Recreation Workers
Hospitality and TourismO*NET 39-9032.00United States
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.
- Median annual earnings
- $36,537
- Projected change
- +7.8%
- Typical education
- Bachelor's degree
- Employment
- 348.82K jobs
50th percentile, United States
2025 to 2035
62% of the workforce
Growing to 376.06K by 2035
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Build the skills
ASU learning related to this career
These courses and certificates are connected through catalog career relationships and Lightcast skill tags.
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The work
What recreation workers do
Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.
- Enforce rules and regulations of recreational facilities to maintain discipline and ensure safety.
- 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.
- Manage the daily operations of recreational facilities.
- Administer first aid according to prescribed procedures and notify emergency medical personnel when necessary.
- Explain principles, techniques, and safety procedures to participants in recreational activities and demonstrate use of materials and equipment.
- Complete and maintain time and attendance forms and inventory lists.
- Evaluate recreation areas, facilities, and services to determine if they are producing desired results.
- Supervise and coordinate the work activities of personnel, such as training staff members and assigning work duties.
- Direct special activities or events, such as aquatics, gymnastics, or performing arts.
- Document individuals' progress toward meeting their treatment goals.
- Greet new arrivals to activities, introducing them to other participants, explaining facility rules, and encouraging participation.
- Confer with management to discuss and resolve participant complaints.
- Meet with staff to discuss rules, regulations, and work-related problems.
- Oversee the purchase, planning, design, construction, and upkeep of recreation facilities and areas.
- Encourage participants to develop their own activities and leadership skills through group discussions.
- Meet and collaborate with agency personnel, community organizations, and other professional personnel to plan balanced recreational programs for participants.
- Provide for entertainment and set up related decorations and equipment.
Pay and outlook
What the job pays and where it is heading
Annual earnings range
Reported earnings by percentile, United States
- 10th percentile
- $27,462
- 25th percentile
- $31,694
- 50th percentile
- $36,537
- 75th percentile
- $43,607
- 90th percentile
- $50,837
The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $36,537 and half earn less.
Employment outlook
2025 to 2035 projection
+7.8%faster than average
2025348,822 jobs
2035 projected376,064 jobs
27,242 more positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.
Preparation
Education levels
What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.
- Bachelor's degree
- 62%
- High school diploma or less
- 26.1%
- Associate degree
- 8.1%
- Certificate
- 3.2%
- Some college
- 0.5%
- Master's or Professional degree
- 0.1%
Skills
Skills employers ask for
Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.
How the work gets done
Core competencies
Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.
- Social Perceptiveness
- Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Active Listening
- Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Coordination
- Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Speaking
- Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Service Orientation
- Actively looking for ways to help people.
- Instructing
- Teaching others how to do something.
- Monitoring
- Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Critical Thinking
- Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Time Management
- Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Management of Personnel Resources
- Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
- Reading Comprehension
- Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Learning Strategies
- Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
- Persuasion
- Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
- Writing
- Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Active Learning
- Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Complex Problem Solving
- Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Negotiation
- Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
- Systems Analysis
- Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
- Systems Evaluation
- Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
In the market
Job titles and employers
Recent job postings in United StatesCommon job titles
- 01Activities Assistants9,765 postings
- 02Summer Camp Counselors4,906 postings
- 03Camp Counselors2,973 postings
- 04Recreation Assistants1,776 postings
- 05Activities Aides1,546 postings
- 06Activities Coordinators1,321 postings
- 07Recreation Aides1,016 postings
- 08Day Camp Counselors994 postings
- 09Summer Day Camp Counselors986 postings
- 10Recreation Coordinators807 postings
- 11Memory Care Activities Assistants763 postings
- 12Outfitters712 postings
- 13Recreation Specialists673 postings
- 14Sales Outfitters604 postings
- 15Firearms Sales Outfitters535 postings
- 16Recreation Supervisors492 postings
- 17Fishing Sales Outfitters368 postings
- 18Summer Camp Coordinators338 postings
- 19Activity Leaders314 postings
- 20Kids Camp Counselors286 postings
Top employers
- 01Bass Pro Shops3,218 postings
- 02YMCA2,795 postings
- 03Colleyville Lifetime Fitness508 postings
- 04Life Time464 postings
- 05Steve And Kate's Camp463 postings
- 06The Salvation Army339 postings
- 07Ke Camps - Teton Pines282 postings
- 08Sunrise Senior Living266 postings
- 09Trilogy Health Services255 postings
- 10Benchmark Senior Living238 postings
- 11Oakmont Senior Living219 postings
- 12Urban Outfitters214 postings
- 13Genesis Administrative Services197 postings
- 14Sportsman's Warehouse197 postings
- 15Life Care Centers of America189 postings
- 16Steve & Kate S Camp186 postings
- 17KinderCare Education170 postings
- 18Brightview Senior Living145 postings
- 19American Senior Communities134 postings
- 20Belmont Village110 postings
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