Continental areas get the least snow and do the least amount of avalanche work. Intermountain areas are somewhere in between. You receive constant training in all aspects of avalanche forecasting, control, and rescue, through training structures and historically proven mentoring processes. You learn about avalanches, weather, and terrain by hearing stories from a rich and colorful history. At some areas the pay is less than ideal, sometimes much less.
People think that getting on a ski patrol is the hard part.
The hard part starts when you get the job and have to learn all the aspects of ski patrol work. Ski patrollers operate in a very artificial snowpack that gets explosive-tested and skied up each day. At times, this offers even more complex avalanche problems, but it often bears little resemblance to an undisturbed backcountry snowpack. Your avalanche forecasting career is only half complete unless you get into the backcountry. Excellent people skills.