OverviewSalaryAboutEducationWhere are the jobsEmploymentGenderRace/Origin
Overview
Conduct recreation activities with groups in public, private, or volunteer agencies or recreation facilities. Organize and promote activities, such as arts and crafts, sports, games, music, dramatics, social recreation, camping, and hobbies, taking into account the needs and interests of individual members.
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Titles for this career often contain these words
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Responsibilities and activities
Recreation workers typically do the following:
- Plan, organize, and lead activities for groups or recreation centers
- Explain the rules of activities and instruct participants at a variety of skill levels
- Enforce safety rules to prevent injury
- Modify activities to suit the needs of specific groups, such as seniors
- Administer basic first aid if needed
- Organize and set up the equipment that is used in recreational activities
The specific responsibilities of recreation workers vary greatly with their job title, their level of training, and the state they work in.
The following are examples of types of recreation workers:
Activity specialists provide instruction and coaching primarily in one activity, such as dance, swimming, or tennis. These workers may work in camps, aquatic centers, or anywhere else where there is interest in a single activity.
Recreation leaders are responsible for a recreation program’s daily operation. They primarily organize and direct participants, schedule the use of facilities, set up and keep records of equipment use, and ensure that recreation facilities and equipment are used and maintained properly. They may lead classes and provide instruction in a recreational activity, such as kayaking or golf.
Camp counselors work directly with youths in residential (overnight) or day camps. They often lead and instruct children and teenagers in a variety of outdoor activities, such as swimming, hiking, horseback riding, or nature study. Counselors also provide guidance and supervise daily living and socialization. Some counselors may specialize in a specific activity, such as archery, boating, music, drama, or gymnastics.
Salary
Median salary: $28,440 annually
Half of those employed in this career earn between $23,420 and $35,620.
Context: Median Salary
How do salaries for this career compare to other jobs' salaries?
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Salary growth for recreation workers
Is this job likely to reward you for sticking with it through pay raises and promotions? The higher a job’s “experience quotient,” the more you are likely to get as you stay there.
Experience quotient percentile
Take a minute to look at how much you might expect your salary to increase with each five years' experience, as well as how the numbers working at each age change. Does this seem to be a job for the young or the old, or could it be a career offering steady salary growth for many years?
Salary distribution
Number employed
About Recreation Workers
How do benefits for this career compare to other jobs? The availability of health care, especially employer provided health care, and pension plans can add significantly to the value of compensation you receive in a career. These charts compare how this career compares to other careers with regard to health care and pension plans.
Employee has health insurance
Employer is providing health insurance
Employer-provided pension plan is available
Worker concerns
Some jobs are more stressful than others, and some are just plain dangerous. The following list gives the percentages of recreation workers who report hazardous or difficult situations typically occurring at least once a week.
- Responsible for Others' Health (66%)
- Unpleasant or Angry People (45%)
- Consequence of Error (42%)
- Time Pressure (41%)
- High Conflict Frequency (40%)
- Physically Aggressive People (35%)
- Exposed to Contaminants (33%)
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Personality and skills
Can you see yourself in the ranks of Recreation Workers? Here are the skills and traits that could lead to success.
Communication skills
Recreation workers must be able to communicate well. They often work with large groups of people and need to give clear instructions, motivate participants, and maintain order and safety.
Flexibility
Recreation workers must be flexible when planning activities. They must be able to adapt plans to suit changing environmental conditions and participants’ needs.
Leadership skills
Recreation workers should be able to lead both large and small groups. They often lead activities for people of all ages and abilities.
Physical strength
Most recreation workers should be physically fit. Their job may require a considerable amount of movement because they often demonstrate activities while explaining them.
Problem-solving skills
Recreation workers need strong problem-solving skills. They must be able to create and reinvent activities and programs for all types of participants.
For recreation workers who generally work part time, such as camp counselors and activity specialists, certain qualities may be more important than education. These qualities include a worker’s experience leading activities, the ability to work well with children or the elderly, and the ability to ensure the safety of participants.
Injury and Illness
About 115 recreation workers become injured or ill for every 10,000 workers, making this job more dangerous than 84% of other careers. The most common specific illnesses or injuries are detailed following.
Soreness and pain
All multiple traumatic injuries
Bruises and contusions
Education pathways to this career
Education attained by recreation workers
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), recreation workers typically hold a high school diploma or equivalent.
Sometimes the typical education identified by the BLS differs a bit from the reality of the how much education current workers actually have. The donut shows the education level held by people currently working as recreation workers as reported in responses to the American Community Survey.
