
1 krone is only equal to .16 USD. So 22 would be worth about $3.50 in the states.
ShastafarianYou misunderstand. Owning a business isn't the same as managing a business that doesn't have enough start up capitol. It's all about paying someone to fulfill what you want to have done and hiring someone that is better than you. Yeah you have to marry your business in some situations but if you have more start up capitol to begin with that makes a huge difference.
Do you know anything about business? Do you understand how hard it is to start a business and make it successful? But you're going to fuck off and ski and find somebody that you can afford to do everything that the business needs? Somebody who cares about it succeeding as much as you? Good luck making that happen on a new business. If you can do it good for you, I'm only pointing out that that isn't at all realistic for most small businesses.
momsspaghetti80% of people who work in the ski industry make less than 10k a year from the ski industry.
and lets do the math on your 15-20k figure: 5 months, 10 paychecks. to make 20k you need to make 2k a pay check. that's $1,000 a week which is $25/hour.
good luck with that.
Ski instructors are among the highest paid employees in the winter resort industry. I suspect that the other 20% that earn more than 10k are comprised of instructors, resort employed bar tenders, heavy machine operators, year-round middle management, and C-level executives.
Go back and read the entire post. After you put in your time and earn advanced certifications (e.g. PSIA Level 3, Child Specialist, Adaptive Accreditation, etc.) it is quite possible to earn $20-$25/hr. That is your base rate for teaching group and private lessons. You can also earn time-and-a-half for teaching in a foreign language, teaching special needs students, and teaching request private lessons (i.e. a student specifically requests you by name). Factor in tips and it is rather easy to pull in $15,000-$20,000 in a season. But you have to work for it. Those desirable lessons that pay extremely well are rarely handed over to rookies. They are reserved for the veterans that have put in their time.
Is this the norm? No. At no point did I imply that it was. Entry level instructors will most likely bring in $10-$15/hr and will struggle to work 40hrs/wk. They might even be lucky to work 25/hrs in a week. But if you are a great instructor and you put in your time to establish steady clients that come back year after year, it is quite possible to make enough money to get by only working half of the year. On top of that you receive a free pass, discounts all over the resort, and you can usually get free or severely discounted tickets at other resorts all over the country.
NinetyFourAg pilot. Make 60,000+ for a few months worth of work in the summer. Then find a good part time job through the winter that allows you to ski the hours you'd like.
There's also a lot of great jobs in forestry and firefighting that you can make great money through the summer, and allow you to have winters off.
A lot of AG pilots are starting to be replaced by farmers who figure it is cheaper to invest in sprayers themselves. And most pilots are privet contractors and therefor have to invest in their own aircraft (A good $600,000) and all the fuel and spray. While I personally would love the work, I don't think it would be very profitable in itself.
theabortionatorDo you know anything about business? Do you understand how hard it is to start a business and make it successful? But you're going to fuck off and ski and find somebody that you can afford to do everything that the business needs? Somebody who cares about it succeeding as much as you? Good luck making that happen on a new business. If you can do it good for you, I'm only pointing out that that isn't at all realistic for most small businesses.
I'd say I know a little bit about business. Can it be very hard to start a business? Yes. Do you have to put in a lot of time? 9.5 times out of 10, yes. I deal with business owners all the time in the financial industry, for one of my jobs. It's very realistic for small business owners to build a business that doesn't need crazy maintenance, I'm working on it right now and I see it happen 5 days a week at the ski shop that I also work at. Owner comes in, runs the numbers, goes to the bank, checks if the store or employees need anything and then he's out. 2 hours a day, 4-5 days a week. He's on vacation right now actually. He has it figured out, everyone I work with has a ridiculous passion for what they do, me included. We all know more than him in our respective departments. Yes, it didn't happen over night but I'm taking notes. The guy has 3 kids a wife, owns a ski shop, and can literally not show up for a year and everything would be fine. He's seen more live music and breweries in this country/state than most and skis whenever he wants, not to mention the mountains that give the shop free passes. I for one, have taken another job in the financial industry because the money is ridiculous and I can build up residual income so that I can step away and go skiing whenever the hell I want. Hell there's several guys in town that have taken out loans, bought a business and paid a guy to run it, they pay off their loan, then do it again, and again and again. Or they buy a franchise, expand it, pull in the dough, and/or sell it, with minimal time taken away from skiing since they're buying into a company that has a proven system that works where the owner doesn't have to be there everyday and/or all day.
If you want a J O B then be a server at a high end restaurant or bar tender or the biggest distributor of herb in your ski town. Hell even some ski techs are able to ski freshies and then come into work in the afternoon and bust out the shop work for the day. But tip money is where it's at when you're ski bumming. Or just straight up panhandle the tourists if you're in a ritzy ski town.
