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.
Recreation Worker Salary (2026): Data, Outlook & How to Become One
The median pay for Recreation Workers is $36,560 a year ($17.58/hr), according to BLS OEWS, May 2025. Employment is projected to grow 4.1% through 2034, with about 68,100 openings a year (BLS EP, 2024–2034). Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
SOC 39-9032Personal Care and ServiceLast updated August 15, 2026
- Median pay
- $36,560
- Projected growth
- +4.1%
- Openings a year
- 68,100
- Typical education
- High school
BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
Also advertised as: Activities Assistant, Activities Director, Activity Aide, Activity Assistant, Activity Coordinator, Activity Director.
How much do Recreation Workers make?
10th percentile$27,600
Entry / lowest-paid tenth
25th percentile$31,780
Lower quartile
Median (50th)$36,560
Half earn more, half earn less
75th percentile$43,470
Upper quartile
90th percentile$50,410
Top-paid tenth
| Median annual wage | $36,560 |
|---|---|
| Median hourly wage | $17.58/hr |
| Mean annual wage | $38,520 |
| People employed | 331,490 |
Versus all US occupations
At $36,560, Recreation Workers earn 28% below the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $14,420 a year.
Versus personal care and service occupations
Inside the Personal Care and Service group, where the middle occupation pays $38,120, this is 4% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $50,410 or more while the bottom 10% earn $27,600, a gap of 1.8×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 5% of the 923 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Cost of living
District of Columbia posts the highest raw median ($46,460), but once local prices are taken into account South Dakota leads at $47,716 in national-average dollars.
Which states pay Recreation Workers the most?
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $46,460 | $42,274 | 470 |
| Washington | $44,890 | $41,948 | 6,380 |
| South Dakota | $42,270 | $47,716 | 650 |
| Hawaii | $41,000 | $37,289 | 1,590 |
| California | $39,780 | $35,928 | 48,560 |
| Oregon | $39,610 | $38,322 | 4,640 |
| Colorado | $38,820 | $37,670 | 6,100 |
| Massachusetts | $38,540 | $36,442 | 11,280 |
| New York | $38,040 | $35,248 | 24,790 |
| Alaska | $37,510 | $36,646 | 630 |
Is Recreation Worker a growing career?
Recreation Workers4.1%
All US occupations3.1%
+4.1% projected growth vs 3.1% for all occupations.
Faster than average
BLS projects employment of Recreation Workers to change 4.1% over 2024–2034, against 3.1% projected for all occupations. That is 13,400 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 68,100 openings are projected each year, 20.8% of the 327,700 jobs that existed in 2024. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
An increased emphasis on the importance of lifelong well-being is expected to create demand for recreation workers in a variety of settings, including fitness and recreational sports centers, country clubs, and other organizations. Parks and recreation departments may contract out the services of activity specialists.
In addition, there is projected to be more demand for recreation workers to work with older clients, especially in continuing care retirement communities and assisted living facilities.
How to become a Recreation Worker
Recreation workers typically need at least a high school diploma or the equivalent, although requirements may vary by type of job. Once hired, these workers typically need a short period of on-the-job training.
| Typical entry-level education | High school diploma or equivalent |
|---|---|
| Preparation needed (O*NET job zone) | Medium preparation |
| Work experience in a related occupation | None |
| Typical on-the-job training | Short-term on-the-job training |
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as recreation workers.
- Bachelor's Degree62.0%
- High School Diploma25.5%
- Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)8.1%
- Post-Secondary Certificate3.2%
- Less than a High School Diploma0.7%
What does a Recreation Worker do?
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.
Recreation workers organize, conduct, and promote a variety of group activities for leisure and other purposes. Activities may include arts and crafts, sports, or music.
Day-to-day tasks
- Assess the needs and interests of individuals and groups and plan activities accordingly, given the available equipment or facilities.
- Organize, lead, and promote interest in recreational activities, such as arts, crafts, sports, games, camping, and hobbies.
- Meet with staff to discuss rules, regulations, and work-related problems.
- Evaluate recreation areas, facilities, and services to determine if they are producing desired results.
- Enforce rules and regulations of recreational facilities to maintain discipline and ensure safety.
- Confer with management to discuss and resolve participant complaints.
- Greet new arrivals to activities, introducing them to other participants, explaining facility rules, and encouraging participation.
- Meet and collaborate with agency personnel, community organizations, and other professional personnel to plan balanced recreational programs for participants.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Where recreation workers work
| Local government, excluding education and hospitals | 34% |
|---|---|
| Nursing and residential care facilities | 20% |
| Religious, grantmaking, civic, professional, and similar organizations | 10% |
| Educational services; state, local, and private | 10% |
| Other amusement and recreation industries | 8% |
BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2024–2034 edition.
Core skills
- Active Listening4.0/5
- Speaking4.0/5
- Monitoring3.8/5
- Critical Thinking3.3/5
- Reading Comprehension3.1/5
- Writing3.1/5
- Active Learning3.1/5
- Learning Strategies3.1/5
Transferable skills
- Social Perceptiveness4.0/5
- Coordination4.0/5
- Service Orientation4.0/5
- Instructing3.8/5
- Time Management3.3/5
- Persuasion3.1/5
- Complex Problem Solving3.1/5
- Management of Personnel Resources3.1/5
Tools and software
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Operating system software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Calendar and scheduling software
- Computer based training software
- Data base user interface and query software
- Desktop publishing software
- Instant messaging software
- Internet browser software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
What personality type suits a Recreation Worker?
Interest profile: O*NET Occupational Interests, scored 1–7
Realisticprimary3.8
Investigative2.0
Artistic3.0
Socialprimary4.9
Enterprisingprimary4.5
Conventional3.5
Day to day this is work built around teaching, helping and working directly with other people, combined with leading, persuading, selling and making decisions.
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.
Recreation Worker: frequently asked questions
How much do Recreation Workers make?
Recreation Workers earn a median of $36,560 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), 28% below the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $17.58/hr. The middle half earn between $31,780 and $43,470. The top 10% earn $50,410 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Recreation Worker?
No. A bachelor's degree is not the norm: BLS reports a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education for Recreation Workers. BLS also lists short-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 62.0% hold bachelor's degree.
Is Recreation Worker a growing career?
Yes. Employment is projected to grow 4.1% over 2024–2034, faster than the 3.1% average for all occupations (BLS EP, 2024–2034). BLS still projects about 68,100 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Recreation Worker do?
Recreation workers organize, conduct, and promote a variety of group activities for leisure and other purposes. A core O*NET task: assess the needs and interests of individuals and groups and plan activities accordingly, given the available equipment or facilities. Employers most often ask for Electronic mail software, Office suite software, Operating system software.
Which states pay Recreation Workers the most?
The highest state medians for Recreation Workers are District of Columbia ($46,460), Washington ($44,890), South Dakota ($42,270) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Adjusted for local prices using BEA Regional Price Parities, South Dakota moves to the top at $47,716.
What personality type suits a Recreation Worker?
O*NET scores Recreation Workers highest on the Social, Enterprising and Realistic interest areas, so the work mixes teaching, helping and working directly with other people with leading, persuading, selling and making decisions. 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 923 occupations in the bank.