Leads the entertainment and activities department on a cruise ship and acts as the onboard host and public face of the voyage. BLS does not publish separate figures for first-line supervisors of entertainment and recreation workers, except gambling services; it counts them within first-line supervisor of entertainment and recreation workers, except gambling services (SOC 39-1014), whose median pay is $48,560 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
- SOC 39-1014
- Personal Care and Service
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Cruise Director in four numbers
- Median pay
- $48,560a year, or $23.34/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $35KTop 10% $79K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +5.3%Faster than averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+5.3%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +5.3% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 10,600109,300 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 2025109.3K
- Projected 2035115.1K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 109.3K Projected 2035 115.1K - Typical education
- High schoolneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
Also advertised as: Assistant Cruise Director, Cruise Programs Director, Entertainment Director (Cruise), Cruise Staff Manager.
Pay
How much do First-Line Supervisors of Entertainment and Recreation Workers, Except Gambling Services make?
Every cruise director in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$48,560
Middle half earn $39,400 to $62,320
- 10th
- $34,760
- 25th
- $39,400
- 75th
- $62,320
- 90th
- $79,060
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $34,760 |
| 25th | $39,400 |
| Median | $48,560 |
| 75th | $62,320 |
| 90th | $79,060 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $48,560
- Median hourly wage
- $23.34/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $53,550
- People employed
- 103,190
Versus all US occupations
At $48,560, First-Line Supervisors of Entertainment and Recreation Workers, Except Gambling Services earn 5% below the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $2,420 a year.
Versus personal care and service occupations
Inside the Personal Care and Service group, where the middle occupation pays $38,120, this is 27% above the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $79,060 or more while the bottom 10% earn $34,760, a gap of 2.3×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 19% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Cost of living
Washington posts the highest raw median ($62,900), but once local prices are taken into account Maine leads at $60,845 in national-average dollars.
Pay by state
Which states pay First-Line Supervisors of Entertainment and Recreation Workers, Except Gambling Services the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Washington | $62,900 | $58,778 | 2,010 |
| 2District of Columbia | $62,090 | $56,496 | 290 |
| 3Delaware | $59,790 | $59,905 | 390 |
| 4Maine | $59,050 | $60,845 | 320 |
| 5Colorado | $58,640 | $56,903 | 4,150 |
| 6Massachusetts | $56,990 | $53,888 | 2,700 |
| 7Hawaii | $55,700 | $50,659 | 720 |
| 8Alaska | $54,530 | $53,273 | 490 |
| 9Connecticut | $53,980 | $52,099 | 1,820 |
| 10California | $53,620 | $48,428 | 13,620 |
Job outlook
Is Cruise Director a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Faster than average. +5.3% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| First-Line Supervisors of Entertainment and Recreation Workers, Except Gambling Services | +5.3% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Faster than average
BLS projects employment of First-Line Supervisors of Entertainment and Recreation Workers, Except Gambling Services to change 5.3% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 5,800 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 10,600 openings are projected each year, 9.7% of the 109,300 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Cruise Director
No specific degree is required. The role is usually earned by working up through a cruise line's entertainment department, starting as cruise staff or an activities host, then assistant cruise director. Many cruise directors have backgrounds in performing, hosting, or hospitality. Like all seafarers, cruise staff complete STCW basic safety training and a medical exam before joining a ship.
Cruise lines value strong public speaking, comfort on stage, people management, and calm in emergencies. A common route is applying to entry-level entertainment roles with a major line, performing well across several contracts, and taking on supervisory duties.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
High school diploma or equivalent
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
Less than 5 years
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
None
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Little or no preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
The work
What does a Cruise Director do?
A cruise director is the head of a ship's entertainment and guest activities. They plan the daily program of shows, games, trivia, parties, and lectures, and they are the voice on the public address system and the host on stage each evening. Guests see them as the personality of the cruise.
Behind the scenes the cruise director manages a team that can include cruise staff, production cast, musicians, technicians, and guest entertainers. They schedule performances and venues, handle budgets, deal with guest complaints, and work with the hotel director and captain on events and safety drills. They also report to shoreside entertainment managers.
Day-to-day tasks
- Plan the daily schedule of entertainment, activities, and events
- Host stage shows, announcements, and special events
- Supervise cruise staff, performers, and technical crew
- Book and coordinate guest entertainers and lecturers
- Manage the entertainment budget and venue schedules
- Resolve guest concerns about activities and events
- Coordinate with the hotel director and captain on drills and events
- Report on guest satisfaction and program results to shoreside managers
Typical tasks, researched by NueCareer from the sources below.
Working conditions and hours
Cruise directors live aboard ship for contracts that typically last several months, followed by time at home. Days are long and often start early and end after late shows, seven days a week while on contract. The job involves being visible and upbeat in public for most of the day and sharing close quarters with crew.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather
NeverEvery day
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantConstant contact with other people.
Face-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayFace-to-face discussions every day.
Dealing with the public
Not importantExtremely importantDealing with customers or the public is very important.
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayConflict situations
NeverEvery dayHandling conflict situations at least monthly.
Cost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lotA lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first.
