According to a study by SkiPatrol.net, Ski Patrollers are among the lowest paying workers in America. Along with Lifeguards, Recreational Protective Services (RPS) workers make less than 97% of US professions, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

From SkiPatrol.net:

It’s important to note that 90%+ of ski patrollers that are also National Ski Patrol members in the US take no compensation for their work, and do not appear in this category of the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The compensation of those 20-25,000 or so patrollers shows up under their “day jobs” as doctors, nurses, business executives, lawyers, public safety workers and virtually every other profession on the list. The Department of Labor statistics provide detail on 1,394 jobs, with “Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers” as one of those categories.

Our analysis used Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics most recently published data from 9 October. The mean hourly rate (average) for the category including patrollers was $10.05. The median hourly rate (the mid-point of all wages reported) was $9.16. This means that most paid patrollers make closer to $9.16 than $10.05.

Where the statistics review annual wages, it is for workers that identify themselves primarily as Patrollers and other RPS Workers, and those wages likely include non-ski patrol work off season. The average annual salary was $20,890 around the US, with a median annual salary of $19,040. According to the findings, most paid workers in this category earn closer to $19,000 than $22,000 on an annual basis. The 90th percentile of annual salary around the US was $29,170, meaning 90% of all paid ski patrollers make less than $29,170. It’s worth noting that since a large percentage of workers in this class are lifeguards, who tend to be young seasonal workers and are generally less trained than patrollers from a medical perspective, the average may be a better measure than the median. But as you can see in the chart above, even using the average, it is clear that most paid patrollers do not earn what would be considered a living wage.

When you see where this falls within the context of all jobs in the US labor force, it is clear that there is a disconnect between the training and value provided by patrollers and the compensation they receive.

For perspective, the 12 positions that are directly above patrollers on the pay scale are:

Graders and sorters of agricultural products

Manicurists and Pedicurists

Farming, Fishing and Forestry Occupations

Food Preparation Workers

Parking Lot Attendants

Childcare workers

Locker Room, Coat Room and Dressing Room Attendants

Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners

Short Order Cooks

Garment Pressers

Non-Farm Animal Caretakers

Retail Sales Workers

In fact, patrollers and other recreational protective service workers rank 1,363rd on the compensation list of US occupations out of a total of 1,395. You have to go up a few hundred positions to reach the “Emergency Medical Technicians and Paramedics” category. EMTs and paramedics had median annual compensation of $31,270, with 90% making under $54,710; and the level of training for those professionals working in much less hazardous environments is equivalent to just one of the many skills required to work as a ski patroller. Certainly there are other factors at play.

The seasonal aspect of patrol work plays a role in low annual compensation, but it is also among the lowest of all workers on an hourly basis. The most competent patrollers love to ski and are among the best skiers, so getting paid a low wage to do what they love to do in a place they choose to live and work is one reason. A small segment of paid patrollers even travel to the southern hemisphere to work off-season, where their compensation would not likely be reported in US compensation statistics. Likely the most significant factor, however, is that the US has a unique, mostly volunteer, ski patrol system. The vast majority of patrollers take no monetary compensation for what they do, and when costly patroller uniforms and gear, medical supplies, transportation and other self-funded expenses of volunteers are factored into the mix, it’s one of the most expensive volunteer jobs there is. This unique set of circumstances has the economic effect of keeping wages for paid patrollers artificially low, even at resorts that don’t utilize the services of volunteers.

The average age of ski patrollers in the US is now over 50, indicating that younger candidates are unwilling to accept either the low wages noted above for paid patrollers, or the non-financial remuneration offered by resorts in the form of free passes and discounts on food and gear for volunteers that some resorts offer. With dog walkers, coat checkers and parking lot attendants making more than paid patrollers, it’s no wonder that the average age of patrollers around the US continues to rise. The seemingly endless acrimony at the NSP exacerbates the situation and will continue to fuel the departure of good patrollers that are not being replaced in the system.

As volunteer numbers dwindle, so does the good will, safety and seemingly ubiquitous support they offer resorts in service to guests. And with this loss of the most experienced patrollers, also comes the loss of their diverse knowledge base and skills. In the not too distant future it will likely start to impact many aspects of mountain operations, including insurance rates and the business models of resorts nationally. This shift will negatively impact the smallest resorts first, since they tend to depend most on the services of volunteers. Even resorts that don’t employ volunteers will be affected, since volunteers are a significant factor in artificially depressing paid patroller wages, and the volunteer patroller ranks act as a feeder system for highly competent paid patrollers.

Read the full article at SkiPatrol.net.