Live and work surrounded by the pristine beauty of Southeast Alaska!
Our backyard is the Alaskan wilderness, with the wild seascape of the Pacific Ocean's Inside Passage out one door and the mountainous rainforest making up the Tongass National Forest out the other. When you live in Ketchikan, you get the chance to work and play in one of the world's most beautiful natural environments.
Ketchikan is perched on a Southeast Alaskan island located in the world's largest temperate rainforest, tucked between the mountains and the sea.
About Lighthouse Excursions
We're a locally owned & operated wildlife-viewing & sightseeing tour boat company in Ketchikan, Alaska. We primarily offer tours to guests traveling to Alaska seasonally May-September. We love where we live, and we think it's pretty cool that we get to make our work showing off our home to people coming from all over the world to visit Alaska! As a small company, we have a close-knit crew that is always excited to welcome newcomers to our beautiful home.
The Employee Experience
Like most small businesses, we all wear a lot of hats! Our work environment is collaborative, immersive, and fun. Our seasoned crew members can vouch: a work day with us flies by, and you never know what cool wildlife you might see on any given day.
By nature, seasonal work in cruise ship tourism means no day is exactly the same. Our daily tour schedule changes week-to-week, which requires schedule flexibility from all of our crew members. However, we are also a company that understands the balance between coming to Alaska to work alongside the adventure of experiencing a new, incredible wild environment and the benefits of a vibrant community. When you work with our team, you can expect to get the best of both worlds.
We are also dedicated to providing a comfortable learning environment where all of our employees have an opportunity to grow their professional knowledge and gain competency in a variety of skillsets. Our positions are particularly well-suited to help our crew members pursue either a captain's license and/or a career in tourism.
Ideal Candidate
Our ideal candidate is self-driven, punctual, reliable, flexible, and the definition of a team player. While we don’t require experience in tourism or on boats to work with us, high-quality customer service skills, a positive attitude, a strong work ethic, and an eagerness to learn new skills are a must.
Room and Board
Our subsidized company housing is available on a first-come, first-serve basis. However, if our company housing is unavailable, we provide assistance to all out-of-town crew searching for housing. In a small town, word-of-mouth is often the best way to find a good living situation, so we are always happy to provide a local connection to help facilitate a smooth housing experience.
Employee Perks
One of the top benefits you'll receive working at Lighthouse Excursions is the company culture. We provide a collaborative, fun, supportive work environment, all surrounded by the wild beauty of the Southeast Alaskan seascape. Other benefits include:
- $250 travel stipend for all crew members coming from out-of-state
- $1.50/per hour worked end-of-season bonus at the completion of your contract
- 401K benefit after approximately one season of full-time employment
- 20% employee discount on all company merchandise
- Access to tours or attractions offered at discounted or local rates through community partnerships
Getting Here and Getting Around
Ketchikan has a public bus transit system, which crew members can utilize to get to and from work, to the grocery store, or out on adventures. While our tour boats are located north of town, Ketchikan's downtown area--where most community activities and events occur--is very walkable and only about a mile from end-to-end. No matter where you live on the island the ocean or a hiking trail is never very far away.
However, we encourage new crew members to bring a vehicle if it's in their budget, as it provides a flexibility and freedom to explore beyond the reaches of the public transit system and its schedule. (We have yet to have a crew member tell us they regretted bringing a car.)
For Fun
We encourage all of our employees to get to know Ketchikan! We may be biased, but we think our home is one of the coolest places on the planet. Located on a remote island in Southeast Alaska, Ketchikan provides an unending supply of opportunities for outdoor adventures, both on land and sea. With a wild seascape out one door, and a mountainous rainforest out the other, you won't ever be short for a chance to connect with nature. As a fishing town, with deep roots in the commercial fishing industry, you'd also be hard pressed not to find a fishing pole in your hand, if that's something you've always dreamed about. We additionally boast a vibrant arts community, which is home to visual artists, musicians, writers, dancers, and actors. So if you're the artist type, you'll find any number of chances to witness (or participate in!) concerts, theater, dance, or other arts events.
Our largest economic driver is tourism. Ketchikan hosts a substantial population of seasonal employees during our summer months, which means working with us provides a great chance to connect with both new friends coming to Alaska for the first time or the locals who make this beautiful place their home year-round.
How to Apply
Please email us your resume, including the dates of your tour season availability and three professional references. On average, most candidates can expect to hear back from us within 2 business weeks.
*Our 2025 summer season runs from mid-April to mid-October. The majority of available positions each year require flexible scheduling and full-season availability.
Contact Info
- Rebekka Esbjornson
- employment@lighthouseexcursion.com
- (907) 225-6919
- lighthouseexcursions.com
