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 78 reviews)); "The coworkers are great and truly want to protect the cultural and natural wonders of this country." ((in 59 reviews)); "Good benefits but do not get paid enough for it to be worth it" ((in 53 reviews)); "Great work environment." ((in 29 reviews)); "It really is a beautiful place to work" ((in 26 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 90 reviews)); "Poor management training and diversity awareness" ((in 37 reviews)); "People that are in the agency have been traumatized by the poor management and leadership practices." ((in 13 reviews)); "Upper management is extremely disfunctional" ((in 12 reviews)); "Long hours and can be hard labor." ((in 12 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

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National Park Service

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 category

3.4

Culture & values

3.4

Diversity & inclusion

3.4

Work/Life balance

3.1

Compensation and benefits

2.9

Career opportunities

2.6

Senior management

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).

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

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Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Reviews by job title

839 reviews

5.0

Sep 21, 2015

Great People that truly care for our parks

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

National Park Service employees are some of the most inspiring and passionate workers I have met. These people do their job because they love informing the public about their home- their park. NPS has recently done an excellent job with the #FindYourPark campaign.

Cons

Sometimes work days can be slow and work load is light, others it is very busy.

5.0

Sep 16, 2015

great place

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

wonderful work life balance, inspirational mission

Cons

some down sides are being laid off every two years when th government shuts down

4.0

Aug 28, 2015

Amazing Place...with some improvements needed

Interpretive park ranger

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Working on the front line with any National Park Service location is a privilege beyond belief. If you consider yourself a people person, this is where you need to be. Being able to research and study familiar and new information in depth opens your horizons. When you are trained CORRECTLY in interpretation, you are able to bring deliverables to other facets of your personal life and, if you decide to leave the NPS, to new work environments. You are placed in a situation, when trained CORRECTLY, to see issues from all sides of the spectrum. The uniform. Although it can be itchy, scratchy, and made from cheap materials usually, it's a humbling experience to know that you represent nearly a century of amazing heritage.

Cons

Pay restrictions. Unfortunately, Congress CLAIMS to be thankful for the work that is done, but NPS is ALWAYS the first organization that gets ridiculous cuts when budgets become divisive national topics. You can't pay for college loans and food off of $25K a year. Benefits are not as great as people assume. Government benefits are just enough. I didn't understand just how bad they were until I left and moved to higher education. Not saying everything in higher ed is the greatest thing ever, but the benefits far outweigh the government if you are in a position lower than a GS-10. A lot of hoops to go through for more than qualified civilians. At times, the hiring practices seem incestuous and geared towards vets. Many vets enjoy what they do, but others see it not as a great interacting opportunity, but as a permanent stepping stone to get to another agency or just work for the government. Not many opportunities to move forward in the agency or transfer to other areas as a permanent.

Viewing 769 - 771 of 839 Reviews

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Great People that truly care for our parks

great place

Amazing Place...with some improvements needed

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