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Outdoor Instructor Jobs (NOW HIRING)

SOLO Instructor

Bryson City, NC · On-site

$17 - $21/hr

For 53 years NOC has led the outdoor industry, taking more guests whitewater rafting and teaching ... Instructors are responsible for preparing and delivering lectures, leading, and moderating ...

$18 - $20/hr

Previous experience in outdoor recreation activities as a participant or instructor is required. First Aid and CPR certifications are required for this position.

Showing results 21-40

Outdoor Instructor information

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$13

$23

$44

How much do outdoor instructor jobs pay per hour?

As of Aug 5, 2026, the average hourly pay for outdoor instructor in the United States is $23.63, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $15.38 and $24.04 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What qualifications do I need to be an outdoor instructor?

To become an outdoor instructor, candidates typically need relevant certifications such as Wilderness First Aid or CPR, along with experience in outdoor activities like hiking, climbing, or kayaking. Many employers also require a background check and good communication skills, with some positions favoring formal training or certifications in specific activities or safety procedures.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as an outdoor instructor, and why are they important?

To thrive as an Outdoor Instructor, you need expertise in outdoor activities, risk management, safety procedures, and typically hold relevant certifications such as Wilderness First Aid or instructor qualifications in specific activities (e.g., climbing, kayaking). Familiarity with equipment like harnesses, GPS devices, and communication tools is essential, alongside adherence to local and national safety standards. Outstanding leadership, adaptability, and strong communication enhance your ability to instruct and inspire diverse groups. These skills ensure participant safety, effective learning, and positive outdoor experiences.

What are some common challenges faced by outdoor instructors and how can they be addressed?

Outdoor Instructors often encounter challenges such as unpredictable weather, varying group skill levels, and ensuring participant safety in dynamic environments. Successfully addressing these challenges requires strong risk assessment skills, adaptability, and clear communication with participants and co-instructors. Building a supportive team culture and preparing contingency plans can also help instructors manage unexpected situations while maintaining a positive and educational experience for everyone involved.

What is an outdoor instructor?

Outdoor instructors are professionals who lead, teach, and supervise individuals or groups in outdoor activities such as hiking, climbing, canoeing, or camping. They are responsible for ensuring safety, teaching technical skills, and fostering teamwork and respect for the natural environment. Outdoor instructors often work with schools, adventure companies, or youth organizations, adapting activities to suit participants’ abilities and goals. Their role requires both technical expertise and strong communication skills.

What is the difference between Outdoor Instructor vs Camp Counselor?

AspectOutdoor InstructorCamp Counselor
Required CertificationsFirst Aid, CPR, outdoor activity certificationsFirst Aid, CPR, child supervision certifications
Work EnvironmentOutdoor settings, adventure parks, wilderness areasSummer camps, recreational facilities
Employer & IndustryOutdoor education providers, adventure companiesSummer camps, youth organizations

Both roles involve working with children or groups outdoors, but Outdoor Instructors focus on teaching outdoor skills and activities, often requiring specific certifications and working in adventure or wilderness settings. Camp Counselors primarily supervise children at summer camps, emphasizing supervision and recreational activities. While overlapping in outdoor work, their certifications and work environments differ slightly, catering to distinct aspects of outdoor education and youth recreation.

More about Outdoor Instructor jobs
What states have the most Outdoor Instructor jobs? States with the most job openings for Outdoor Instructor jobs include:
Infographic showing various Outdoor Instructor job openings in the United States as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 58% Full Time, 37% Part Time, 2% Temporary, and 2% Contract. Highlights an 99% Physical, and 1% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $49,145 per year, or $23.6 per hour.

