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National Park Service

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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

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
3.0
Nov 8, 2024

Fun but Difficult to Make a Living

Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The Park Service can be fun to work for and can be good to put on a resume. If you stick with it long enough, it can provide good government retirement benefits.

Cons

For me, the cons definitely outweigh the pros. It can be very difficult to get your foot in the door even as a seasonal let alone as a permanent. To move up in GS levels, you have to move parks often, making it hard to lay down roots or build friendships. Pay isn't great either, which, in combination with having to move often, makes having a family difficult if that is on your radar. In general, there seems to be a culture of apathy that used not to exist in the Park Service, and I truly hope that can be corrected. I think some of the cons I experienced were specific to my park, but the red tape and outdated government policies are persistent throughout many parks.

3.0
Nov 6, 2024

Relaxed

Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Good benefits. Paid holidays and annual and sick leave earned

Cons

No structure, written rules or accountability

2.0
Nov 5, 2024
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Do what you love & protect the environment. Coworkers are often likeminded people who love the outdoors

Cons

Pay not at all equitable to the private sector. Management either doesn’t care about low level employees or is absent altogether or management positions are left vacant for too long. HR makes all processes inefficient and you have to practically beg multiple times to get documents, assistance, etc. from them. You are left on your own with no support.

Viewing 88 - 90 of 839 Reviews

Glassdoor has 1,142 National Park Service reviews submitted anonymously by National Park Service employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if National Park Service is right for you.