It happens to the best of us, usually mid-meeting, mid-commute, or while you’re staring blankly at your screen, your mind starts to drift. You’re not thinking about the next deadline—you're thinking about the mountain.
Maybe you've never worked at a resort, but you have been bored, frustrated, or simply annoyed with your current job. And when that happens, the fantasy of a life on the snow creeps in, daydreaming about the free pass, the cold mornings, and the cool recognition that you could work where you play. Immediately, the practical voice cuts in: You can't pay the bills with those jobs... or can you?
What most people never see is the other side of the ski industry. Beyond the entry-level mountain jobs is a full ecosystem of serious careers. Operations. Hospitality. Sales. Leadership. Roles that still keep you close to the mountain, but come with real compensation and long-term stability.
Here are five ski-industry jobs that regularly pay six-figures, with live listings you can explore right now.
1 — Resort General Manager
Typical range: $150K–$225K+
This is the top job, think of it as the CEO of the mountain. You are the one person responsible for everything the resort is and does.
Why This Job Is For You:
You are the ultimate decision-maker, overseeing mountain operations, lodging, dining, staffing, and safety. You carry the P&L, and your strategic vision dictates the resort's growth, pricing, and the entire guest experience. It is a high-stakes role where you directly shape the future of a place people love.
Live Job Listings:
- General Manager ski resort roles on Indeed
- Resort General Manager opportunities in Utah and the Mountain West
Reality Check:
The hours are intense, especially during peak season. You are paid this salary to own every single problem that arises, not to chase powder days.
2 — Director of Mountain Operations
Typical range: $120K–$180K
If the Resort GM is the CEO, you are the Chief Operating Officer. This is where the physics of running a mountain actually happen.
Why This Job Is For You:
You ensure the lifts spin safely, the snow is made and groomed to perfection, and the patrol is coordinated. You live at the intersection of logistics, safety, and engineering. Your focus is on the nuts and bolts of the actual terrain and making sure the mountain experience is flawless from first chair to last call.
Live Job Listings:
- Director of Mountain Operations roles
- Corporate and senior mountain operations roles (major resort operators)
Reality Check:
You will see a lot of sunrises. Early mornings are the norm. Storm days are not days off; they are your most critical workdays. There is a lot of operational pressure.
3 — Director of Sales and Marketing
Typical range: $110K–$160K+
This is the person who translates snow into revenue. You are the architect of the resort's commercial success.
Why This Job Is For You:
You drive the most important numbers: season pass sales, lodging demand, and group business. You are in charge of the resort's brand strategy, managing key partnerships and sponsorships. You design and lead the campaigns that directly determine how many skiers visit the mountain. You connect the mountain's core product to the customer's wallet.
Live Job Listings:
- Ski resort sales and marketing leadership roles
- Corporate sales and marketing roles at major resort groups
Reality Check:
Yes, it’s a desk job. A well-compensated desk job, but still a desk job. Revenue targets wait for no powder day.
4 — Director of Food and Beverage
Typical range: $105K–$150K
A ski resort is a massive, high-volume hospitality machine. You run the engine.
Why This Job Is For You:
You are responsible for running multiple restaurants, cafeterias, and bars across the mountain. This means leading large, seasonal teams and maintaining tight control over margins in environments where demand can swing wildly. If you thrive on logistics, team leadership, and the high-stakes pressure of a busy service industry, this role is a dynamic challenge.
Live Job Listings:
- Ski resort food and beverage director roles
- Deer Valley Resort careers page (hospitality leadership roles)
Reality Check:
Expect to work nights and weekends, especially during peak season. Staffing and turnover challenges are a constant part of the role.
5 — Top-Tier Ski Instructor
Potential range: $100K–$150K+ for elite private instructors
Forget the entry-level instructor gig; this is a career built on elite skill and reputation.
Why This Job Is For You:
You are not just teaching a beginner how to link turns. You are working with high-net-worth, repeat private clients. Your income is a reflection of your advanced certifications, specialization (like race coaching or technical mastery), and the trust you build. It is a highly specialized, client-facing role that rewards years of dedication to your craft.
Live Job Listings & Pathways:
Reality Check:
Income heavily relies on your reputation, client base, and demand. This tier takes years of advanced training and experience to reach. It is often a seasonal role unless you work in the summer snow sports market or travel internationally.
The Career Path Less Traveled
These jobs are not shortcuts or lifestyle fantasies. They are demanding, high-responsibility roles that just happen to exist on mountains instead of corporate office parks.
Almost everyone who holds one of these positions started exactly where you might have: lift ops, ticket windows, snowmaking, or ski school. They stayed long enough to build the foundational skills and connections that truly matter.
If you find yourself still daydreaming about the mountain during your current meetings, it's probably more than just simple nostalgia. Maybe it's a signal.
Snow reports and hiring cycles both come and go.
And perhaps, not every path forward requires you to walk away from the thing you truly love.
If you’re ready to turn the daydream into a plan, our Ski Town Finder lets you compare ski towns by lifestyle, terrain, and real estate—so you can figure out where the mountain career you want actually fits.