Outdoor Education Program Instructor

Transformation Ministries Camping

Crestline, CA • On-site

$180/day

Full-time

Re-posted 5 days ago


Job description

Outdoor Education Program Instructor
Looking to fill 12 positions
Check out who we are!
Overview: The OE Program Instructor's primary role is to lead hikes, teach lessons based on the state science standards, and help students grow through a variety of program elements.
Essential Functions
  1. Instruct groups of students in various activities on 3, 4, or 5 day programs
  2. Develop professional relationships with coworkers and guests (students, chaperones, teachers, and administrators)
  3. Perform duties and/or participate in activities including:
    1. Teach the outdoor education curriculum, which includes standing, walking, and hiking, sometimes strenuous, over uneven terrain and in all weather conditions
    2. Lead various program elements including rock wall, archery, songs, games, chapels, worship, skits, dances, and team building exercises
    3. Enforce dining hall standards during meals
    4. Supervise a group of students overnight
    5. Travel to multiple sites for the outdoor education programs

Additional Functions
  1. Attend OE team meetings
  2. Provide supportive leadership when necessary
  3. Assist in cleaning and inventory management
  4. Provide first aid and basic health care when necessary
  5. Other duties as assigned by supervisor

Major Competency Areas
  1. Ability to work effectively within a team or alone
  2. Strong communication and teaching
    skills
  3. Ability to model desired behaviors, including a positive attitude, on a consistent basis
  4. Reliability, punctuality, and good time management

Qualifications
  1. Minimum education of a bachelor's degree or minimum of two years equivalent experience
  2. Adaptability and Godly Christian character
  3. Current Red Cross or American Heart Association CPR & First Aid certification which includes an in-person training element
  4. Full agreement with TM Camping's statement of faith, mission, vision, and values
  5. Compliance with the employee handbook
  6. Valid driver's license

Physical Demands
  1. Abilities sufficient to carry out the essential functions of the job, including the physical fitness and endurance needed to lead hikes and activities. Applicants and/or employees may be asked to take a Fitness-For-Duty test in regard to the physical nature of the job.
  2. Must be able to lift a minimum of 50 lbs

Opening Letter
Thank you for your interest in American Outdoor Christian Education!
With a home base at Thousand Pines Christian Camp in Crestline, CA, at AOCE we travel across California and beyond to run programs at multiple partner camps. While we serve both public schools and private christian schools, we seek to serve, love, and live in ways that glorify God and represent our salvation in Jesus Christ.
Our outdoor education team serves in many ways - teaching lessons, running games, leading chapels, being overnight cabin leaders, and more - and in all of these we can point others toward the message of God's love. This applies not only to our guests but to each other: we desire to help facilitate your own spiritual growth in a community of believers, sharing in joys and difficulties together.
We will be praying for you as we seek God's direction together.
Mission, Vision, Values
American Outdoor Christian Education is a member company of Trademark Camping (TM Camping). We desire to have a distinctly Christian atmosphere and influence. Though campers and attendees come from many Christian and non-Christian backgrounds, all are included in activities. Ministry team members participate in leading guests and other staff in chapel services, prayer, devotions, etc.
In applying for a ministry role with us, you are subscribing to a high moral, ethical, and spiritual life style and give assurance that you will try to lead campers and staff, in both word and deed, to practical, real faith for themselves. In addition, no matter where one works, all staff are expected to live exemplary Christian lives before campers and staff alike.
We seek to be a group of people who care for our guests and work as a team. It is our desire that every employee and their entire family feel part of the ministry team here at TM Camping. It is important that all employees share our mission, vision, and values. We hope that all our employees adopt and advance them as their own.
Our Mission: American Outdoor Christian Education exists to help students learn, grow, and experience the outdoors.
Our Vision: Every student experiences personal growth through hands-on learning, new challenges, and positive interactions.
Our values:
  • Integrity: "Integrity is doing the right thing even when nobody is watching."
  • Safety; We will seek to protect the safety of our guests and staff.
  • Attitude: "Character is realized not so much in words as in attitude and in actions."
  • Saying "YES!": We will seek to say "yes" to our guests whenever possible.
  • Excellence: "Every job is a self-portrait of the person who did it. Autograph your work with excellence."
  • Teamwork: "Together we can accomplish the extraordinary."
  • Initiative/Follow Through: "What can I do to make it better?"
  • Out-of-the-box Thinking: "Can it be done better, more creatively, less expensively?"
  • Fun: "The most wasted of all days is one without laughter"- E.E. Cummings

