Recreation Workers
Overview
Introduction
Recreation workers help groups and individuals enjoy and use their leisure time constructively. They organize and administer physical, social, and cultural programs. They also operate recreational facilities and study recreation needs. There are approximately 408,300 recreation workers employed in the United States.
Quick Facts
Median Salary
Employment Prospects
Minimum Education Level
Experience
Skills
Personality Traits
Earnings
The U.S. Department of Labor reports that in May 2019, full-time recreation workers earned a median salary of $26,350. Wages ranged from less than $18,860 to more than $44,000 a year. Some top-level managers can make considerably more. The average salary for federally employed recreation workers was $59,080; state-employed recreation workers earned $40,600 per year.
Benefits for salaried...
Work Environment
Physical conditions vary greatly from outdoor parks to nursing homes for the elderly. A recreation worker can choose the conditions under which he or she would like to work. Recreation workers with an interest in the outdoors may become camp counselors. Those who have an interest in travel may seek a job as a social director on a cruise ship. There are opportunities for people who want to help ...
Outlook
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) predicts that employment opportunities for recreation workers will increase by 8 percent through 2028, or faster than the average for all occupations. The expected expansion in the recreation field will result from increased leisure time and income for the population as a whole, along with a continuing interest in fitness and health. As the baby-boom generatio...