$Who Earns What

How much does a recreation worker make?

US Recreation Workers

Answer: A typical recreation worker in the United States makes $36,560 a year (median, May 2025, US Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Yearly pay of a typical person doing this job in the US
$36,560

Line up 100 people; this is the one in the middle (median). about 331,000 people work in this job. Below the US-wide typical pay ($50,980).

Lower earner
$27,600
10th from the bottom of 100
Typical person
$36,560
Right in the middle (median)
Higher earner
$50,410
10th from the top of 100

If 100 people had this job

Lowest at bottom-left, highest at top-right

Hover over a person to see their yearly pay

58 of 100
more than half

Recreation worker pay in the United States (May 2025, median and spread)

Recreation worker pay in the United States (May 2025, median and spread) — Data: US BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lower earner (10th from bottom)Typical person (median)Higher earner (10th from top)People in this job
$27,600$36,560$50,410about 331,000
States where recreation workers earn the most (median, May 2025)
StateTypical person (median)People in this job
Washington$44,890about 6,000
South Dakota$42,270about 650
Hawaii$41,000about 2,000
California$39,780about 49,000
Oregon$39,610about 5,000

Why does pay differ?

In the U.S., experience, responsibility, training or certificates, the activity you specialize in, and the kind of employer and location can all affect pay. Part-time, irregular, or seasonal schedules can also mean fewer paid hours across the year.

What if you lived in a different state?

Pay varies a lot by state in the US
Whole US$36,560
Washington$44,890
South Dakota$42,270
Hawaii$41,000
California$39,780
Oregon$39,610
Alabama$28,360
Mississippi$28,060
Arkansas$27,770

Top 5 and bottom 3 states, typical (median) yearly pay.

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.

What's a typical day like?

They set out art or sports supplies and lead a group activity, like crafts or games. Between sessions, they help participants, tidy equipment, and may finish forms or make calendars for the next event.

How to get this job

In the U.S., recreation workers usually need a high-school diploma or equivalent, then get brief on-the-job training. Some jobs ask for CPR or first-aid certification, a driver’s license, or a background check.

Usually a bachelor's degree (preparation level 4 of 5)

Good for people who like helping and teaching and leading and selling.

Did you know?

Some recreation workers visit residents one-on-one in their rooms and take them on community outings—not just lead group games.

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Sources and data

Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (bls.gov); descriptions and related jobs from O*NET 31.0. Figures as of May 2025, full-time yearly pay (hourly × 2,080 hours). bls.gov/oes · O*NET OnLine

Pages used for the text

Data: US BLS OEWS, May 2025 · 1 USD = 150 JPY