Sugar Bowl remains family-owned and independent, making us one of the best spots to work in the region. Whether you're searching for a seasonal job, or a career in the mountains, we have a position suited for you.
Hourly wages starting at $20 for most positions
Comfortable & affordable housing available*
*Housing on a first-come, first-served basis
Plus more perks, employee parties, & benefits
And of course, free skiing & riding!
Hourly wages starting at $20
Comfortable & affordable housing (first-come, first-served)
Employee parties, & benefits
Free skiing & riding, of course!
Industry-leading compensation for management
Great coverage for health, dental, vision & life insurance
Company matched 401K up to 100% of the first 3%
Affordable manager-specific housing available
Free skiing & riding, of course!
Industry-leading compensation
Great insurance coverage
Company matched 401K
Affordable housing available
Free skiing & riding, of course!
Skiing and riding are free for employees but that's just the beginning of what a job at Sugar Bowl has to offer. Seasonal roles are available for indoor and outdoor positions, day and night. Whether you are seeking a full-time opportunity or part-time hours, we have a path for you. Our family of seasonal staff is an integral part of bringing this proudly independent resort to life. From delivering the warm-friendly service we are known for to educating our guests about the resort's sustainability mission at Sugar Bowl our team is the key to success.
That’s right– free skiing & riding for you AND your qualified dependents. Both full and part-time Sugar Bowl employees can take advantage of this privilege, potentially saving your family thousands of dollars in season pass fees. Employees and their dependents are issued our highest tier unrestricted pass, which has no blackout dates. We think sliding on snow is much more fun with your favorite adventure buddies.
If you are scratching your head about who “qualifies,” think spouse, domestic partner, kids, etc. and reach out to human resources for more information.
*Some restrictions apply based on hours worked and age of dependents.
$20 Lift Tickets to ShareTrust us, when your friends and family find out you work at Sugar Bowl, they are going to ask you if you can get them a lift ticket. We got you! Each employee earns a stack of $20 ticket vouchers to share. It’s as easy as logging in to your employee account and emailing them directly to your crew. The best part is that each season you work at Sugar Bowl you earn more $20 vouchers. Spread the love!
Score Discounted Lift Tickets at Other ResortsSugar Bowl is part of the Mountain Collective, which means our employees get treated like royalty when visiting other Mountain Collective resorts. The list of resorts is pretty amazing and includes bucket-list stops like Aspen, Jackson Hole, Snowbird, Taos and even Chamonix. Our team members get 50% off at each of these resorts, but please check with the visiting resort prior to arrival for redemption information.
Free Swag & Discounts on Ski GearOur local shop, Village Ski & Sports, carries the latest in hard goods from Volkl, Nordica and Giro plus soft goods from Patagonia, Helly Hansen, Arc'teryx, and more. It’s the only place to purchase our limited-edition Sugar Bowl merch, and you’ll score it at a fraction of the cost. Your employee discount knocks a hefty 20%-40% off (depending on position) everything at the shop.
Even More Deals: Sugar Bowl and ExpertVoice have collaborated to offer team members huge deals with brands like Oakley, SMITH, 686, Flylow and Dakine, and tons more.
If free swag is more your style, be sure to attend our employee appreciation parties hosted throughout the season– there’s usually a great raffle!
Your Housing Hunt Is EasierIf you work at Sugar Bowl you qualify to live in our employee housing. Over 150 beds are located 1-3 miles from the resort, and some are even slopeside. The resort-subsidized rent makes living in the region affordable for all our team members, from seasonal employees to supervisors & managers. Learn more about our affordable employee housing.
A Schedule Built Around Your LifestyleSugar Bowl has a variety of part-time and full-time positions available, both indoors and outdoors. Would you rather work the evenings, so you won’t miss a single powder day? Have the opportunity to skin up the mountain at 6am before starting work each day? Squeeze in 3 hot laps on your lunch break? Or maybe choose a job that IS skiing, like patrol or ski & board school. Reach out to a recruiter and Sugar Bowl will try to find a position to match your schedule needs.
Best “Office View” AroundPerched atop of Donner Summit, our work environment is like no other. Take lunch and head out for a 30-minute ski break every day for the best “office view” around. The surrounding Sierra are a sight to behold – from the jagged Palisades, to the jewel of Donner Lake, to the exposed ridge of the Pacific Crest stretching off into the distance– it’s a lot to take in!
Tahoe Without the HassleChances are that you have some idea about how crowded resorts and roadways can get in Tahoe (or any major mountain town for that matter.) At Sugar Bowl, we do things a little differently to prevent the mountain from becoming overcrowded. We choose to limit our season pass sales every season and our lift ticket sales every day. That means less traffic getting here, less people in line, and less skiers on the mountain. That means more fun for you– a better experience at work and while commuting to and from work. We won’t lie, traveling to any mountain resort in Tahoe can be challenging in the winter, but at least you won’t be stuck on 267 or 89 in endless traffic backed up to the parking lots.
Read more about how we keep the slopes uncrowded in our blog post Escape to Uncrowded.
