15 Outdoor Jobs that Let You Avoid the Cube and Enjoy the Summer

TweetPin It  

• August 6, 2012
• By Annie Favreau
• 8 Comments

Looking for a cool job? Check out Black Enterprise’s Cool Jobs section for profiles on, well, some cool jobs!

With summer in full swing, sitting in a florescent-lit cubicle all day can feel like you’ve been banished to an especially dark corner of Hades. So if you’re feeling the sunshine blues, you might consider ditching Desk Job Nation to head for a career in the great outdoors.

Outdoor jobs offer incredible perks: beautiful natural settings, physical activity and lots of fresh air. But these awesome benefits are often paired with major drawbacks: tough competition, dangerous environments and teeny tiny paychecks.

However, that doesn’t mean you can’t combine your passion for the great outdoors with a lucrative career path. Here are 15 jobs that get you out of the office and boost your earnings:

1. Botanist

As a botanist, you study the wide world of plants by collecting specimens from nature, conducting research in greenhouses and examining flora in your lab.

Average salary range: $34,000 – $102,000

2. Park Naturalist

As an expert on the environment, you lead walks, discussions and classes to teach people about the small piece of Mother Nature that’s in your park.

Average salary range: $36,000 – $89,000

3. Environmental Engineer

In this role, you perform outdoor fieldwork and indoor research to develop engineering solutions to ecological problems.

Average salary range: $49,000 – $119,000

4. Turf Manager

Working at the intersection of sports and agriculture, you’re the one out and about getting grass fields ready to go for the big game.

Average salary range: $27,000 – $68,000

5. Geologist

You can enjoy plenty of fieldwork under the big blue sky as you unlock the secrets of the earth by studying its history and physical structure.

Average salary range: $44,000 – $161,000

6. Athletic Trainer

Swap a cubical for a sports field as you help prevent injuries during practice or help pro athletes heal when they’re in pain.

Average salary range: $26,000 – $64,000

7. Arborist

For this in-demand job, you spend your days in the treetops, helping leafy giants by removing limbs that are diseased, dead or knocking down power lines.

Average salary range: $20,000 – $48,000

8. Wildlife Rehabilitator

Stay on your toes and out of a traditional office while caring for injured animals before releasing them back into the wild.

Average salary range: $21,000 – $44,000

9. Construction Manager

Running the day-to-day action on a construction site keeps you exposed to the elements (both good and bad!) from 9 to 5.

Average salary range: $50,000 – $150,000

10. Commercial Diver

Exchange your button-downs and briefcase for a wetsuit and scuba mask to make underwater repairs, perform research or uncover waterlogged evidence.

Average salary range: $32,000 – $90,000

11. Forest Firefighter

Only you can prevent forest fires. No really, it’s true: in this job, you battle fires to keep humans and nature safe from wayward flames. It’s tough, but it’s not a desk job.

Average salary range: $23,000 – $75,000

12. Surveyor

Creating precise records of a land area’s measurements means you’re out under the wide-open sky all day long.

Average salary range: $31,000 – $90,000

13. Archaeologist

To study past cultures, you uncover ancient relics at outdoor archaeological digs or underwater excavation sites.

Average salary range: $31,000 – $89,000

14. Landscape Architect

Enjoy the fresh air as you design the location of pathways, trees and green spaces around buildings.

Average salary range: $37,000 – $102,000

15. Vineyard Manager

Trade in the water cooler for a bottle of wine as you oversee the process of growing grapes and turning it into vino fit for the gods.

Average salary range: $29,000 – $107,000

What’s your top pick for best outdoor job?

All salary data is from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Annie Favreau works for Inside Jobs, a site that helps people discover careers they’ll love and find the education to make it happen. Join the conversation on Twitter at @InsideJobs!

Brazen Life is a lifestyle and career blog for ambitious young professionals. Hosted by Brazen Careerist, we offer edgy and fun ideas for navigating the changing world of work. Be Brazen!