Megan Wright
Housing and pay can vary
Pay in the seasonal circuit varies pretty dramatically. Since I am a server, the majority of my wage comes from tips. Each state also has their own “server wage,” so I might make a fair hourly rate in California, and much lower somewhere like Utah. This extreme change in pay rate also has a huge influence on where I choose to work.
[Editor’s note: Wright has made anywhere from $10.30 to $16.65 per hour plus tips in some of her most recent jobs, according to employment contracts she shared with Business Insider. She noted that she makes most of her money in tips and makes more during busy seasons.]
We typically have employer-provided housing, which can vary on the quality. Some have really nice housing where you’re in basically a studio apartment with your own bathroom and kitchenette. Other places are similar to a college dorm with a shared hallway bathroom.
It’s a totally different lifestyle. There’s dorm-style living. You live with your coworkers, basically. You see each other every single day. There is no escape. That’s good and bad.
It’s incredibly easy to make friends in seasonal work. We’re all on this journey together and you have a deep understanding of one another. You make really close friendships. It feels more like a family. Everybody bands together and is supportive. We always joke that you’ve got to be a little weird to get into seasonal work.
I’ve known so many people who’ve met their partners in seasonal work. I met my fiancé at the Grand Canyon and he was also doing seasonal work. Now we move around to new places together. It’s nice to have a partner with you while you travel. Another perk is that a lot of these places offer couples housing.
There’s also a community of seasonal workers — we call ourselves “parkies” — who exchange information online about what the housing and food situation at different places is like.
I may not do seasonal work forever, but it’s great for now
There are some people who do seasonal work forever. Everybody is different. I don’t think that I will do this forever. My partner and I plan on settling down someday, but we’ll have to decide what that looks like.
Sometimes, I think, “Could I have an office job? Could I have a normal 9-to-5?” Maybe the answer is yes, but I would have to be near something that I find worthwhile.
But even just recently, my partner and I were driving into town, and as we’re driving, I’m looking around at the mountains and tearing up. I always say, “I hope this never gets old. I never want to wake up, look outside and be like, “Oh yeah, I’ve seen that.”