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Speaking3.5
- Reading Comprehension3.4
- Active Listening3.4
- Critical Thinking3.4
- Monitoring3.4
- Writing3.3
- Active Learning3.0
- Learning Strategies3.0
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Speaking | 3.5 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.4 |
| Active Listening | 3.4 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.4 |
| Monitoring | 3.4 |
| Writing | 3.3 |
| Active Learning | 3.0 |
| Learning Strategies | 3.0 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Social Perceptiveness3.5
- Instructing3.5
- Time Management3.5
- Management of Personnel Resources3.5
- Coordination3.4
- Service Orientation3.4
- Persuasion3.3
- Negotiation3.3
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.5 |
| Instructing | 3.5 |
| Time Management | 3.5 |
| Management of Personnel Resources | 3.5 |
| Coordination | 3.4 |
| Service Orientation | 3.4 |
| Persuasion | 3.3 |
| Negotiation | 3.3 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Calendar and scheduling software
- Internet browser software
- Inventory management software
- Time accounting software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a Cruise Director?
NueCareer estimate (Holland code ESA) built on O*NET's First-Line Supervisor of Entertainment and Recreation Workers, Except Gambling Services profile, scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Cruise Director |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 3 |
| Investigative | 1 |
| Artistic | 3 |
| Social | 5 |
| Enterprising | 7 |
| Conventional | 5 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around leading, persuading, selling and making decisions, combined with teaching, helping and working directly with other people.
- Enterprising7.0
- Social5.0
- Conventional4.7
- Artistic3.0
- Realistic2.9
- Investigative1.0
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Cruise Director
O*NET related occupations
- Personal Care and Service
First-Line Supervisor of Entertainment and Recreation Workers, Except Gambling Services
$48,560median a year
Most earn $35K to $79K
+5.3%High school - Personal Care and Service
First-Line Supervisor of Personal Service Workers
$48,590median a year
Most earn $34K to $75K
+6.3%High school - Office and Administrative Support
First-Line Supervisor of Office and Administrative Support Workers
$69,500median a year
Most earn $46K to $105K
+0.1%High school - Installation, Maintenance, and Repair
First-Line Supervisor of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers
$79,860median a year
Most earn $50K to $127K
+4.1%High school - Sales and Related
First-Line Supervisor of Non-Retail Sales Workers
$87,520median a year
Most earn $50K to $164K
+0.5%High school - Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance
First-Line Supervisor of Housekeeping and Janitorial Workers
$49,100median a year
Most earn $36K to $76K
+3.2%High school
- First-Line Supervisor of Passenger Attendants · $62,840 median
More personal care and service careers
Median annual pay, with first-line supervisors of entertainment and recreation workers, except gambling services highlighted
- Cruise Director$48,560
- Exercise Trainer and Group Fitness Instructor$47,160
- Concierge$38,950
- Tour Guide and Escort$38,120
- Hairstylist$35,790
- Manicurist and Pedicurist$35,760
- Nanny$34,980
- Childcare Worker$34,980
- Gambling Dealer$34,320
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Cruise Director | $48,560 |
| Exercise Trainer and Group Fitness Instructor | $47,160 |
| Concierge | $38,950 |
| Tour Guide and Escort | $38,120 |
| Hairstylist | $35,790 |
| Manicurist and Pedicurist | $35,760 |
| Nanny | $34,980 |
| Childcare Worker | $34,980 |
| Gambling Dealer | $34,320 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Cruise Director appears on
Questions
Cruise Director: frequently asked questions
How much do First-Line Supervisors of Entertainment and Recreation Workers, Except Gambling Services make?
BLS does not publish a separate wage for first-line supervisors of entertainment and recreation workers, except gambling services. It counts them within first-line supervisor of entertainment and recreation workers, except gambling services, whose median pay is $48,560 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of that occupation earn between $39,400 and $62,320, and the top 10% earn $79,060 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Cruise Director?
No. A bachelor's degree is not the norm: BLS reports a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education for First-Line Supervisors of Entertainment and Recreation Workers, Except Gambling Services. Employers typically expect less than 5 years of related work experience first.
Is Cruise Director a growing career?
Yes. Employment is projected to grow 5.3% over 2025–2035, faster than the 3.5% average for all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 10,600 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Cruise Director do?
A cruise director is the head of a ship's entertainment and guest activities. A typical task: plan the daily schedule of entertainment, activities, and events. Employers most often ask for Electronic mail software, Office suite software, Presentation software.
Which states pay First-Line Supervisors of Entertainment and Recreation Workers, Except Gambling Services the most?
The highest state medians for First-Line Supervisors of Entertainment and Recreation Workers, Except Gambling Services are Washington ($62,900), District of Columbia ($62,090), Delaware ($59,790) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Adjusted for local prices using BEA Regional Price Parities, Maine moves to the top at $60,845.
What personality type suits a Cruise Director?
O*NET scores First-Line Supervisors of Entertainment and Recreation Workers, Except Gambling Services highest on the Enterprising, Social and Conventional interest areas, so the work mixes leading, persuading, selling and making decisions with teaching, helping and working directly with other people. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping that lines up most closely with ESFJ personalities. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.