Ski resorts are big employers: Deer Valley alone says more than 3,500 people work there, from locals to seasonal staff from around the world. Not all of them are college students, and the jobs suit retirees, parents chasing a family pass, career hospitality workers and teenagers on a first job. Our student guide, winter and ski-season jobs for students, covers fitting a resort job around classes. This page is for everyone else: what the resorts themselves say about age, passes, housing, transportation and when to apply.
Everything below is from the resorts' own career pages, read in October 2026. Benefits change from season to season and often depend on hours worked, so treat this as a map of what to ask, and read each posting.
When to apply
Sundance Mountain Resort spells it out on its hiring site: winter seasonal positions are posted between September and November, for a winter season that runs December to April. Summer postings appear in March or April for a May-to-October season. Year-round jobs open whenever they open.
Vail Resorts (Park City Mountain) said on its jobs site in October 2026 that it was hiring for winter 2026-27, listing cooks, drivers and instructors among the roles.
Alta said its lifts' opening day was planned for November 20, conditions permitting, and that summer jobs post each spring. It expects employees to be available on all holidays, which are its busiest days.
The practical read: at Sundance, October and November are inside the posted winter hiring window, so apply now rather than waiting for snow.
Who can work: ages and eligibility
| Resort | What it says |
|---|---|
| Alta | Applicants must be 18 or older (21 for ski patrol) and authorized to work in the U.S. |
| Deer Valley | Jobs for teens as young as 14 (dining room attendant, steward, cook helper); more at 16 (lift ticket checker, instructor assistant in winter) |
| Sundance | Employees must agree to a drug and alcohol testing policy |
| Solitude | 401(k) match for staff over 21 |
No maximum age. None of the resort hiring pages we read sets an upper age limit, and Brighton's employment page lists age among the characteristics covered by its equal employment opportunity policy. Deer Valley says it has more than 700 instructors, many with more than five seasons and some with more than 15, and that most lessons involve children and families. That is a job where patience and life experience count.
Visas. Alta says it does not sponsor H-2B or J-1 visas. Solitude says it accepts in-country H-2B applications for winter seasons only.
The pass and the perks
This is the main reason many adults take a resort job. What each resort lists:
Alta
- Free skiing at Alta with your employee ID.
- Spouses and eligible dependents may buy discounted Alta season passes.
- Qualifying employees get lift ticket vouchers for friends and family and 50 percent off day passes at Ikon and Mountain Collective partner resorts.
- Free Snowbird lift ticket upgrades; free ski school lessons (Alta is skiers-only and offers employees free lessons).
- Free UTA ski bus use and UTA rideshare vans.
- Medical, dental, vision and life insurance and a 401(k) for qualifying employees.
Alta's perks page carries an old note about the 2020-21 season, so confirm the current list with the hiring team (jobs@alta.com, 801-799-2346).
Solitude
- Discounted and complimentary passes; spouse and dependent passes depending on status.
- A free Nordic ski and snowshoe pass at the Solitude Nordic Center.
- Ikon Pass partner discounts.
- A free UTA ski bus pass and employee UTA vanpool privileges.
- A free summer lift pass, including bike haul.
- 401(k) with a match for staff over 21.
Vail Resorts (Park City Mountain)
- Advertises free Epic Passes, free ski and snowboard lessons, 40 percent retail discounts and a $20-an-hour starting wage across its resorts, plus health and wellness benefits.
Sundance, Deer Valley, Snowbird and Brighton did not list benefits on the general career pages we could read; check individual postings. For the pass value you would otherwise pay, see our ski pass guide for Utah Valley families.
Housing and getting there
Housing is the exception, not the rule.
- Alta: housing is offered for certain jobs and departments, and the job description will say if it is.
- Solitude: no on-site housing. It points employees to the Salt Lake Valley and suggests living near UTA ski bus stops.
- Other resorts did not state housing terms on the pages we read.
Transportation is the bigger issue from Utah Valley:
- Sundance, up Provo Canyon, is the closest resort to Provo and Orem and the realistic daily commute; our Sundance and the resorts without a car guide covers the drive and transit.
- Soldier Hollow in Midway, run by the Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation, hires at its Nordic center and tubing hill. The foundation's careers page lists openings by venue (Soldier Hollow, Utah Olympic Park and the Utah Olympic Oval) and takes general applications at 2002 Soldier Hollow Lane, Midway. See our Soldier Hollow guide.
- Park City and Deer Valley are a longer drive, on the far side of the Wasatch; our Deer Valley from Utah Valley guide covers the route.
- The Cottonwood resorts (Alta, Snowbird, Brighton, Solitude) are reached through Salt Lake County canyons. Alta and Solitude give employees free UTA ski bus use and vanpools, but those buses start in the Salt Lake Valley. From Utah County, see ski buses and carpools from Utah Valley, and fit snow tires: winter tires and canyon driving.
Which job fits which life
- Retired, love to ski, good with kids: ski school. Deer Valley's page shows how many instructors return season after season, and Alta and Vail list free lessons for staff.
- Weekends only, for a family pass: ask about part-time minimums. Solitude and Alta tie some passes and family benefits to status; ask exactly what part-time earns.
- Want indoor, warm work: food and beverage, lodging, rentals and ticketing. Sundance runs restaurants, a hotel with 63 rooms and other operations alongside its slopes.
- Teenager's first job: Deer Valley, from 14 for some roles.
- Want the full season with housing: look for Alta postings marked with housing, or larger resorts' seasonal programs, and ask early.
Before you say yes
- What does the pass require? Minimum shifts, staying through a date, or forfeiture if you leave early.
- Is it seasonal, part-time or year-round? Benefits like health insurance and 401(k) often depend on it.
- Holidays: Alta expects availability on all holidays. If Christmas week or Sunday matters to you, ask before you accept.
- Drug testing: Sundance requires agreement to its testing policy; others may too.
- Getting there in a storm: canyon roads can close. Ask what happens when you cannot get up.
For Utah Valley's broader seasonal market, see summer jobs in Utah Valley and part-time jobs in Provo.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does Sundance hire for winter?
Is there an age limit for ski resort jobs in Utah?
Do ski resort employees get a free pass?
Do Utah ski resorts offer employee housing?
What do ski resort jobs pay in Utah?
Can retirees work at a ski resort?
Does Alta sponsor work visas?
How do I get to a Cottonwood resort job without driving the canyon?
Sources
The facts in this guide were checked against these sources. Hours, fees and rules change, so confirm anything time-sensitive with the source before you go. How we make Provo.com.
- When do I apply?, Sundance Mountain Resort. Checked October 20, 2026.
- Employee Expectations, Sundance Mountain Resort. Checked October 20, 2026.
- Sundance Mountain Resort: Careers, Sundance Mountain Resort. Checked October 20, 2026.
- Alta Ski Area: Jobs, Alta Ski Area. Checked October 20, 2026.
- Solitude Career Information, Solitude Mountain Resort. Checked October 20, 2026.
- Deer Valley Resort: Jobs, Deer Valley Resort. Checked October 20, 2026.
- Vail Resorts Jobs, Vail Resorts. Checked October 20, 2026.
- Brighton Resort: Employment, Brighton Resort. Checked October 20, 2026.
- Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation: Careers, Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation. Checked October 20, 2026.
