Original Data · Updated Sep 18, 2026
Seasonal Job Housing Report 2026
Which outdoor jobs come with a place to live, and what the listings themselves say it costs, from all 212 listings live on WildWork. Updated as listings open and close.
- Include Housing
- 50%
- 106 of 212 listings
- Free or Included
- 28
- of 106 with housing
- Cost Not Stated
- 55%
- ask before you go
- Median Stated Charge
- $350
- a month, 7 employers
Key Findings
- 50% of the 212 outdoor job listings live on WildWork say the employer provides housing (106 listings). 54 of those also provide meals.
- 55% of listings with housing do not say what it costs (58 of 106). 28 say it is free or included, and 20 say there is a charge.
- About $350/mo is the median housing charge where an employer states one by the day, week or month (7 employers; $108 to $600 a month).
- 86% of caretaker listings include housing, the highest share of any job type (7 listings).
What Does Staff Housing Cost?
Of the 106 listings that provide housing, what the listing itself says about the cost.
Every Housing Charge Stated in a Live Listing
As the employer wrote it, cheapest first. “About a Month” converts daily charges at 30 days and weekly at 4.33 weeks; some daily charges apply only on days worked, so the monthly figure is an upper bound.
| Employer | Charge | About a Month | What the Listing Says |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hiking Big Bend | $25 a week | $108 | Housing with electric hookups is available at the outpost for $25 a week. |
| Far Flung Outdoor Center | $50 per pay period | – | Limited guide housing is $50 per pay period. |
| Rancho de los Caballeros | $80 per pay period | – | Staff can rent a shared room or RV site for $80 each pay period. |
| Borealis Basecamp (3 listings) | $10.50 a day includes meals | $315 | Staff housing on site with three meals a day runs $10.50 per day. |
| Appalachian Mountain Club | $75 a week includes meals | $325 | Room and board on site costs $75 a week. |
| C Lazy U Ranch | $350 a month | $350 | Dorm housing costs at most $350 a month. |
| Trident Seafoods | $15 a day includes meals | $450 | Workers living in company housing pay a $15 daily co-pay for room and board on days when at least eight hours of work is offered. |
| North Pacific Seafoods, Inc. | $15 a day | $450 | Non-local hires can stay in the company bunkhouse for up to $15 a day. |
| Westward Seafoods | $20 a day includes meals | $600 | Company housing and meals are provided at a $20-per-day deduction on days you work at least eight hours. |
Which Outdoor Jobs Come With Housing?
Share of listings that provide housing, by job type (job types with at least 3 live listings; the number of listings is in brackets).
| Job Type | Listings | Housing | Meals | Free or Included | Charge Stated | Cost Not Stated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caretaker | 7 | 86% | 29% | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Lodge Staff | 20 | 80% | 70% | 6 | 6 | 4 |
| Ranch Hand | 21 | 71% | 5% | 2 | 0 | 13 |
| Backcountry Cook | 10 | 70% | 50% | 2 | 0 | 5 |
| Dude Ranch | 22 | 68% | 50% | 3 | 6 | 6 |
| Wrangler | 8 | 63% | 25% | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| Fishing Guide | 5 | 60% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Fishing Crew | 14 | 50% | 29% | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| Deckhand | 8 | 50% | 50% | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| Rafting Guide | 13 | 46% | 8% | 0 | 4 | 2 |
| Hunting Guide | 24 | 38% | 25% | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| Cowboy | 3 | 33% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Packer | 3 | 33% | 33% | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Wildland Firefighter | 36 | 22% | 0% | 5 | 0 | 3 |
| Trail Crew | 18 | 17% | 44% | 2 | 0 | 1 |
Housing by State
States with at least five live listings.
| State | Listings | Housing | Meals | Free or Included | Charge Stated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | 40 | 55% | 40% | 6 | 6 |
| Colorado | 27 | 74% | 26% | 6 | 7 |
| Montana | 16 | 38% | 25% | 0 | 0 |
| Arizona | 15 | 40% | 40% | 1 | 1 |
| Oregon | 14 | 29% | 7% | 0 | 0 |
| California | 14 | 29% | 29% | 1 | 1 |
| Texas | 10 | 70% | 10% | 0 | 3 |
| New Mexico | 8 | 25% | 25% | 2 | 0 |
| Idaho | 7 | 57% | 43% | 2 | 0 |
| Florida | 7 | 29% | 0% | 0 | 0 |
| Washington | 6 | 17% | 0% | 0 | 0 |
| Tennessee | 6 | 17% | 83% | 0 | 0 |
| Georgia | 5 | 80% | 0% | 3 | 0 |
What to Ask Before You Take a Job With Housing
Details listings give about the housing, among the 106 that provide it: shared (13), cabin (13), bunkhouse or dorm (11), utilities included (11), house or apartment (7), rv, trailer or camper (5).
- What it costs, and how it is charged. A daily co-pay, a weekly or pay-period deduction, or rent. Ask whether you pay on days off.
- Shared or private. How many to a room, and whether bathrooms and kitchens are shared.
- What comes with it. Utilities, laundry, internet, and whether meals are included or charged separately.
- Couples, pets and your own rig. Whether a partner can live with you, whether dogs are allowed, and whether there is space for an RV or trailer.
- Get it in writing. The housing and any charge should be in your offer. How housing jobs work covers the rest, and employers can read the rules on counting housing as pay.
How These Numbers Are Calculated
- Source. Every job listing live on WildWork at the time shown above. Listings come from employers who post here and from public employer career pages and job boards, and each links to the original posting.
- Housing share. A listing counts as providing housing when the employer says so, free or at a charge. This is the same measure the pay report uses.
- Cost. Read from the listing’s own words. “Charge Stated” means the listing names a charge, deduction, co-pay, subsidised or below-market rent; the table shows the ones that give an amount. Anything unclear counts as “cost not stated”. Identical charges from the same employer are listed once.
- Monthly figures. Only daily and weekly charges are converted (30 days, 4.33 weeks); pay-period charges are shown as posted. The median uses employers that state a daily, weekly or monthly charge, and is shown only when at least 3 do.
- Posted, not verified. These are what listings say. Housing terms change; confirm them with the employer before you travel.
Use These Numbers
Free to quote with a link. Suggested citation: WildWork Seasonal Job Housing Report, Sep 18, 2026, wildwork.io/housing-report/