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National Park Service

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Very Poor Pay Creates Arrogant Elitism Contrary to stated "Diversity" Goals - Resource Professional National Park Service Employee Review

2.0
Nov 19, 2021
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Gorgeous place, but as an employee there summed it up: "You love it but then spend the rest of you career there working too hard and becoming too overstressed to enjoy it." Park takes advantage of its limited specialized employees -- almost like an anti-union cheap-labor corporation -- to run you to the ground because the very well-off who run it don't believe its important that you should remain healthy -- they literally don't understand what it means to receive a low salary when you've labored and invested years and tens of thousands in obtaining experience and earning and paying for an advanced degree as a genuine working person. Yet it remains a VERY white upper-"middle"-class management staff, despite a claim to "seek diversity."

Cons

Here's the thing: Yosemite National Park has NO housing for more than fifty miles outside the Park and rents are skyrocketing towards $3000. The San Francisco Regional office -- which gets the highest housing allowance and thus the highest pay in the nation --- is absolutely fine with the fact its Yosemite employees get the LOWEST salaries. Result: only the upper-"middle"-class/wealthy/and/or children of the very well off can afford to stay there, so there is an elitist attitude about the very citizens the Park should be hiring and serving. I have a family member whom I also must care for and we are a single-income family -- absolutely no care or understanding from management. And my jaw has dropped in awe the ONLY two times I have actually witnessed an African American working at the Park! Do white upper-middle-class managers really believe they represent "diversity" simply because many of them are women...????!!! If only they knew what it is like to genuinely work - actually labor -- to raise yourself up from near poverty your entire life, and then pay off a loan to obtain an advanced degree to try to gain some level of success.

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5.0
Jun 2, 2026
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Pros

Very interesting job in great place

Cons

Pay was low for the area

4.0
Jun 28, 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
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Pros

Great to be with so many mission driven folks

Cons

The current state of funding has serious effects

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