Ranked list · 30 careers

30 Outdoor Careers, Ranked by Median Wage (2026)

Ship Engineer pays the most on this list, with a median of $109,530 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025), followed by First-Line Supervisor of Police and Detectives ($106,040) and Electrical and Electronics Repairer, Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay ($103,020). Below are 30 careers that meet the criteria, each with its real median wage, outlook and entry requirement.

Careers on this list: 30From 1,731 in the bank
Median pay on the list: $80,665BLS OEWS, May 2025
Projected to grow: 23 of 30BLS EP, 2025–2035
Openings a year: 353,400Combined, BLS EP

Method

How we built this list

Occupations that spend most of the working day outdoors, exposed to weather or working under cover.

Included when O*NET work context reports most of the working day spent outdoors, exposed to weather or working under cover.
Occupations with no BLS wage or projection data are excluded rather than estimated.
The list is regenerated from source data on every bank refresh. It is not hand-picked and no editorial ranking is applied.

The list

The top 30 outdoor careers

100% of these careers already have a full profile page; the rest publish with the next tranche and show the same bank data here in the meantime.

1
1. Ship Engineer
Transportation and Material Moving
Median pay
$109,530median a year
Growth
+2.7%
Openings / yr
900
Education
Certificate
Supervise and coordinate activities of crew engaged in operating and maintaining engines, boilers, deck machinery, and electrical, sanitary, and refrigeration equipment aboard ship.
2
2. First-Line Supervisor of Police and Detectives
Protective Service
Median pay
$106,040median a year
Growth
+3.3%
Openings / yr
10,600
Education
High school
Directly supervise and coordinate activities of members of police force.
3
3. Electrical and Electronics Repairer, Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair
Median pay
$103,020median a year
Growth
+9.7%
Openings / yr
1,800
Education
Certificate
Inspect, test, repair, or maintain electrical equipment in generating stations, substations, and in-service relays.
4
4. Petroleum Pump System Operator, Refinery Operator, and Gauger
Production
Median pay
$96,710median a year
Growth
−1.9%
Openings / yr
2,700
Education
High school
Operate or control petroleum refining or processing units.
5
5. Electrical Power-Line Installer and Repairer
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair
Median pay
$95,320median a year
Growth
+10.3%
Openings / yr
10,900
Education
High school
Install or repair cables or wires used in electrical power or distribution systems.
6
6. Detective and Criminal Investigator
Protective Service
Median pay
$93,790median a year
Growth
+0.2%
Openings / yr
7,800
Education
High school
Conduct investigations related to suspected violations of federal, state, or local laws to prevent or solve crimes.
7
7. Signal and Track Switch Repairer
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair
Median pay
$92,460median a year
Growth
+1.8%
Openings / yr
800
Education
High school
Install, inspect, test, maintain, or repair electric gate crossings, signals, signal equipment, track switches, section lines, or intercommunications systems within a railroad system.
8
8. Captain, Mate, and Pilot of Water Vessels
Transportation and Material Moving
Median pay
$92,460median a year
Growth
+4.0%
Openings / yr
3,800
Education
Certificate
Command or supervise operations of ships and water vessels, such as tugboats and ferryboats.
9
9. Transportation Inspector
Transportation and Material Moving
Median pay
$92,100median a year
Growth
+2.2%
Openings / yr
2,300
Education
High school
Inspect equipment or goods in connection with the safe transport of cargo or people.
10
10. Transportation Vehicle, Equipment and Systems Inspector, Except Aviation
Transportation and Material Moving
Median pay
$92,100median a year
Growth
+2.2%
Openings / yr
2,300
Education
High school
Inspect and monitor transportation equipment, vehicles, or systems to ensure compliance with regulations and safety standards.
11
11. Transit and Railroad Police
Protective Service
Median pay
$90,230median a year
Growth
+3.2%
Openings / yr
300
Education
High school
Protect and police railroad and transit property, employees, or passengers.
12
12. Farmer or Agricultural Manager
Management
Median pay
$89,900median a year
Growth
−3.4%
Openings / yr
70,800
Education
High school
Plan, direct, or coordinate the management or operation of farms, ranches, greenhouses, aquacultural operations, nurseries, timber tracts, or other agricultural establishments.
13
13. Gas Plant Operator
Production
Median pay
$87,820median a year
Growth
−6.0%
Openings / yr
1,400
Education
High school
Distribute or process gas for utility companies and others by controlling compressors to maintain specified pressures on main pipelines.
14
14. Subway and Streetcar Operator
Transportation and Material Moving
Median pay
$86,380median a year
Growth
+3.7%
Openings / yr
900
Education
High school
Operate subway or elevated suburban trains with no separate locomotive, or electric-powered streetcar, to transport passengers.
15
15. Locomotive Engineer
Transportation and Material Moving
Median pay
$81,410median a year
Growth
+0.5%
Openings / yr
2,000
Education
High school
