Department of the Interior

Seasonal Park Ranger (PSAR) Wilderness

Yosemite National Park, California Full time

Seasonal Park Ranger (PSAR) Wilderness

Department: Department of the Interior

Location(s): Yosemite National Park, California

Salary Range: $19.42 - $31.28 Per Hour

Job Summary: These positions are located in Yosemite National Park, in the Division of Visitor and Resource Protection. The typical seasonal entry-on-duty period for Yosemite National Park is April to May but can be variable during these months due to weather conditions, project needs, or funding. Anticipated Entry on Duty: April 2026. Open to the first 250 applicants or until 12/22/2025 whichever comes first. All applications submitted by 11:59 (EST) on the closing day will receive consideration.

Major Duties:

  • The Pacific West Region is recruiting for TEMPORARY seasonal positions not to exceed 1039 hours work in a service year. Dates of employment will vary depending on funding, weather conditions and visitation. Within regulatory limitations, the length of initial appointment may be shortened or extended depending on work availability and funding. These positions are in the division of Visitor and Resource Protection. Incumbents are assigned to the Preventive Search and Rescue (PSAR) program under Yosemite Emergency Services. PSAR rangers are based in the Yosemite Valley with patrol locations throughout the park. The PSAR program aims to reduce injuries and fatalities in Yosemite through public outreach, including social media, formal presentations, and relevant and timely signage. PSAR rangers conduct informal public outreach while on day hikes, overnight patrols, and staffing information tables. Rangers provide visitors with information on current conditions, help with trip planning, and discuss potential safety concerns. They help enforce park regulations through education. PSAR rangers also provide oversight for the daily activities of PSAR interns and volunteers. PSAR Rangers participate in Search and Rescue and Emergency Medical response. They are responsible for maintaining PSAR, SAR, and EMS equipment and vehicles. PSAR Rangers may participate in advanced training such as Technical Rope Rescue or Aviation training based on their prior training and experience. As part of the all-hazard emergency response team PSAR rangers may be required to drive an ambulance. Government housing is available. This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if identical vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate. Yosemite National Park, California, known worldwide for its spectacular natural beauty is the backdrop for this position. Sitting astride the Sierra Nevada Mountains, the park covers 1,182 square miles of varied wilderness ecosystems, from river valleys to alpine meadows to lofty 13,000 foot high peaks. Yosemite Valley is located 208 miles from San Francisco, 81 miles from Merced, and 94 miles from Fresno. Shopping, medical, postal and laundry services are available in the park. Elevation at the Valley floor is approximately 4,000 feet and 2,200 feet in El Portal. The park is open year-round with the majority of activities occurring during the busy season March through October.

