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New York managed to turn into a life-size snow globe overnight so the city is literally hiring people to help dig it out—and you can get paid to shovel.
With New York already blanketed and more precipitation still falling, Mayor Zohran Mamdani says the city is going all-in on keeping streets and sidewalks passable. Alongside thousands of sanitation workers and more than 2,000 plows, the city is expanding its long-running Emergency Snow Shoveler program and if you’re able to do heavy work, there’s still a way to get on the roster.
The gig is exactly what it sounds like. Emergency shovelers are hired on a temporary, per-diem basis to clear bus stops, crosswalks, fire hydrants and other public areas once the heavy snowfall hits. Pay starts at $19.14 an hour and jumps to $28.71 per hour after you’ve worked more than 40 hours in a week. Not bad for a workout you were probably going to do anyway.
During a live appearance on The Weather Channel this weekend, Mamdani said the city has been ramping up its shoveler ranks after criticism following the last major storm, when extended cold temperatures turned snow into stubborn sheets of ice. About 500 shovelers were deployed during that event, but now the city says it has expanded to roughly 1,400 workers, with more shifts launching in the storm's aftermath.
“This is the first blizzard our city has seen since 2016,” Mamdani said, adding that agencies across government, from sanitation crews to parks and transportation teams, are working together as snowfall totals continue climbing higher than early forecasts predicted.
To qualify, applicants must be at least 18 years old, eligible to work in the United States and capable of heavy physical labor. Registration typically happens in person at local sanitation garages (bring two small photos, ID and a Social Security card) or online through the city’s snow response site.
Of course, the mayor’s main message to New Yorkers is still to stay inside and off the streets whenever possible. A local state of emergency is in effect, public schools are closed for a traditional snow day and non-essential vehicle traffic has been restricted to help plows move faster.
But once conditions improve—and if you’ve got a strong back and a pair of waterproof boots—the city says there’s real money to be made helping New York dig itself out, one shovel at a time.