Drive electric, diesel-electric, steam, or gas-turbine-electric locomotives to transport passengers or freight.
16
16. First-Line Supervisor of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers
Construction and Extraction
Median pay
$79,920median a year
Growth
+5.0%
Openings / yr
67,000
Education
High school
Directly supervise and coordinate activities of construction or extraction workers.
17
17. Solar Energy Installation Manager
Construction and Extraction
Median pay
$79,920median a year
Growth
+5.0%
Openings / yr
67,000
Education
High school
Direct work crews installing residential or commercial solar photovoltaic or thermal systems.
18
18. Aircraft Mechanic
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair
Median pay
$79,870median a year
Growth
+5.4%
Openings / yr
11,400
Education
Certificate
Diagnose, adjust, repair, or overhaul aircraft engines and assemblies, such as hydraulic and pneumatic systems.
19
19. Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operator
Transportation and Material Moving
Median pay
$77,320median a year
Growth
+2.1%
Openings / yr
300
Education
High school
Operate steam-, gas-, electric motor-, or internal combustion-engine driven compressors.
20
20. Forester
Life, Physical, and Social Science
Median pay
$76,400median a year
Growth
+2.2%
Openings / yr
900
Education
Bachelor's
Manage public and private forested lands for economic, recreational, and conservation purposes.
21
21. Police Officer
Protective Service
Median pay
$76,210median a year
Growth
+3.5%
Openings / yr
51,500
Education
High school
Maintain order and protect life and property by enforcing local, tribal, state, or federal laws and ordinances.
22
22. Fire Inspector and Investigator
Protective Service
Median pay
$75,920median a year
Growth
+4.2%
Openings / yr
1,600
Education
Certificate
Inspect buildings to detect fire hazards and enforce local ordinances and state laws, or investigate and gather facts to determine cause of fires and explosions.
23
23. Surveyor
Architecture and Engineering
Median pay
$75,440median a year
Growth
+5.8%
Openings / yr
3,100
Education
Bachelor's
Make exact measurements and determine property boundaries.
24
24. Construction and Building Inspector
Construction and Extraction
Median pay
$74,690median a year
Growth
0.0%
Openings / yr
14,800
Education
High school
Inspect structures using engineering skills to determine structural soundness and compliance with specifications, building codes, and other regulations.
25
25. Control and Valve Installer and Repairer, Except Mechanical Door
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair
Median pay
$74,340median a year
Growth
+4.3%
Openings / yr
3,600
Education
High school
Install, repair, and maintain mechanical regulating and controlling devices, such as electric meters, gas regulators, thermostats, safety and flow valves, and other mechanical governors.
26
26. Telecommunications Line Installer and Repairer
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair
Median pay
$74,330median a year
Growth
−3.4%
Openings / yr
8,000
Education
High school
Install and repair telecommunications cable, including fiber optics.
27
27. Fish and Game Warden
Protective Service
Median pay
$74,060median a year
Growth
−5.7%
Openings / yr
500
Education
Bachelor's
Patrol assigned area to prevent fish and game law violations.
28
28. Pile Driver Operator
Construction and Extraction
Median pay
$73,300median a year
Growth
−5.7%
Openings / yr
200
Education
High school
Operate pile drivers mounted on skids, barges, crawler treads, or locomotive cranes to drive pilings for retaining walls, bulkheads, and foundations of structures such as buildings, bridges, and piers.
29
29. Range Manager
Life, Physical, and Social Science
Median pay
$73,010median a year
Growth
+5.3%
Openings / yr
2,100
Education
Bachelor's
Research or study range land management practices to provide sustained production of forage, livestock, and wildlife.
30
30. Park Naturalist
Life, Physical, and Social Science
Median pay
$73,010median a year
Growth
+5.3%
Openings / yr
2,100
Education
Bachelor's
Plan, develop, and conduct programs to inform public of historical, natural, and scientific features of national, state, or local park.

Questions

Outdoor Careers: FAQ

What outdoor jobs pay the most?

Ship Engineer pays the most of the 30 careers on this list, at $109,530 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025), followed by First-Line Supervisor of Police and Detectives ($106,040) and Electrical and Electronics Repairer, Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay ($103,020). Its typical entry requirement is a postsecondary certificate (BLS Employment Projections 2025–2035).

Which of these jobs don’t require a degree?

25 of the 30 have a typical entry requirement below an associate's degree (BLS Employment Projections 2025–2035). The best-paid of them: Ship Engineer ($109,530), First-Line Supervisor of Police and Detectives ($106,040) and Electrical and Electronics Repairer, Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay ($103,020).

How is this list ranked?

Occupations that spend most of the working day outdoors, exposed to weather or working under cover. Included when O*NET work context reports most of the working day spent outdoors, exposed to weather or working under cover. Every figure comes from BLS OEWS May 2025, BLS Employment Projections 2025–2035 and O*NET 31.0 Database.