Qualifications: All qualifications must be met by 11:59 EST or when the 'applicant cut-off' is reached (which may be sooner than 12/22/2025). Credit will be given for all appropriate qualifying experience. To receive credit for experience, your resume MUST clearly indicate the nature of the duties and responsibilities for each position, starting and ending dates of employment (month/year), and the resume must reflect full and/or part-time or total number of hours worked (i.e., work 40+ hours a week, rather than indicating full-time). If part-time, the hours must be annotated to be able to pro-rate the amount of qualified specialized experience. SELECTIVE FACTORS: These positions perform wilderness patrol duties, and the following skills are required. CURRENT Wilderness First Responder or higher EMS certification. - AND - To qualify for this position at the GS-05 grade level, you must possess at least one of the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement: EXPERIENCE: At least one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-04 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). This experience includes activities such as: Park Guide or tour leader; environmental educator or teacher; law enforcement or investigative work; archeological or historical preservation research work; forestry and/or fire management work in a park, recreation, or conservation area; or other similar work. You must include months, years, and hours per week worked. -OR- EDUCATION: Successful completion of at least four years of education above high school (120 semester hours or 180 quarter hours) leading to a bachelor's degree with major study or 24 semester hours of course work in a related field. Related fields of study include natural resource management, natural sciences, earth sciences, history, archaeology, anthropology, park and recreation management, law enforcement/police science, social sciences, museum sciences, business administration, public administration, behavioral sciences, sociology, or other closely related subjects pertinent to the management and protection of natural and cultural resources. You must include a copy of your transcripts at the time of application. -OR- Successful completion of a combination of education and experience as described above. NOTE: Only education in excess of the first 60 semester hours (i.e., beyond the second year is creditable toward meeting the specialized experience requirement). Convert the total qualifying semester units into a percentage of the total educational requirement. Then take the number of months of full-time experience and divide by 12 months. Add the percentages together. The total must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. You must include a copy of your transcripts at the time of application. To qualify for this position at the GS-07 grade level, you must possess at least one of the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement: EXPERIENCE: At least one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-05 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). This experience includes activities such as: park ranger or tour leader; environmental educator or teacher; law enforcement or investigative work; archeological or historical preservation research work; forestry and/or fire management work in a park, recreation, or conservation area; management assistant, or program specialist work involving the development and implementation of policy related to protection, conservation, or management of park areas or similar operations; or other similar work. (Note: One grade interval work such as guide, clerk, assistant or technician work (Park Guide or Visitor Services Assistant) in a single grade occupational series at the GS-05 level does NOT qualify for this position, however GS-06 level experience may). You must include hours per week worked. -OR- EDUCATION: Successful completion of at least one full year of graduate study in one of the following fields: natural resource management, natural sciences, marine biology/sciences, earth sciences, history, archeology, anthropology, park and recreation management, law enforcement/police science, social sciences, wetlands ecology, or other closely related subjects pertinent to the management and protection of natural and cultural resources. One year of graduate education is 18 semester hours or 27 quarter hours. You must include a copy of your transcripts at the time of application. -OR- Successful completion of a combination of education and experience as described above. To combine education and experience, first take the amount of qualifying graduate education and convert it to a percentage of the total educational requirement. Then take the number of months of full-time experience and divide by 12 months. Add the percentages together. The total must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. You must include a copy of your transcripts at the time of application. Volunteer Experience: Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. ICTAP/CTAP Statement: Current surplus and current or former displaced Federal individuals who have special prior­ity selection rights under the Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) must be well qualified for the position to receive consideration for special priority selection. Well qualified means that the applicant meets the following: OPM qualification standards for the position; all selective placement factors, where applicable; special qualifying conditions that OPM has approved for the position, where applicable; is physically qualified with reasonable accommodation, where appropriate to satisfactorily perform the duties of the position upon entry; and is rated by the organization at least at the well qualified level on all competencies.

How to Apply: To apply for this position: You must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. To receive consideration, the complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 12/22/2025. You must provide documentation to support your claim for each eligibility selected. Please review the required documentation listed in the eligibilities language to ensure you submit the appropriate information. Note: You will only be marked eligible for those eligibilities that you selected and provided the appropriate supporting documentation. WE DO NOT ACCEPT HARD-COPY OR E-MAIL APPLICATION PACKAGES. Select Apply. If you are not logged in, you will be prompted to login or create an account. Start the Application Process by selecting "Start Application." Click here for USAJobs Help with "How to create an application" To PREVIEW the application questionnaire, select the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12842897 Select or add the resume you want to use for this application. Click here on how to build a resume in USAJOBS. Select documents you want included in this application. Review package to acknowledge your documents were reviewed. Select if you want to include your demographic information. After reading and certifying the application is true and submitted in good faith, select "Continue to Agency Site." Follow onscreen prompts and instructions to complete your application. Add the supporting documents by indexing your documents with the dropdown. Upload any missing required documents or optional documents. Review and Submit Application. While logged in, you can check the status of your application by selecting "+" next to the job title for this position. You can review or revise your application at any point during the open period of the announcement. To update an application, you should log into your USAJOBS account and select "+" next to the job title for this position. Select "Update Application" for this job. Note: When you click Update Application, you will be prompted to re-select your documents from USAJOBS. Documents submitted with the first application will no longer be associated with the applicant record. So it is important that you select all documents you want to use in the re-application.

Application Deadline: 2025-12-22