Are you searching for a sense of adventure and intensity in your career? Then these jobs, all of which involve the outdoors, might be for you. Here are 10 dangerous careers in nature:
1) Wildlands firefighter
Being a wildlands firefighter is possibly one of the toughest and most intense jobs out there — it involves a lot of carrying heavy things, and hiking up steep slopes and mountains to fight forest fires. A forest fire is a lot bigger than a typical house fire, and way harder to contain. But wildlands firefighters are out there saving thousands of trees (like Tentree), animals, and people — they’re true heroes.
Interested in jobs working with animals? Here’s 5 wildlife-based careers that require no college degree.
2) Sky-diving instructor
Sky-diving instructors aren’t only going to be outdoors for their job, they’ll literally be falling through fresh air constantly. Sky-diving may be a dangerous job, but it pays off: you get to meet a lot of new students, teach them the ropes, and have an endless amount of adventures in the sky.
3) Fisherman
This may not seem like a big deal, but fisherman have it pretty tough. In addition to being in the middle of the ocean, vulnerable to sea storms, sharks, and isolation, fishermen have to do a lot of heavy lifting and mechanical labor to achieve their ends. Then again, you get to see the world and learn the ways of the sea.
4) Volcanologist
While it might be terrifying and dangerous living and working practically on top of an active volcano, many volcanologists believe they have the best jobs ever — because they get to live in exciting, beautiful, and exotic places like Iceland and Hawaii. These scientists are able to predict when and how volcanoes are erupting, which gives them the chance to prepare people and save their lives.
5) Rescue Teams
Whether you’re part of the Coast Guard or you work as a rescuer on snowy mountains, you’ll be braving the elements to save lives. Being part of a rescue/search team involves thorough knowledge of the regions you cover, being able to brave weather and rocky terrain (or water), and a sense of courage and determination.
6) Adventure Tour Guide
This is likely one of the best jobs in the world, because you get to take people hiking, rafting, camping, and elephant riding, among numerous other things. Have you ever wanted to ride camels, go skiing, or lead jeep safaris in the desert? As an adventure tour guide, you can do all of these things for free (though it may be hard work).
7) Commercial Divers
If you’re not afraid of diving deep under the water’s surface, and you’re between the ages of 18 and 35, then you might be fit to be a commercial diver. These guys (and gals) dive deep underwater to perform mechanics for the offshore oil industry, nuclear power plants and bridge and wastewater treatment repair. This is a demanding job that involves a lot of welding and mechanical work, but it’s pretty cool to be among the fish every day; your office view will definitely be unique.
8) Wine Vineyard Worker
You may have dreamed of running off to Europe to become a worker on a vineyard after college, but maybe it’s the right fit for you. If you love being outdoors, don’t mind working under the sun every day, and hard manual labor, then go out and find a winery worth working at! Plenty wineries in California and Europe will be nothing short of beautiful.
9) Scenic Helicopter Pilot
Becoming a scenic helicopter pilot might be a dangerous job, but it will afford you the chance to see some beautiful places both from afar and close-up.
10) Tornado/storm Chasers
Perhaps the scariest outdoorsy jobs are those of storm chasers. For most chasers, witnessing a tornado is the ultimate goal; but they’re happy with rolling alongside thunderstorms or other types of storms, getting out of the car to shoot photos or film, then escaping just in time.
