Leads a city or county parks department, managing parks, trails, pools, recreation centers, programs and the staff who run them. BLS does not publish separate figures for entertainment and recreation managers, except gambling; it counts them within entertainment and recreation manager, except gambling (SOC 11-9072), whose median pay is $79,520 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
- SOC 11-9072
- Management
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Parks and Recreation Director in four numbers
- Median pay
- $79,520a year, or $38.23/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $46KTop 10% $139K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +6.0%Faster than averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+6%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +6% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 5,10043,900 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 202543.9K
- Projected 203546.5K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 43.9K Projected 2035 46.5K - Typical education
- Bachelor'sneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
Also advertised as: Director of Parks and Recreation, Parks Director, Recreation Director, Parks and Recreation Superintendent, Community Services Director.
Pay
How much do Entertainment and Recreation Managers, Except Gambling make?
Every parks and recreation director in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$79,520
Middle half earn $61,060 to $104,770
- 10th
- $46,270
- 25th
- $61,060
- 75th
- $104,770
- 90th
- $139,110
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $46,270 |
| 25th | $61,060 |
| Median | $79,520 |
| 75th | $104,770 |
| 90th | $139,110 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $79,520
- Median hourly wage
- $38.23/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $89,750
- People employed
- 37,980
Versus all US occupations
At $79,520, Entertainment and Recreation Managers, Except Gambling earn 56% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $28,540 a year.
Versus management occupations
Inside the Management group, where the middle occupation pays $126,060, this is 37% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $139,110 or more while the bottom 10% earn $46,270, a gap of 3.0×. That is an unusually wide spread, which usually tracks specialisation, employer type and years of experience.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 59% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Cost of living
District of Columbia posts the highest raw median ($113,930), but once local prices are taken into account Minnesota leads at $109,165 in national-average dollars.
Pay by state
Which states pay Entertainment and Recreation Managers, Except Gambling 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1District of Columbia | $113,930 | $103,666 | 30 |
| 2Minnesota | $107,660 | $109,165 | 480 |
| 3New York | $98,390 | $91,169 | 1,330 |
| 4Colorado | $97,000 | $94,127 | 940 |
| 5Washington | $96,790 | $90,447 | 630 |
| 6Idaho | $95,020 | $99,504 | 110 |
| 7Vermont | $92,320 | $94,244 | 270 |
| 8New Jersey | $89,590 | $82,340 | 2,260 |
| 9Massachusetts | $89,450 | $84,581 | 1,030 |
| 10Wyoming | $88,790 | $95,791 | 70 |
Job outlook
Is Parks and Recreation Director a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Faster than average. +6.0% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Entertainment and Recreation Managers, Except Gambling | +6% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Faster than average
BLS projects employment of Entertainment and Recreation Managers, Except Gambling to change 6.0% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 2,700 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 5,100 openings are projected each year, 11.6% of the 43,900 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Parks and Recreation Director
A bachelor's degree in parks and recreation management, public administration or a related field is typical, and many directors hold a master's. Most work their way up as recreation coordinators, program supervisors, park managers and assistant directors.
The National Recreation and Park Association offers the Certified Park and Recreation Professional credential and the Certified Park and Recreation Executive for senior leaders, and it accredits university degree programs. State park and recreation associations also run training. Small towns offer chances to lead a department earlier in a career.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
Bachelor's degree
- 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)
Medium preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
The work
What does a Parks and Recreation Director do?
Parks and recreation directors run the public department that manages a community's parks, trails, sports fields, pools, recreation centers and programs. Their department might offer youth sports, summer camps, senior programs, fitness classes, festivals and nature education, and it maintains everything from playgrounds to open space.
Directors set priorities, build budgets, manage staff and seasonal workers, and plan new parks and renovations through master plans and capital projects. They answer to a city manager and council or a park board, and they spend time with residents, sports leagues and advocacy groups. They also pursue grants and partnerships, set fees, and make sure facilities are safe and accessible. Large departments can have hundreds of employees and many sites.
Day-to-day tasks
- Direct parks, recreation and facility operations
- Prepare and manage the department budget
- Plan new parks, trails and facility renovations
- Oversee recreation programs, camps and events
- Supervise staff and seasonal workers
- Pursue grants, sponsorships and partnerships
- Present plans to councils, boards and residents
- Ensure facilities are safe, maintained and accessible
Typical tasks, researched by NueCareer from the sources below.
