TL;DR
- Paid patrol jobs require an Outdoor Emergency Care (OEC) or EMT card, CPR and a resort ski test. National Ski Patrol’s hybrid OEC course costs $150; one college charges $725 for 120 hours. The national EMT exam costs $104 per attempt.
- Published 2026–27 pay: $19 an hour to start at Woodward Tahoe, $21 to $25.05 at Hunter Mountain, $23 to $30.61 for advanced patrol at Vail and $24.64 to $35.20 for union specialists at Park City.
- Vail Resorts takes 2026–27 patrol applications until December 15 or until jobs fill. Smaller areas run tryouts in March and April for the following winter.
- Housing is rare. Vail, Keystone and Hunter postings say no housing; Woodward Tahoe rents staff beds from $325 a month. A free pass is nearly universal.
- Moving up means avalanche training (AIARE Pro 1 is 5 days plus 25 to 30 hours online), explosives work with an ATF background check, then supervisor or manager jobs at $59,330 to $84,757 a year at Crested Butte.
Ski patrol is a ski area’s safety and medical crew: first up the lifts, last off the hill. You open terrain, mark hazards, treat injured guests and bring them down in a toboggan.
The skiing gets you through the tryout. The medical card gets you the job, and it takes a semester or a 10-week course to earn. Everything below comes from what resorts, the National Ski Patrol and certifying bodies publish. For other outdoor credentials, see certifications for outdoor jobs.
Is ski patrol a paid job or a volunteer job?
Both. The National Ski Patrol (NSP) says its more than 30,000 members, across about 630 patrols, serve “in both paid and volunteer capacities.” Big resorts run paid professional patrols, and many smaller hills lean on volunteers.
Volunteer patrol is a serious commitment. At Ski Brule in Michigan, volunteers take a 20-week OEC class, work at least 10 shifts a season and pay $92 a year in patrol dues. In return they get family ski passes.
The two systems often share a mountain. Loveland held 2026 tryouts for “volunteer and paid positions,” and Copper Mountain posts a volunteer Medical Ski Patrol role for winter 2026/27 that assists its patrol.
A professional patroller is a seasonal employee on a ranked ladder. Vail Resorts posts Skilled Entry, Skilled, Advanced, Specialist and Lead jobs. Telluride pays Trainee, Basic, Advanced and Specialist rates. Each step up adds pay and duties such as avalanche control, lift evacuation or dog handling.
Some patrols are unionized. Park City’s specialist postings carry “Union” in the title, and Telluride’s patrol union ratified a contract on January 8, 2026, after a 13-day strike.
What are the requirements to become a ski patroller?
Four things: a medical card (OEC or EMT), current CPR, expert skiing or riding, and a passed resort ski test. Most paid postings also set a minimum age of 18. This is what resorts published for their patrol jobs.
| Resort and job | Medical card | CPR | Other requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vail Mountain, Advanced (2026/27) | EMT | Not listed | 18+, pass the patrol ski test, 3 to 5 years of patrol preferred |
| Heavenly, Skilled (2026/27) | EMT | Not listed | 18+, expert skier (snowboarders too), ski test, 4-week pass/fail training |
| Hunter Mountain, Skilled Entry (2026/27) | EMT, or finish OEC in your first season | AHA BLS card | 18+, pass the Hunter ski test |
| Keystone, Specialist (2026/27) | OEC, EMT-B or higher | Not listed | 18+, expert skiing or riding, ski with 50 lbs |
| Aspen Snowmass, Basic (2025–26) | OEC or Colorado EMT | Current CPR | High school diploma, proficient on all terrain |
| Loon Mountain (Boyne) | EMT or OEC | BLS CPR | Expert skiing or riding, mandatory patrol refresher, background check |
| The Highlands (Boyne) | OEC, EMT, WFR or other accepted card | CPR/AED | Driver’s license, can maneuver rescue toboggans |
| Woodward Tahoe (Powdr) | OEC, EMT or WEMT, held or in progress | Active CPR | Strong skiing or snowboarding in all conditions |
NSP’s own baseline for a patroller candidate is the OEC course with annual refreshers, the ICS-100 incident command course, and professional-rescuer CPR renewed every year.
The tryout. Purgatory’s spring tryout is a typical day: a ski test across the mountain using maneuvers common to patrol work, a medical scenario that tests assessment and documentation, then questions from patrol leadership. You need the medical card only when you formally apply.
Attendance is not always required but it helps. Purgatory says those who try out “are considered first,” and Diamond Peak gives priority to attendees. Purgatory and Loveland accept alpine skiers, telemark skiers and snowboarders.