Details: Licensing and certification recommended for recreation workers
The NRPA offers four certifications for recreation workers:
- Certified Parks and Recreation Professional (CPRP)
- Certified Parks and Recreation Executive (CPRE)
- Aquatic Facility Operator (AFO)
- Certified Playground Safety Inspector (CPSI)
Applicants may qualify for certification with different combinations of education and work experience. They also must take continuing education classes to maintain their certification.
The American Camp Association offers certificates for various levels of camp staff, including Entry-Level Program Staff Certificate and Camp Director Certificate. Individuals who complete online courses may show their advanced level of knowledge of core competencies.
Some recreation jobs require other kinds of certification. For example, first aid and CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) certifications may be required for leading camp or sports activities. These certifications are available from organizations such as the American Heart Association or the American Red Cross.
Jobs for recreation workers may also require a valid driver’s license and the ability to pass a background check.
Specific requirements vary by job and employer.
Education level of Recreation Workers
Only 34% of recreation workers have a bachelor's degree or higher.
Education attained by recreation workers
None
High School
Some College
Associate's Degree
Bachelor's Degree
Master's Degree
Professional Degree
Doctorate
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Programs recommended by the Department of Education
The Department of Education recommends the following college degree programs as preparation for this career. You can click the program row to learn more about the program and explore a list of schools that offer the program.
Program
Number of degrees awarded in 2018
Education
Education level of awarded degrees
Assoc./Cert.
Bachelor's
Graduate
Gender
Gender of graduates
Men
Women
Race/Origin
Race/origin of graduates
White
Minority
International
Where are the jobs
State-by-state employment numbers
Some careers tend to be centered in specific parts of the country. For example, most jobs in fashion are in New York or California. Let's see if your dream job is easy to find in your dream location! We have a few choices for viewing the data that can help you get a full employment picture.
Select a state to see local area details
Number of Recreation Workers per 1,000 workers (ACS)
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Job density versus job count
Which states hire the most recreation workers? We wonder if that's a fair question since states come in all sizes, so instead let's start with the question of which states have the highest density of people working as recreation workers. You can choose to view the number of jobs per state if you prefer.
Salaries by state
Let's get a feel for where recreation workers earn the highest salaries. There are several choices for which data we consider and how we view that data, and each can lead to different conclusions, so please read on...
Median salary versus state ratio
We use two methods to compare salaries across states:
- In-state comparisons: the ratio of median (middle) salaries for recreation workers compared to the median salary for all people working in each state, or
- Median salary: the unaltered median salaries for recreation workers.
The darkest shading corresponds to states in which recreation workers earn the highest salary when compared to other jobs in the state. We think this figure might be a better indicator than the actual salary for your buying power as a state resident.
Select a state to see local area details
Location-adjusted median salary for Recreation Workers (ACS)
Employment
48% of Recreation workers are working part time.
We’ve found that some jobs have a huge number of part-time workers, and typically that is because they are unable to find full-time work or the job itself can’t provide full-time hours. With 48% part-time workers, this occupation has a higher percentage of part-time workers than 94% of careers.
Employer types
This donut shares the break-down of workers by employer type, giving us a picture of what employers most typically hire for this career.
Employers of undefined (ACS)
Private for-profit
Private not-for-profit
Local government
State government
Federal government
Self-employed incorporated
Self-employed not incorporated
Working without pay
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Distribution: Salaries of recreation workers by type of employer
Here are the salary distributions based on employer type.
Gender
Recreation workers and gender
With 58% women, this occupation has a higher percentage of women than 71% of careers.
Gender of Recreation workers
Men (42%)
Women (58%)
Distribution: salaries by gender
Does gender greatly influence your salary in this career? The closer the bars are, the less discrepancy there is.
We only include salary data when the survey error is less than 20%, so you may see only partial information for some categories.
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Context: Women in the workforce
How does this career compare to other careers with regard to the percentage of women in the career.
Context: Salary inequity
The median (middle) salary for all full-time male workers
in the US exceeds the full-time median salary for women
by 19%, and the difference
for recreation workers tops that, with the median salary for
men 20% higher than the median
salary for women.
Race/Origin
Race and origin of Recreation workers
This donut shows the distribution of race and origin among those employed as Recreation workers.
Race/origin of recreation workers
White (75% )
Black (13% )
Asian (4% )
Other (3% )
Multiracial (3% )
American Indian (1% )
Hispanic (1% )
Pacific Islander (0% )
Distribution: salaries by race/origin
Some careers might have a pay disparity based on race or origin, the closer the below bars are the less of a discrepancy is present.
We only include salary data when the survey error is less than 20%, so you may see only partial information for some categories.
