Employment

Join our team and play a vital role in providing postitive visitor experiences while protecting Rhode Island's beautiful natural resources

DEM Employees

Full-Time Employment

Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management’s Division of Parks and Recreation manages over 8,200 acres of land, including parks, freshwater and saltwater beaches, campgrounds, bike paths, historic sites, picnic areas, trails, athletic fields, dams, fishing access, and boat ramps. This network attracts upwards of nine million visitors each year and host high-profile national and international events such as the Newport Jazz Festival, Newport Folk Festival, and Volvo Ocean Race.

Our many dedicated staff work each day in some of our state's most beautiful outdoor settings. The Rhode Island State Park system is staffed by a core of permanent employees who work year-round to maintain these precious places.

Employment opportunities are listed through the State of Rhode Island Career Pages.

View vacancy notices within the Department of Environmental Management

Spend your summer outside

We're Hiring For The 2023 Season!

We supplement our full-time staff with seasonal employees during our peak operating season from May to October. Lifeguards for both freshwater and saltwater beaches, beach managers, park rangers and naturalists, recreational area clerks, facilities attendants, and campground attendants are just a few examples of positions staffed by seasonal employees. Pay ranges for seasonal positions range from $11.50 to $17.75 an hour. Hourly rates for lifeguards range from $13.25 to $16.25, based on location and position level.

View seasonal employment opportunities

RIDEM Lifeguard Incentive Program

State lifeguards play a critical role in ensuring the safety of everyone at state beaches. They regularly respond to countless minor medical situations and emergencies and are credited with saving lives throughout the summer season. In an effort to remain competitive and ensure adequate lifeguard coverage for the major summer holidays and through Labor Day weekend, DEM is offering an incentive program this season to seasonal staff at state beaches that include Lifeguard I, Lifeguard II, Lifeguard III, Seasonal Supervising Lifeguard positions. All payments, including bonuses, are subject to applicable taxes.

Sign-on Bonus: $500 one-time payment payable to lifeguards hired by June 24, 2023.

Retention Bonus: $500 one-time payment payable to lifeguards that work the 2023 season and stay through September 4, 2023, and who remain in good standing throughout the course of their employment (i.e. who meet or exceed performance expectations and will be recommended for rehire) and who have not taken more than 5 unapproved days off (call outs) over the course of the summer.

Pay Raises: Additionally, hourly pay increases of between 10% and almost 15% to state lifeguards are in effect this summer. Lifeguard pay ranges from $14 to $18.75 an hour based on location, experience, and position level. The raises range from 10.7% (from $14 to $15.50 for Lifeguard I jobs) to 14% (from $16 to $18.75 for Seasonal Supervising Lifeguard positions). All lifeguard candidates must receive state certification and have successfully completed courses and hold valid cards in lifeguard training, first aid, and CPR including infant, child, and adult.

Full-time lifeguard positions are available at all state swimming areas, including surf beaches such as Roger Wheeler and Misquamicut, non-surf beaches such as Goddard Memorial State Park, and freshwater beaches such as Burlingame Campground and Lincoln Woods State Park. Optimally, DEM would hire a workforce of around 150 lifeguards; the agency had about 85 in place for most of the 2022 summer. Despite this, DEM only had to restrict swimming areas at a few beaches a handful of times last year.

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Lifeguard Certifications

Do You Have What It Takes To Become A Lifeguard?

Individuals interested in working as a lifeguard in the State of Rhode Island must become certified by the Rhode Island State Parks as either a Surf or Non-Surf lifeguard to work at a waterfront facility.

Learn more and view testing dates