Statement of Faith
The Statement of Faith outlines the beliefs of Trademark Camping (TM Camping) and its companies. All beliefs are listed and founded in God's Word, the Bible.
PREAMBLE
TM Camping, in accordance with the historic Baptist tradition, hold to Believers Baptism by Immersion, Liberty of Conscience, the Separation of Church and state, and the Priesthood of the Believer. We also affirm the following distinctive which need emphasis at the present time:
I. THE AUTHORITY OF SCRIPTURE
The Bible is the inspired, authoritative and infallible Word of God and is our sole rule of faith and practice. It is the standard by which all human conduct and creeds should be tried.
II. THE TRINITY
There is only one true and living God who is manifested in three eternal and coequal person; Father, Son and Holy Spirit. God possesses holiness, omnipotence, omniscience, omnipresence, love, mercy, and all other perfections. All humankind owed to Him supreme faith and obedience.
III. HUMANKIND
Humankind has been created in the image of God but through Adam's fall is now sinful, lost and condemned. By deliberate choice all participate in sin which is open rebellion to God's law. Notwithstanding the fall, all human life through creation has value and dignity.
IV. JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH
Human beings can be forgiven of sin and justified solely through the redeeming work of Jesus Christ who died for sinners and rose again from the dead. Only by repentance from sin and faith in Jesus Christ the Lord can acceptance with God be attained.
V. REGENERATION
Regeneration is the work of the Holy Spirit by which the believer receives a new nature from God. Christian growth or sanctification is the continuation of the new life principle which begins in the new birth.
VI. THE CHURCH
The church in its widest sense includes all believers of all ages. The church is manifested visibly in the local body of baptized believers who covenant together to worship, observe the ordinances, and evangelize.
VII. HUMAN DESTINY
Jesus Christ will eventually return visibly at which time He will raise the dead and judge all people. Believers will enjoy an eternal state of blessedness in heaven while unbelievers will experience eternal separation from God in hell.
VIII. EVANGELISM AND SOCIAL CONCERN
The church has been called to preach the gospel so that individual people can receive salvation. Also the church is to become involved in the improvement of society by advocating biblical principles which militate against poverty, racism, violence, and all forms of injustice against humankind.
IX. HUMAN SEXUALITY
God's design is that man and woman either be joined together in a perpetual monogamous relationship or live in a single state. Extra-marital sex, adultery and homosexuality are inconsistent with biblical teaching.
Applicant Statement
I certify that all information provided in order to apply for and secure work with the employer is true, complete and correct.
I understand that any information provided by me that is found to be false, incomplete or misrepresented in any respect, will be sufficient cause to (i) cancel further consideration of this application, or (ii) immediately discharge me from service, whenever it is discovered.
I expressly authorize, without reservation, the employer, its representatives, employees or agents to contact and obtain information from all references (personal and professional), employers, public agencies, licensing authorities and educational institutions and to otherwise verify the accuracy of all information provided by me in this application, resume, or job interview. I hereby waive any and all rights and claims I may have regarding the employer, its agents, employees or representatives, for seeking, gathering, and using such information in the employment process and all other persons, corporations or organizations for furnishing such information about me.
I understand that the employer does not unlawfully discriminate in employment and no question on this application is used for the purpose of limiting or excusing any applicant from consideration for employment on a basis prohibited by applicable local, state or federal law.
It is my understanding that TM Camping is an at-will employer and by understanding this is has been explained to me that if I am hired, I understand that I am free to resign at any time, with or without cause and without prior notice, and the employer reserves the same right to terminate my employment at any time, with or without cause and without prior notice, except as may be required by law. This application does not constitute an agreement or contract for employment for any specified period or definite duration. I understand that no supervisor or representative of the employer is authorized to make any assurances to the contrary and that no implied oral or written agreements contrary to the foregoing express language are valid unless they are in writing and signed by myself and TM Camping's Executive Director.
I also understand that if I am hired, I will be required to provide proof of identity and legal authority to work in the United States and that federal immigration laws require me to complete an I-9 Form in this regard. I agree to a background check, fingerprinting and on-going drug testing.
Closing Letter
Thank you for applying to be a part of the American Outdoor Christian Education Team!
The work done here influences eternity! We are excited about how God is using our ministry to impact people and other ministries throughout the world. If you are hired, we hope that as you get to know us and experience God's work here, and you will love this ministry as much as we do!
Sincerely,
Gregory Lewis
Outdoor Education Director