- Two custodians for a historic lighthouse and hotel in San Francisco Bay are being recruited.
- The two-year posting starts in April, pays $140,000 a year – but two people must apply jointly.
Tech giants might be shedding thousands of staff, but there's one job in northern California still up for grabs — as long as you have a partner or friend to apply with.
The East Brother Light Station is looking for two people to become lighthouse keepers for two years on the tiny island just off Point San Pablo in Richmond.
The joint role pays $140,000 a year and starts in April – but yes, there are just a few catches.
One applicant must have a valid captain's license issued by the US Coast Guard. Oh, and if you smoke, have kids or pets then don't bother applying.
The successful applicants face working hard for their money. Lighthouse keepers need to be a jack of all trades on the island that hosts both day trippers and overnight guests with rooms costing up to $525 a night.
You could regularly find yourself switching between coast guard, lighthouse operator, cleaner, maid, gift shop attendant, boat captain, and chef. "High-quality culinary experience" is required to be in with a chance, The Mercury News reported.
Meanwhile, you'll also have to cope with no Wifi, patchy cellular reception, and dodgy plumbing.
Tiffany Danse and Tyler Waterson, two former innkeepers, estimate they worked about 80 to 90 hours a week maintaining the island between 2019 and 2021, they told the San Francisco Chronicle.
Their average Saturday morning to-do list included: "Brew coffee. Bake fresh blueberry muffins. Cook and serve hot breakfast for 10. Give historical tour and foghorn demonstration. Clean up breakfast dishes and kitchen. Reset dining room. Clean the inn. Start prepping four-course dinner for 10 more people. Run boat service to the mainland. Make beds. Run boat service to the mainland again," the Chronicle wrote.
Despite the gruelling workload, Danse enjoyed her two years on East Brother.
"You can feel the space more out here. When you're in the middle of the city, everything feels a bit tighter and more constricted, but out here it feels more spacious, which is ironic because you're on a three-quarter acre rock," she told the Chronicle.
Any "high-quality" chefs and aspiring hoteliers who also know someone with a captain's license and have a couple of years to spare can apply here.