Wages grow for seasonal Green Bay employees

GREEN BAY, Wis. (WBAY) - “It’s been a couple hard summers for our department with filling all of our seasonal positions. Bay Beach Amusement Park, our pools, our playground leaders, our seasonal employees...” Recreation Manager Ann Moeller told Action 2 News.

In an effort to keep programs running efficiently, the Green Bay Parks, Recreation and Forestry Department is upping their seasonal pay.

Facilities attendants are going to learn at least $13 an hour, but some positions pay upwards of $20.

Moeller said last year lifeguards made $12-$13 an hour... but this summer, their hourly wages start at $16.

“We are competitive with municipalities in Northeast Wisconsin which is exciting,” Moeller explained. “Hopefully these are just really attractive positions for our community and those who are looking for summer work.”

At Bay Beach Amusement Park, supervisors said it’s more difficult to find ride operators because they need to be at least 18-years-old.

“Last year we got a lot of 14 and 15-year-olds. They want to come back and work because they had so much fun so we’re usually okay there but the 18 and older is what we really want to emphasize,” Brittany Burkart-Labar said.

Bay Beach aims to have 250 to 300 employees working across the park... not just running rides like the Zippin Pippin but also in the gift shop and concessions stands.

“Usually we have about 30-40% of our staff that come back every year so it’s usually 150-200 employees that we need to hire.”

Burkart-Labar said ride operators can make up to $18 an hour. Plus, for working weekends in May and September, staff can take home an extra $100 bonus.

There’s also a $25 bonus for referring a friend and discounts on food and merchandise for employees.

She said the pay isn’t the only perk:

“Just working outside. Working with the kids. People come here to have fun so it makes your job a lot more fun too!”

Looking for summer work? You can stop by a seasonal job fair Saturday, Feb. 18 at the Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary’s banquet center. Moeller said there will be opportunities to apply, plus some interviews on the spot.

Click here to view open positions.

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