By Cheri Sicard
Remember the “golden age” of workcamping? Back when the world was dealing with lockdowns, campgrounds were packed. Owners were desperate for help. It was easy to find gigs where you got a free site, full pay for every hour you worked, and all your utilities covered. Cable, power, water—you name it! You could literally live for free and get paid on top of that.
Well, when it comes to workcamping in 2025, things have changed. The workcamping experts at Share the Journey share their observations in the video below.
While those sweet deals are still out there, snagging them is tough. Travel has slowed down, and campgrounds aren’t as slammed as they used to be. Campground owners realize they don’t have to pay as much because there’s more competition for workcamping jobs. More employers, especially corporate parks, want you to have some “skin in the game” when it comes to your campsite.
Workcamping changes in 2025
What exactly does “skin in the game” mean? Well, it means you’re chipping in for your site, one way or another. Let’s look at a few examples.
For instance, KOAs now charge workcampers for their sites. It’s not a terrible deal, but it does impact your paycheck. It’s about $200 a month, and that comes straight out of your earnings. From what I understand, you even get taxed on that money because they pay you for all your hours and then deduct the rent. So, if it’s $200 a month, it works out to about $100 per paycheck each month.
Currently the Share the Journey team manages an independent North Carolina campground. There, most couples work 15 hours a week in exchange for their site. Then they get paid for any hours they work beyond that. However, as managers, you won’t have to work any hours for the site and you will get a salary based on 40 hours a week.
Even with the management perks, the pay isn’t what it used to be.
The range of “hours for site”
These days, almost every campground is charging some hours for a site. It could be as little as five hours a week or as many as 20.
Even if you find a workcamping job that pays, don’t assume you’ll get tons of hours.
The couple has even heard of owners who bring in workcampers promising a certain number of hours, then they start cutting back at every opportunity. If the temperature dips too low, they’ll send people home. All of this means less guaranteed income.
And let’s talk about pay. When the couple started workcamping, a lot of places paid $15 an hour or more. Now they are seeing ads for $12 or $12.50 an hour.
So, to recap: You’re working for your site, getting fewer guaranteed hours, and making less money. The opportunity to make a real livable wage while workcamping isn’t as easy as it used to be.
How to improve your workcamping experience
Does all of this mean our hosts are giving up on workcamping? Absolutely not! They love the people they meet, the work itself, and the chance to see new places. They gave themselves an edge over the competition with certifications, plus their past experience makes them more employable and helps them get higher pay:
- Certified Pool Operator
- ServeSafe Food Certificates
- Propane certification
If you’re thinking about workcamping, take advantage of any chance to get certified in something. Owners often pay for these certifications. These certifications usually last three to five years and are often recognized nationwide.
Is workcamping in 2025 still worth it?
Absolutely! There are still good opportunities out there to workcamp. You just have to be smarter about it. Read reviews about campgrounds. See what other workcampers say about the owners and the experience. Make sure you can make a livable wage.
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We’ve been workkamping for 4 years now and have no intentions of stopping anytime soon. We’re in the pool of people who are retired from corporate work, collecting a pension, and have a desire to travel and see new places. We don’t look for or want a gig that pays. We only look for and apply to jobs that are an exchange of hours for a site and utilities. I sometimes feel like we’re in the minority now as I see more folks looking for $$. But it suits us and both paying and non-paying jobs are out there.
How do I find work to pay for my RV site parking. I don’t want any pay as I am retired and have a pension I don’t want to mess with and are new to RV living.
Hi, Steve. Try Googling “workcamping” or “workamping” or “work camping”. Here’s one link that might help you: https://workampingjobs.com/workampingjobs.php Good luck! And have a great day! 😀 –Diane at RVtravel.com
My hubby is working at a National Forest this year – it’s contracted out so he did not lose his job when park jobs were eliminated. He’ll work 20 hours a week for a free site with water, electricity, and sewer. Considering staying at a campground a month is $600 more or less, it’s a good deal. Plus if he has to work over that, he does get paid.
Thank you for calling attention to the video and summarizing it, Cheri! The updated information is useful and interesting. Have a great day and safe travels!
Talk with a tax expert. If your non-work camping taxable income puts you near the top of a tax bracket, working even a little bit might push you into the next higher tax bracket. If that happens, you will effectively be making marginally less for your time as a work-camper.
Or check local employers for PT work. The higher pay may be enough to be a better bet even if you have to pay for site and utilities. That was certainly true at our last park after sale of the park from family to corporate owned.
Not saying don’t work-camp! Just saying make sure the numbers make sense for you.