Toboggan handling. Resorts rarely publish a sled standard, but NSP’s Eastern Division does. Its toboggan evaluation has three parts on advanced or expert terrain with moguls: an empty sled run, a loaded run, and a loaded course (typically 5 gates, then a 30-foot corridor) ending in an emergency stop.
OEC or EMT: which do you need for ski patrol?
Either works at most resorts, but EMT opens more doors. Every posting in the table above accepts an EMT, while Vail Mountain’s Advanced and Heavenly’s Skilled jobs accept only an EMT. OEC is cheaper, shorter and built for patrol work.
| Outdoor Emergency Care (OEC) | Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) | |
|---|---|---|
| Who issues it | National Ski Patrol | Your state EMS office; Colorado requires passing both National Registry (NREMT) exams |
| Format | Hybrid: online modules plus an in-person skills session | Classroom, skills days and clinical rotations |
| Published length | 120 hours over 10 weeks (Greenfield Community College); a 20-week class at Ski Brule | One semester: Aug 25 to Dec 15, 2026, or Jan 19 to May 11, 2027, at South Metro Fire Rescue (Colorado) |
| Published cost | $150 for NSP’s hybrid course; $725 at Greenfield; NSP enrollment fee of $60 for members and $300 for non-members | $104 per NREMT exam attempt, plus school tuition |
| Renewal | Three-year card, with a refresher (online plus hands-on) every year | NREMT every 2 years: 40 credits and a $29 fee from Oct 1, 2026 |
| Telluride pay bump (2025/26 offer) | $0.50 an hour for OEC instructors | $1.00 for EMT-B, $1.50 for Advanced or Intermediate, $2.25 for paramedic or RN |
OEC is usually taken through a local patrol. NSP’s enrollment guide says to sign up only for the skills session your patrol instructor assigns, so contact a patrol before you pay.
EMT courses ask more up front. South Metro’s course requires an AHA BLS card, vaccinations, a background check and drug screen, and age 18 before clinicals.
NSP widened the door in August 2024. It now admits patrols whose members hold EMT or Wilderness First Responder (WFR) cards as Associate Patrols, without requiring OEC. A WFR alone still will not meet the Vail Mountain or Aspen postings above.
A practical rule: if you are targeting a Vail Resorts mountain such as Vail or Heavenly, get the EMT. If you are joining a smaller area’s patrol, take OEC through that patrol. Hunter Mountain splits the difference by hiring entry patrollers who finish OEC during their first season.
How much do ski patrollers make?
The bottom of published 2026–27 ranges runs from $19 to $24.64 an hour, and the tops reach $30.61 to $35.20. Most resorts outside the big companies do not publish patrol pay; Boyne’s patrol postings list none and Bridger Bowl promises only “competitive wages.”
| Resort | Job | Season | Published pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Woodward Tahoe (Boreal), Powdr | Ski and Snowboard Patrol | 2026–27 | $19 an hour to start, more for advanced EMT or OEC or returning patrollers |
| Hunter Mountain, Vail Resorts | Skilled Ski Patrol, Entry | 2026/27 | $21 to $25.05 an hour |
| Vail Mountain, Vail Resorts | Advanced Ski Patrol | 2026/27 | $23 to $30.61 an hour |
| Aspen Snowmass | Ski Patrol Basic | 2025–26 | $24 an hour |
| Keystone, Vail Resorts | Ski Patrol Specialist | 2026/27 | $24 to $35.20 an hour |
| Park City, Vail Resorts | Skilled Specialist, union | 2026/27 | $24.64 to $35.20 an hour |
| Aspen Snowmass | Ski Patrol Supervisor | 2026–27 | $75,000 to $83,000 a year |
| Crested Butte, Vail Resorts | Manager, Ski Patrol | 2026/27 | $59,330 to $84,757 a year |
Telluride published its whole ladder. During December 2025 bargaining it posted its 2024/25 rates next to its offer for 2025/26.
| Telluride level | 2024/25 rate | 2025/26 resort offer |
|---|---|---|
| Trainee | $21.00 | $24.50 |
| Basic | $22.50 | $25.00 |
| Advanced (Level II) | $25.00 | $28.00 |
| Specialist (Level III) | $27.00 | $30.00 |
Skill premiums stack on top: $2.50 an hour for an avalanche tech, $4.00 for a senior avalanche tech, $3.00 for the howitzer program lead. The union ratified a contract on January 8, 2026, but said it would not publish the full wage package, so the final rates are not public.
