Education · 1 of 5

The path

You can start the summer after high school. The hard part is turning a seasonal job into a permanent one.

1. 1

   Finish high school

   Grade 12

   Get a driver's license and get fit. Crew work is walking steep ground carrying weight, all day.

2. 2

   Apply for a seasonal crew job

   Apply 6 to 9 months ahead

   Federal openings are posted on USAJOBS (the federal government hiring site), usually in the fall for the following summer. State forestry agencies and conservation corps hire too.

3. 3

   Take the basic training

   First 2 to 4 weeks

   Your first weeks are courses and a work capacity test. Fire crews add a pack test: three miles carrying 45 pounds inside 45 minutes.

4. 4

   Two-year forest technology degree, optional

   2 years

   An associate degree makes you competitive for permanent positions and for the higher federal grades. Many people do it between seasons.

5. 5

   Get a permanent appointment

   Year 3 to year 6

   This usually takes two to five seasons of good evaluations and being willing to move for the opening. It is the real finish line.