Working conditions and hours
Directors work from department offices with frequent visits to parks, facilities and events. Evening council or board meetings and weekend events are common, and summer is usually the busiest season. Directors also spend time outdoors checking park conditions and visiting programs, camps and construction projects across the system.
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 dayCost 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
- Reading Comprehension3.9
- Active Listening3.9
- Speaking3.9
- Critical Thinking3.8
- Monitoring3.8
- Writing3.5
- Active Learning3.3
- Learning Strategies3.1
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 3.9 |
| Active Listening | 3.9 |
| Speaking | 3.9 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.8 |
| Monitoring | 3.8 |
| Writing | 3.5 |
| Active Learning | 3.3 |
| Learning Strategies | 3.1 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Social Perceptiveness3.9
- Coordination3.8
- Judgment and Decision Making3.8
- Time Management3.8
- Instructing3.6
- Service Orientation3.6
- Persuasion3.3
- Complex Problem Solving3.3
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.9 |
| Coordination | 3.8 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.8 |
| Time Management | 3.8 |
| Instructing | 3.6 |
| Service Orientation | 3.6 |
| Persuasion | 3.3 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.3 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Accounting software · in demand
- Analytical or scientific software · in demand
- Cloud-based data access and sharing software · in demand
- Customer relationship management CRM software · in demand
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Development environment software · in demand
- Document management software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Operating system software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
“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 Parks and Recreation Director?
NueCareer estimate (Holland code ESR) built on O*NET's Entertainment and Recreation Manager, Except Gambling profile, scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Parks and Recreation Director |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 4 |
| Investigative | 2 |
| Artistic | 2 |
| Social | 4 |
| Enterprising | 6 |
| 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 organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
- Enterprising6.3
- Conventional4.9
- Social4.5
- Realistic3.9
- Artistic2.0
- Investigative2.0
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 Parks and Recreation Director
O*NET related occupations
- Management
Entertainment and Recreation Manager, Except Gambling
$79,520median a year
Most earn $46K to $139K
+6.0%Bachelor's - Personal Care and Service
- Management
- Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Life, Physical, and Social Science
- Management
More management careers
Median annual pay, with entertainment and recreation managers, except gambling highlighted
- IT Manager$175,140
- Marketing Manager$166,790
- Financial Manager$166,570
- Human Resources Manager$149,280
- Sales Manager$148,270
- Construction Manager$114,990
- Supply Chain Manager$107,230
- Parks and Recreation Director$79,520
- Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Manager$69,990
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| IT Manager | $175,140 |
| Marketing Manager | $166,790 |
| Financial Manager | $166,570 |
| Human Resources Manager | $149,280 |
| Sales Manager | $148,270 |
| Construction Manager | $114,990 |
| Supply Chain Manager | $107,230 |
| Parks and Recreation Director | $79,520 |
| Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Manager | $69,990 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Parks and Recreation Director appears on
Questions
Parks and Recreation Director: frequently asked questions
How much do Entertainment and Recreation Managers, Except Gambling make?
BLS does not publish a separate wage for entertainment and recreation managers, except gambling. It counts them within entertainment and recreation manager, except gambling, whose median pay is $79,520 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of that occupation earn between $61,060 and $104,770, and the top 10% earn $139,110 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Parks and Recreation Director?
Yes. BLS reports a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for Entertainment and Recreation Managers, Except Gambling, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as medium preparation. Employers typically expect less than 5 years of related work experience first.
Is Parks and Recreation Director a growing career?
Yes. Employment is projected to grow 6.0% over 2025–2035, faster than the 3.5% average for all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 5,100 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Parks and Recreation Director do?
Parks and recreation directors run the public department that manages a community's parks, trails, sports fields, pools, recreation centers and programs. A typical task: direct parks, recreation and facility operations. Employers most often ask for Accounting software, Analytical or scientific software, Cloud-based data access and sharing software.
Which states pay Entertainment and Recreation Managers, Except Gambling the most?
The highest state medians for Entertainment and Recreation Managers, Except Gambling are District of Columbia ($113,930), Minnesota ($107,660), New York ($98,390) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Adjusted for local prices using BEA Regional Price Parities, Minnesota moves to the top at $109,165.
What personality type suits a Parks and Recreation Director?
O*NET scores Entertainment and Recreation Managers, Except Gambling highest on the Enterprising, Conventional and Social interest areas, so the work mixes leading, persuading, selling and making decisions with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ESFJ, ESTJ. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.