Private Ski/Ride Sessions for EmployeesWe mentioned our legendary employee parties earlier but we have to circle back. During the winter months, we host a few employee parties where we spin the lifts outside of normal operating hours exclusively for employees. Imagine ripping around a private mountain with your coworkers, capping it off with free dinner and beverages on the sundeck. It’s an all-time good time.
Free Rental & Lesson for EmployeesJust getting started with snow sports? We can hook you up with free rental skis, snowboards, and/or boots. You also have access to group lessons at our renowned ski & board school on midweek days during non-holiday periods*. We all started somewhere, and we’re excited to welcome you to the sport! *Subject to availability.
We know how difficult finding suitable housing in our highly desirable location. That is why we offer more employee housing than any other resort in the region. We offer various styles of accommodations, from studio apartments to dorm-style shared rooms with double-occupancy for most room types. And as a bonus, all our housing is located on Donner Summit, so you will be spending less gas getting to work each day..
We know how difficult finding suitable housing in our highly desirable location. That is why we offer more employee housing than any other resort in the region. We offer various styles of accommodations, from studio apartments to dorm-style shared rooms with double-occupancy for most room types. And as a bonus, all our housing is located on Donner Summit, so you will be spending less gas getting to work each day..
I stumbled across Sugar Bowl by accident and have found it combines my passion for hospitality and my love of the mountains. One of our values is that we celebrate resilience. When it is time to come together because of big events or big snow no one misses a beat.
Mark B. - Village Services
I chose Sugar Bowl because it is independent and not part of a giant corporation. This is a place where you can get to know everyone you work with and move your career forward. You are an individual here, not a number.
Dana D. - Tickets
I’m from Kansas and it’s FLAT; we just don’t have mountains. Now, I drive up Donner Road looking at the Palisades every day. It never gets old, especially on a nice crisp morning. Plus, I get to drive a big yellow snow cat all winter.
Garrett B. - Shipping & Receiving
Having worked at both large, corporate ski resorts and small, independent ski areas over the past 25 years, I can confidently say that Sugar Bowl is the best of both worlds. Being an employee here makes you a part of the Sugar Bowl family. We care about each other, our mountain, our community, and we love to ski and ride!
Joel C. - Tickets & Retails
For me, Sugar Bowl is a Goldilocks-sized company- Not too big, not too small. I can directly see and feel the impact of the work I contribute to the resort. I never feel like a tiny cog inside a big corporation.
Maggie E. - Marketing
Sugar Bowl is independent and family-oriented. It’s definitely not a small mountain but it still has that small-mountain community feel. I have a young family and it’s the kind of place I would want my kid to learn to ski.
Parker G. - Terrain Parks
I left my role as an HR specialist in sunny San Diego to return to the mountains and the bowl! I truly missed the community on the summit and the friendships I had built in my seasonal work at Sugar Bowl. Sugar Bowl is a truly magical place and I chose it over any other resort because of the people, location, and attitude.
Madi M. - Human Resources
I have worked at Sugar Bowl going on 48 years. When I first started working at Sugar Bowl, I never dreamt that I'd be working here this long. I was 19 years old. I've been a liftie, worked with base area maintenance, and then I was a bartender. It just worked out to be a career here. I love to be able to look out and say, oh, it looks like a great ski day.
Joe M. - Gondola Operations
I have met so many lifelong friends at Sugar Bowl, when I started here I hardly skied and I didn’t know many people in the area, after two years here I am confidently ripping down the mountain with endless ski pals! Plus- it doesn’t get much better than skiing on your lunch break!
Sarah D. - Food & Beverage
I feel like I’m part of a work family. I worked for a big corporate company in the ski industry prior to working for Sugar Bowl, and I never felt like family. Very easy to get up and go to work knowing you are surrounded by great people.
Darrin S. - Gondola Manager
Sugar Bowl has a wholly unique vibe. Our character is built upon our authenticity, independence, and historic charm while our massive annual snowfall and legendary terrain sets us apart. At the same time, our resort is family-friendly and there's plenty of beginner and intermediate terrain to explore. All this comes together and makes Sugar Bowl a special place to experience and a great place to work. (Learn more about Sugar Bowl's History)
Being an employee at Sugar Bowl is the epitome of "work hard play hard", which means that in addition to the duties of your job, there's also often a lot of FUN going around here too! For starters, you'll be joining a community of passionate and hardy mountain-loving individuals– hello new ski buddies. Next, you have the opportunity for great ski and ride breaks during your shift– yep, best lunch break ever. And finally, there's tons of events going on around the resort. Watch out for great events like our Banked Slalom, the legendary Tiki Pond Skim, an uphill ski touring race, a poker-themed scavenger hunt, and terrain park and big mountain competitions. We also host local musicians and bands just about every weekend throughout the season– because yes, après is that important!
The legendary terrain and plentiful snowfall alone would make Sugar Bowl a good place to work, but it's the authentic alpine spirit, our old school charm, the company values, and our fun-forward atmosphere that make it a truly special place to work. Now that you've gotten to know us a little bit, it's clear to say that we've got plenty of character to go around. We hope you'll consider becoming a part of our community by joining the team.