Federal data undersells the job. BLS lumps patrollers with lifeguards in occupation 33-9092, which had a median of $16.14 an hour across 157,550 workers in May 2025. For how patrol compares with other outdoor work, see the best outdoor jobs.
Do ski patrol jobs come with housing and a ski pass?
A pass, almost always; housing, usually not. Of the Vail Resorts patrol postings checked, Vail Mountain, Keystone, Hunter and Crested Butte list “Housing Availability: No.” Park City’s union specialist posting lists “Yes.”
- Woodward Tahoe (Powdr): employee housing from $325 a month, a free pass to Boreal, Soda Springs and every Powdr resort, and health insurance options for all employees.
- The Highlands (Boyne): first-come, first-served team member housing, free golf and ski passes, and health insurance for full-time year-round staff.
- Vail Resorts: free employee passes, discounted tickets for friends and family, free lessons and a 401(k).
- Aspen Snowmass: an employee ski pass; the supervisor posting adds dependent passes.
- Bridger Bowl: no employee housing at the mountain, and it puts Bozeman rents at $1,500 to $2,200 or more per room. Staff ski free.
Ask about housing before you accept, and get the rent and the move-in date in writing. The seasonal job offer checklist covers what else to confirm.
If a roof matters more than the patrol jacket, other mountain jobs are likelier to include one. See winter jobs with housing and seasonal outdoor jobs with housing, or browse lodge and resort staff jobs.
When do resorts hire ski patrol for the 2026–27 season?
Tryouts mostly happened last spring, but hiring is still open: Vail Resorts takes 2026/27 patrol applications until December 15 or until positions fill. If you already hold a card, apply now. If not, plan on the 2027–28 winter.
| Date | What happened or happens |
|---|---|
| Mar 22, 2026 | Diamond Peak tryout for its 2026–2027 paid patrol |
| Late March | Purgatory spring tryouts (Saturday, March 21 and Tuesday, March 24 on its page) for the 26/27 season |
| Apr 4 and Apr 12, 2026 | Loveland tryouts for volunteer and paid patrol |
| Apr 27, 2026 | Loon Mountain posts its full-time seasonal patroller job |
| September | Purgatory’s official hiring opens; Bridger Bowl hiring typically starts in early fall |
| Oct 2, 2026 | Boyne Mountain posts Ski Patroller, listed through Nov 2 |
| Oct 12, 2026 | The Highlands posts Pro Ski Patroller, listed through Dec 25 |
| Dec 15, 2026 | Vail Resorts 2026/27 patrol applications close, if not filled sooner |
| Early December to early April | Bridger Bowl’s typical winter season |
Deadlines vary. Aspen stopped taking applications for its 2025–26 Basic patrol job on October 1, 2025, and a Park City specialist posting set a June 15 cutoff. Check each resort’s own careers page.
Dates for 2027 tryouts are mostly unpublished. Diamond Peak’s and Loveland’s pages still showed their 2026 tryouts on Oct 26, 2026. Purgatory’s page labels its March dates 2027 but says they are for the 26/27 season, so confirm the year with the patrol director.
Starting from zero, take OEC through a patrol or an EMT course this winter (South Metro’s next runs Jan 19 to May 11, 2027). Try out in March or April 2027 and apply when fall postings open. The outdoor job hiring calendar lines this up with other seasonal work.
How do you move up to avalanche control and patrol director?
Through avalanche courses, explosives work and seasons on the hill; the posted top is a manager job paying $59,330 to $84,757 at Crested Butte. Each rung takes years, and resorts spell out the minimums.
Avalanche training. The American Avalanche Association (A3) sets the professional track, which it says covers ski area snow safety and patrol. The steps run Recreational Level 1 and Avalanche Rescue, then Pro 1, then Pro 2.
- Pro 1: requires Level 1, Avalanche Rescue and at least 20 days of relevant experience; A3 also wants a full season between Level 1 and Pro 1. AIARE’s version is 5 days in the field plus 25 to 30 hours of online work, with a $500 minimum deposit that includes a $250 non-refundable fee.
- Pro 2: through 2026/27, Pro 1 plus two full winters of operational avalanche work. From 2027/28, A3 requires 40 days over two winters and a supervisor’s letter.
Explosives. Park City’s union specialist job requires proficiency with high explosives and ATF regulations, plus an ATF background clearance. It wants 5 years as a route leader or 10 years of patrol at a resort with significant avalanche terrain.
Under 27 CFR 555.57, an explosives licensee must report each newly hired employee authorized to possess explosives within 30 days, on ATF Form 5400.28. ATF then runs a background check. If you are denied, you cannot lawfully handle explosives until an appeal or relief succeeds.
