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In conjunction to our Employment Guide to Careers and the help of the Department of Labor Career Guide, I'll be doing a blog post series on different careers that are popular on EmploymentGuide.com. This hopefully will give you insight as to what a particular job will entail, the types of qualifications and skills that you'll need to get the job and any other relevant information. Please feel free to comment or email suggestions as to what you'd like to see in this series.

Entertainment & Recreation Jobs: Ride Attendant / Manager

On the Job
An amusement park ride manager is responsible for ensuring the safe operation of the various rides within the park or venue. The ride manager at an amusement park must monitor and test all the rides within his or her management area and ensure that they meet all federal, state or local guidelines with regards to safety. This may mean periodically testing as well as routinely testing the controls as well as the physical structure of the ride.

Most amusement park ride managers oversee the training of new employees that operate or work on the rides and equipment. The manager also helps employees learn how to respond to customer questions. Usually the amusement park ride manager will respond to all complaints or concerns that visitors may express regarding the safety of the ride or the behavior of the operators or employees. All employees should be aware of proper operating standards for the ride as well as signs or indications that there may be a problem with the ride or the systems. Since most new amusement park rides are computerized there is more safety and security, but operator alertness and management supervision is still very important.

The amusement park ride manager is also responsible for tracking the amount of use the various rides get per day, week, weekend or per season, recommending modifications or changes to the rides, or even moving less popular rides out of the park and bringing in more popular rides.

Common work activities include:
- Routinely checking and monitoring the safety of the various rides both structurally, electronically and through the computer systems if applicable.
- Training and supporting staff in the understanding of the equipment and the correct operation of the ride.
- Responding to any questions or concerns about safety or operation of the various rides within the park.
- Completing and tracking all maintenance, upkeep or repairs completed on the various rides.
- Understanding and rigidly adhering to any safety guidelines at a federal or state level regarding the maintenance or operation of the rides.
- Coordinating the maintenance and operation schedules for the ride to ensure proper staffing and upkeep.

(This On The Job Profile is courtesy of JobProfiles.org)

Benefits and Salary
In May 2006, median annual earnings of recreation workers who worked full time were $20,470. The middle 50 percent earned between $16,360 and $27,050. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $14,150, while the highest paid 10 percent earned $35,780 or more. However, earnings of recreation directors and others in supervisory or managerial positions can be substantially higher.

Experience & Required Education
The educational and training requirements for recreation workers vary widely depending on the type of job. Full-time career positions usually require a college degree. Many jobs, however, can be learned with only a short period of on-the-job training.

The large numbers of temporary, seasonal jobs in the recreation field typically are filled by high school or college students, generally do not have formal education requirements, and are open to anyone with the desired personal qualities. Employers compete for a share of the vacationing student labor force, and although salaries in recreation often are lower than those in other fields, the nature of the work and the opportunity to work outdoors are attractive to many.

Personality
This is a great opportunity for individuals who are looking for part-time or seasonal work. Those who enjoy working outside and with people might also be a good fit to work in an amusement park.

Read more about being a Ride Attendant or being a Recreation Worker