Many nomads depend on seasonal jobs to support their nomadic lifestyle. From a monthly gig to a full season, learn all the questions to ask employers and where to find van life seasonal jobs in this comprehensive article!
By Bekah Whitney
When you ask nomads how they make money to live on the road, you’ll find there is a huge variety of answers. From full-time careers and gig work to selling art and seasonal work nomads really do it all!
Many van lifers depend on seasonal jobs to stay on the road. It can bring stability to an otherwise pretty unscheduled lifestyle, give you the funds you need to keep living the nomadic lifestyle, and help you establish a community!
In this article, I’ll be sharing all the practical information you need to find and choose from van life seasonal jobs, from FAQS to essential tips.
Seasonal work are jobs that have specific start and end dates and are usually 2 to 9 months long. Commonly, the position and pay you start with will be the position and pay you will end with. Mobility and pay raises are usually only offered to employees who come back for multiple seasons. Although you could be set up as a contractor, many will sign you on as a W2 employee and offer some sort of housing, but neither are hard and fast rules.
Criteria drastically change when looking for a traditional seasonal job compared to a van life seasonal job. The most important consideration is whether you will be comfortable living in your rig in the location. There are two main factors when deciding this; 1) Will you be provided a place to park your rig that you can stay for the duration of the working season and 2) Will the climate allow you to be comfortable in your rig? Do your research on the climate in the area you are hoping to work. For example if you do not have air conditioning in your rig, you will absolutely not want to work in Arizona during the summer. Don’t forget, elevation plays a huge role in climate and might make an area much more habitable in the summer and inhabitable in the winter.
There are a ton of websites where you can find seasonal jobs, including the main job boards such as Indeed and Zip Recruiter. My two favorites that I always start with are coolworks.com and Vagajobs.com. Cool works has a ton of filters you can add to your searches including my favorite: Jobs with RV Spaces.
Seasonal jobs are amazing for van lifers because you get to meet new like minded people, live in new places while making money, and have the ability to still live in your rig. Sawyer and I both love skiing and snowboarding and love working at ski resorts during the winter because of the free ski pass benefits. Also, unlike most of the time when you meet other travelers for maybe a week, the other people working with you will be there for a few months and usually want to make new friends! The ability to have a social life is probably my favorite aspect of seasonal work.
For all the amazing things seasonal jobs provide, there are a few drawbacks. Even though you are less tied down than a normal job, you are still stuck to a certain area because you have to show up at a specific place and time. Also, the wages are often low as the company has to train new people every year. Higher wages are almost exclusively reserved for returning workers. We usually just drive away when the weather forecast looks sucky, but when you have to keep your job you have to deal with bad weather more often.
In my life I have had multiple traditional seasonal jobs as well as a few van life seasonal jobs. The most obvious questions are around where to park and how much “rent” costs. At my seasonal job in California, I did not have to pay rent since the trailer is completely self-contained and did not need any hookups.
One of my favorite parts about van life seasonal jobs is meeting new coworkers who become great friends. A great question to ask is how big the staff is and what the average age range is. If the number is really low, you might not find anyone you connect with, making the season feel long and lonely.
Camp host or counselor jobs are often in the middle of nowhere. Although this leads to beautiful views and easy access to remote areas, getting simple things such as groceries can become a pain and create extra hidden costs, especially for us van lifers who have limited space and small refrigerators. Many times there are close by “general stores” that are expensive and super limited. Make sure to clarify by asking for the drive time to a large grocery store.
Many van lifers love to travel in the shoulder season between their winter and summer seasonal jobs and count on their seasonal jobs to pay enough to get them through those transitional times. This can be very difficult if you don’t have a chance to save up some money while working because of the simple cost of living. Always ask how many hours you are guaranteed or if they ever have to cut hours during slow times. Many employers will offer some type of bonus for staying until the end of the season. Inquiring about pay, hours, and bonuses is completely normal!
The last thing I suggest asking is what a typical work week looks like. You want to make sure you aren’t getting overworked and still have the time to explore the area on your days off. I personally love a 4 day work week schedule, so I have one day to do any chores and two full days to explore and adventure. Choose a job that allows you to take short trips in your rig to really enjoy the area you are living.
A lot of times job postings can look perfect on paper, but once you talk to the employer, you learn it’s not the right fit. There is only so much information they will put in the listing and you won’t know everything until you chat. I suggest applying for every job (one per company) that you think you would be a good fit for.
Unless you are looking for a job where you work a ton of hours for a short amount of time for a big playoff, like the Sugar Beet harvest, make sure you can create an enjoyable work life balance. Sawyer and I had two offers we were thinking about taking in summer of 2022, the deciding factor was one job only gave one day off a week and the other had three day weekends. We made the obvious choice.
Never accept a job without first talking to someone on the phone or through video. A good employer will want to talk to you before hiring you just like you want to talk to them before taking a position. Take your time and ask all your questions and always take a day or two before accepting the job.
Many van lifers depend on seasonal jobs to stay on the road. It can bring stability to an otherwise pretty unscheduled lifestyle, give you the funds you need to keep living the nomadic lifestyle, and help you establish a community!
If you have any questions or comments about seasonal work please leave a comment below! Our community is here to help you live your best nomadic life and would be happy to help answer any questions you might have.
Hi! I’m Bekah, but you can call me Beks, all my friends do! I travel full-time in a tiny home on wheels that my partner, Sawyer, and I built from a cargo trailer shell in 2019. We started out in beautiful Colorado and have been all over the United States over the years. This space is designed to inspire and guide the nature obsessed nomad, weekend warrior, and future roadlifer. I’m so excited you’re here!
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