Leadership. Aspen’s Snowmass supervisor job prefers 5 years of patrolling, including 2 in a leadership role, and ICS-100 through ICS-400. Crested Butte’s manager job asks for 5 or more years of patrol, a current OEC card and ICS-100.
Specialist roles pay along the way. Telluride’s 2025/26 offer added $2.00 an hour for an Avalauncher lead or a dog handler lead. Keep a log of avalanche days and routes, because Pro 2 and specialist jobs ask for documented experience.
Frequently asked questions
Can snowboarders be ski patrollers?
Yes, at many areas. Purgatory and Loveland accept snowboarders and telemark skiers at tryouts, and Woodward Tahoe hires on strong skiing or snowboarding. Heavenly is the exception: its snowboard applicants must also be expert skiers.
How old do you have to be to work ski patrol?
Usually 18 for paid patrol: Vail Resorts and Boyne Mountain postings set that minimum. Loveland’s tryouts, which include volunteer spots, start at 15, and Greenfield Community College admits OEC students from 16 with parental consent.
Can you work ski patrol with a Wilderness First Responder card?
At some areas. The Highlands in Michigan lists WFR among accepted cards, and NSP has admitted WFR-holding patrols since 2024. Vail Mountain’s Advanced and Heavenly’s Skilled jobs require an EMT, so a WFR limits you.
How long does OEC certification last?
An OEC card covers a three-year cycle. You complete an online and hands-on refresher every year, and each year’s refresher must be done before you patrol that season. After all three cycles, NSP issues a new card.
Is ski patrol a year-round job?
Mostly no. Patrol is seasonal, roughly early December to early April at Bridger Bowl. A few leadership jobs run longer: Vail Resorts posts year-round patrol manager jobs at Hunter and Stevens Pass and a 10-month one at Kirkwood.
How should I pitch myself to a patrol director?
Lead with your medical card and expiry, your CPR level, the terrain you ski and any patrol, EMS or avalanche days. How to write a job wanted post shows how to put that on one page.
Sources
- National Ski Patrol: Outdoor Emergency Care Hybrid Student Enrollment Tutorial; 2024 OEC Refresher Instructor Guide; “National Ski Patrol Now Accepting EMT and WFR Credentials,” Aug 29, 2024; Join Now, accessed Oct 26, 2026.
- National Ski Patrol Europe, Outdoor Emergency Care Program; NSP Eastern Division, Toboggan Handling Module, accessed Oct 26, 2026.
- Greenfield Community College, Outdoor Emergency Care NSP Certification; Ski Brule Ski Patrol, patrol FAQ, accessed Oct 26, 2026.
- National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians, EMT Candidate Handbook: Certification Process and EMT Recertification; South Metro Fire Rescue, EMT Basic Course, accessed Oct 26, 2026.
- Vail Resorts careers, 2026/2027 postings: Vail Advanced Ski Patrol, Heavenly Skilled Ski Patrol, Hunter Skilled Ski Patrol, Entry, Keystone Ski Patrol Specialist, Park City Specialist, Skilled Ski Patrol, Union, Crested Butte Manager, Ski Patrol and ski patrol search results, accessed Oct 26, 2026.
- Aspen Skiing Company careers: Ski Patrol Basic, Winter 2025-26 and Ski Patrol Supervisor, Snowmass, accessed Oct 26, 2026.
- Telluride Ski Resort, ski patrol wage comparison, Dec 6, 2025; KOTO, “Ski Patrol Union Votes to Accept Contract Proposal,” Jan 8, 2026, accessed Oct 26, 2026.
- Boyne Resorts careers: Loon Mountain Ski Patroller, Boyne Mountain Ski Patroller and The Highlands Pro Ski Patroller; Bridger Bowl employment, accessed Oct 26, 2026.
- POWDR careers: Woodward Tahoe Ski and Snowboard Patrol and Copper Mountain Medical Ski Patrol Volunteer, Winter 26/27, accessed Oct 26, 2026.
- Tryout pages: Purgatory Spring Patrol Tryouts FAQ, Diamond Peak Patrol Tryouts, Loveland Ski Patrol Tryouts, accessed Oct 26, 2026.
- American Avalanche Association, Professional Avalanche Education; AIARE, AIARE PRO Level 1, accessed Oct 26, 2026.
- Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, 27 CFR 555.57 and Explosives Employee Possessor Questionnaire (ATF Form 5400.28), accessed Oct 26, 2026.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, occupation 33-9092, via the BLS Public Data API and O*NET OnLine, accessed Oct 26, 2026.