Is National Park Service a good company to work for?

National Park Service has an overall rating of 3.5 out of 5, based on over 1,142 reviews left anonymously by employees. This rating has decreased by 3% over the last 12 months. 42% of employees would recommend working at National Park Service to a friend and 21% have a positive outlook for the business. The best reviews about National Park Service have been left by employees working as Intern , Biological Science Technician and Seasonal Park Ranger .

Does National Park Service pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, National Park Service employees rate their compensation and benefits as 3.1 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at National Park Service. This rating has decreased by 3% over the last 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at National Park Service?

42% of National Park Service employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated National Park Service 3.4 out of 5 for work life balance, 3.4 for culture and values and 2.9 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at National Park Service?

Park Ranger (79) , Biological Science Technician (54) , Intern (32) , Park Guide (30) , Seasonal Park Ranger (27) , Interpretive Park Ranger (22) , Visitor Use Assistant (18) , Maintenance Worker (12) , Maintenance (10) , Lifeguard (9) , Project Manager (9) , Administrative Assistant (8) , Archaeologist (8) , Park Guide: GS-5 (8) , Park Ranger - Law Enforcement (8)

What are the pros of working at National Park Service according to real employee reviews?

"The people you'll work with are great and the work you'll do is rewarding." ((in 80 reviews)); "The coworkers are great and truly want to protect the cultural and natural wonders of this country." ((in 60 reviews)); "Good benefits but do not get paid enough for it to be worth it" ((in 53 reviews)); "Great work environment." ((in 24 reviews)); "Great opportunities for job diversity and protecting invaluable resources" ((in 17 reviews))

What are the cons of working at National Park Service according to real employee reviews?

"The pay is low and you'll often be told you get paid in sunsets." ((in 98 reviews)); "Poor management training and diversity awareness" ((in 39 reviews)); "Upper management is extremely disfunctional" ((in 13 reviews)); "Long hours and can be hard labor." ((in 13 reviews)); "People that are in the agency have been traumatized by the poor management and leadership practices." ((in 13 reviews))

What are the top reviewed National Park Service locations?

Washington , San Francisco , New York , Denver , Boston , Yellowstone National Park , Fort Collins , Yosemite National Park , Estes Park , Lakewood , Grand Canyon , Tucson , West Glacier , Bar Harbor , Gatlinburg , Marblemount , Lowell , Anchorage , Empire , Three Rivers , Port Angeles , Atlanta , Porter , Moab , Moose , Big Bend National Park , Rapid City , Thousand Oaks , Las Vegas , Philadelphia

National Park Service reviews

3.5

42% would recommend to a friend

(839 total reviews)

Michael T. Reynolds

28% approve of CEO

21% positive business outlook

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

National Park Service has an employee rating of 3.5 out of 5 stars, based on 839 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The National Park Service employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Government & Public Administration industry (3.6 stars).

Reviews by job title

839 reviews

1.0

Apr 30, 2026

Uplifting mission overshadowed by demoralized workforce

Biologist

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

The mission is amazing. The desire to protect and preserve natural and cultural treasures is an uplifting goal.

Cons

The people doing the work are universally demoralized and demotivated by NPS managers. There is very little trust, nearly no promotional opportunities. It is not possible to stress how happy I am that I quit after years of public service. I am also very sad that the park service is not interested in genuine talent retention or promotion.

4.0

Apr 24, 2026

Beautiful sunsets overshadowed by administrative challenges

Paleontologist

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

sunsets sunsets and more sunsets

Cons

at mercy of administration and its goals

1.0

Apr 20, 2026

40-hour weeks can't offset a toxic environment

Manager

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Usually don’t work longer than 40 hours a week

Cons

Terrible work environment. I have never been treated worse across the private sector or nonprofit sector. Bad leaders that do not care about their staff are the only people that stick around long enough to move into leadership roles and then they have an incredible amount of power to make your work life miserable. I do not recommend this environment to anyone, especially not right now.

Viewing 4 - 6 of 839 Reviews

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Jobs at National Park Service

Maintenance Worker (Seasonal)

Public Safety Dispatcher

Preservationist (Seasonal)

Yosemite National Park, CA