Yosemite Workers Will Lose Up to $4 an Hour Starting January 2026

Federal Pay Change Slashes Wages

If you work at Yosemite National Park and fix trails, clean facilities, or keep the lights running, your paycheck is about to shrink.

The federal government just reclassified Yosemite from San Francisco’s pay zone to Fresno’s, and the difference is brutal.

A maintenance mechanic making $28.22 an hour will drop to $24. 64. The change takes effect January 1, 2026, and workers found out right before Thanksgiving.

The timing couldn’t be worse, because Yosemite’s workforce has already been gutted this year, and the people still showing up are being asked to do more with less.

San Francisco Pay Rates Are Gone

Yosemite National Park was previously included in the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland pay locality region, which offers a 46 percent increase over the government’s base rate.

That made sense when the park was grouped with Stockton, as it had been for 16 years.

But after January 1, Yosemite will be included in the Fresno-Madera-Hanford locality region, where the increase over the base rate is just 17 percent.

The nearly 30-point difference translates directly into smaller paychecks for hourly workers.

The Math Hits Hard

Some employees could see their hourly wage drop by as much as $4.

The pay cut could reduce hourly wages by as much as $3.50 for some positions. A maintenance mechanic, for example, could see their hourly rate fall from $28.22 to $24. 64.

That’s more than $7,000 a year for a full-time worker. For seasonal employees who already struggle to make ends meet, the cut is even harder to absorb.

Blue-Collar Roles Take the Hit

At first, the cuts will only impact wage-grade workers.

These seasonal park employees are largely paid hourly and hold blue-collar roles, such as janitors, trail workers, electricians, painters, and mechanics.

Any wage-grade employee hired, promoted, or changing positions as of January 1, 2026, will have their pay changed.

Workers who stay in their current roles won’t see immediate cuts, but any career move triggers the lower rate.

Living Costs Stay High Anyway

Many workers commute one or even two hours into work and face steep costs of living in and around the Yosemite area.

The Fresno pay classification doesn’t reflect what it actually costs to live near the park.

Gateway towns like Mariposa and El Portal aren’t cheap, and rent in California’s Sierra foothills has climbed steadily.

Workers who hoped the federal government would account for reality are now watching that hope disappear.

Lose Your Job, Lose Your Home

Because some parts of Yosemite are located dozens of miles from the nearest city, accommodations at the park are typically offered to people who work there, for a fee.

Many count on their employment at the park to provide them with housing.

“They’re dependent upon their job to have a home,” said Jesse Chakrin, executive director of The Fund for People in Parks. If low wages push workers out, they don’t just lose a paycheck. They lose a place to live.”

The Union Fires Back

The National Federation of Federal Employees’ Local 465, a union representing Yosemite and four nearby national parks, said that federal employees were notified of the upcoming changes on November 21.

One NPS employee who is also a union representative called the change a “slap in the face.” The union said the loss in pay will likely result in added stress, lower retention, and slower overall park operations.

A Workforce Already Gutted

Since the Trump administration took office, the National Park Service has lost 24% of its permanent staff, a staggering reduction that has left parks across the country scrambling to operate with bare-bones crews.

Additionally, seasonal hiring is lagging far behind the nearly 8,000 positions pledged by the administration, with only roughly 4,500 seasonal positions filled so far.

The workers who remain are stretched thin and picking up extra duties just to keep Yosemite running.

The Valentine’s Day Firings

On February 14, 10 full-time federal employees at Yosemite were fired when the federal government terminated about 1,000 newly hired employees throughout the National Park Service.

In the weeks that followed, additional experienced workers left the park service voluntarily. Park leaders and employees have been organizing ever since, calling the mass layoffs the “Valentine’s Day massacre.”

Seasonal Workers Went Unpaid

Some seasonal employees at Yosemite National Park worked for as long as six weeks without pay this spring and summer as park supervisors scrambled to manage hiring amid federal budget cuts.

The employees said they are now receiving hourly wages but have not been paid for the work they were asked to do as volunteers while they waited to be put on the federal payroll.

“It’s definitely taking advantage of people who love their jobs and don’t want the park to suffer,” said one of the employees.

Staff Are Heading for the Exit

“I can’t tell you how many people are looking for jobs actively outside the park,” said one union representative.

“It’s just not a winning deal right now to come work for the National Park Service, and that’s a sad thing to say about one of our most beloved institutions.”

The Department of the Interior said it is coordinating with the Office of Human Capital to understand the impacts and identify options that may help affected employees.

For now, workers are waiting to see if any help actually comes.

Visiting Yosemite National Park, California

Yosemite’s trails, waterfalls, and granite cliffs draw nearly four million visitors each year, even as the workers who maintain them face uncertain futures.

The park is open year-round, with entrance fees of $35 per vehicle, $30 per motorcycle, or $20 per person on foot or bike.

An annual pass costs $70. The park is located about 150 miles east of San Francisco via Highway 120 or Highway 140.

Reservations are required for day visits during peak season from April through October. You can check current conditions and book at nps. gov/yose.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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