Coolest job on earth, Worklife in Antarctica
Managed by the National Science Foundation, the USAP deploys roughly 3,000 people to Antarctica every year to conduct scientific research, or provide support to researchers through the operation and maintenance of the research stations and vessels.
Inquiring about opportunities depends on your area of interest.
Reality check 1 - There are far more people who want to work in Antarctica than there are jobs available
Reality check 2 - with some exceptions, Antarctic personnel are specialists in a particular field, enthusiastic generalists can get jobs in Antarctica, but the field of applicants is that much larger.
Reality check 3 - It is expensive to transport personnel to and from Antarctica, so while 3-6 months may suit you best, longer than this makes more sense for those who pay the bills. But then again, there are some positions for 3-6 months going as well as the longer contracts.
Jobs in Antarctica are almost exclusively on National Research Stations. These stations vary in size quite considerably, typically having 40 - 50 people in the summer months, from around November - March, and a much smaller winter crew of maybe 10 - 20 from March to November.
About 5,000 people visit Antarctic stations each year from about 27 different countries with around 1,000 of the remaining over the winter months. Winter means isolation when there is no transport in or out and contact is only by various electronic telecommunications.
Halley Station including Virtual Tour →
A list of currently operational Antarctic Stations →
Jobs fall into two categories - scientific and support (sometimes called trades)
Scientific Positions are in reality the job of the base, without them there would be little or no need for the base at all. Scientists are at a minimum of postgraduate level and often postdoctoral, though the more junior they are the more likely they will be able to spend a longer time period in Antarctica (over-wintering for example). Scientists usually take down a project to Antarctica with them and are fairly self-contained equipment-wise. Occasionally they may be able to "plug-into" an on-going project fulfilling a discrete sub-part of the whole. Scientists fall into many categories:
- Glaciologists
- Geologists
- Chemists - studying snow, ice, freshwater etc.
- Atmospheric physicists
- Meteorologists
- Oceanologists
- Biologists - terrestrial or marine
Support positions or trades fall into a whole range of occupations that are involved with the tasks of keeping the base and its personnel in good repair and able to perform duties safely and efficiently. These positions usually require people who are experienced in their particular field almost always with relevant professional qualifications, including but not limited to the following:
- Cook
- Electrician
- Carpenter
- Boat handler
- Mechanic
- Plumber
- Radio operator
- Doctor
- Diving officer
- Firefighters
Your experience of Antarctica will depend very much on your job.
Scientific staff will generally have more interesting experiences as their jobs often take them away from the base more. There are exceptions though, an atmospheric scientist will have little reason to leave base for the purpose of doing the job, and a boat handler will spend large amounts of time off base. If your job involves transportation in any way, then you will see more of Antarctica than anyone.
On many bases there is the expectation and requirement that all staff will fulfill generalist roles such as unloading ships, washing-dishes, night-watch, cleaning the base, dealing with the trash etc. The smaller the base, the more varied of these housekeeping jobs you will be expected to do in addition to your own specialist tasks.
Personnel are screened carefully for their psychological and physical suitability to work in the demanding environment of Antarctica. They must be in very good physical shape as full medical facilities are far away in distance and also often in time.
Other jobs - you may have guessed by now that there are lots of jobs for which there is no requirement in Antarctica. So you might be the best car salesman, lawyer or basketball coach in your town, but you won't be getting a job in Antarctica doing those things. The number of non-required occupations is too long to list, if you want to work there you need to be a required specialist or take a non-specialist job.
Antarctica jobs and pay
As it's a case of supply and demand, and the supply of people ready to work in Antarctica is generally greater than the demand for personnel, the answer to this question is not the great fortune that is sometimes imagined.
In general, personnel in Antarctica on a National Antarctic Programme, supply ship, contract work etc. will be paid pretty much the same as they would for doing the same job back in their home country, often with a small extra bonus but forget any idea of 2x or 3x salary multiples.
It seems that you're paid more though because:
- There's not a lot to spend your money on.
- Taxation is often less than at home (varies by country).
- The big expenses of accommodation, food, and much of your clothing, usually including all specialist clothing, are provided for you for free.