Your ultimate guide to landing a summer camp job in America

If the phrase "paid summer in America, with accommodation and food included, plus 30 days to travel afterwards" sounds too good to be true — it is not. It is the J-1 camp counsellor programme, and every summer thousands of people from around the world do exactly that. The trick is knowing how to get on the right one, with the right camp, with a team that actually supports you. This is a full walk-through of how Exchange Path runs that process.

Who this programme is actually for

You do not need to be a qualified teacher, a PE graduate, or an outdoor instructor. What camps hire for is energy, reliability and a genuine interest in teenagers. If you have ever coached a team, run a Scout group, lifeguarded at your local pool, taught guitar, edited a school paper, or performed on a stage — you have the building blocks.

• Aged 19–30 at the start of the programme
• Available for at least 9 consecutive weeks between June and August
• Conversational English
• A clean record (we run a background check — local equivalents work outside the UK)
• A genuine liking for kids aged roughly 7 to 17

The real cost, with no surprises

Exchange Path runs one universal programme fee. Everyone pays the same, whether you apply from the UK, Europe, South America or Asia. The fee covers application processing, interview support, visa paperwork, pre-departure orientation, 24-hour in-country support and ongoing guidance until you fly home.

• $400 if you pay in full up front
• $475 if you split it across three stages: $25 application + $150 on acceptance + $300 once you have a confirmed placement
• You earn a minimum guaranteed salary of $2,050 on top, plus tips at most camps

What camp actually pays back — beyond the cheque

The salary is only the headline number. The real economics of a summer at camp look like this:

• Accommodation (usually shared cabins) — covered
• Three meals a day, seven days a week — covered
• Medical insurance for the length of your contract — covered
• Laundry facilities, Wi-Fi on staff-only networks, and a staff lounge — covered
• 30-day J-1 grace period to travel the US after your contract ends

Because your living costs are near zero for three months, most counsellors finish the summer with a lot more disposable cash than they would from the equivalent job at home.

The application journey, step by step

1. 1Apply online — name, skills, availability, photos. About 20 minutes.
2. 2Screening call with an Exchange Path coach (usually within 48 hours).
3. 3Online profile build — references, police check, medical questions, video.
4. 4Interview with camps. You will normally have 2–3 camps looking at your profile at once.
5. 5Offer and contract signing — you read it in full and decide before paying anything beyond the $25 application fee.
6. 6Sponsor paperwork, embassy visa appointment and flight booking.
7. 7Pre-departure orientation over Zoom.
8. 8You fly. We are on WhatsApp and email, and on the ground if anything goes sideways.

Daily life: what to expect on a typical day

Camp runs on a surprisingly tight schedule. At most camps you will work a 5.5 day week, with activity blocks in the morning and afternoon, breaks for meals, a rest hour after lunch, and an evening programme. Some days you will be teaching swimming, others you will be on cabin duty or running an all-camp colour war.

You will share a cabin or staff lodge with other counsellors — sometimes people from your own country, sometimes from five different countries at once. Wi-Fi is usually in common areas, air conditioning depends on the camp, and you will get one full day and several evenings off each week.

Why people do it twice

Around one in three Exchange Path counsellors return for a second summer. They do not come back because they love standing up at 7am — they come back because the friendships are real, the kids remember them, and camp is one of the few jobs in the world where you genuinely grow as a human in ten weeks.

Ready to start?

Spots fill fastest in January and February, but new offers open right through April. If you are unsure whether you are a fit, message us on WhatsApp or send an email — we will be honest with you either way.