Recreation Workers
Recreation Workers is a dynamic career path with diverse opportunities. The field has seen strong growth, with employment increasing by 9.2% over recent years. Professionals in this field are primarily employed in industries such as Cross-industry and Cross-industry, Private Ownership only.
Key Statistics
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Recreation Workers workforce.
Employment Over Time
48,580 Workforce in 2023
The Recreation Workers workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Recreation Workers.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$43,019 Average Wage
In 2023, Recreation Workers earned an average of $43,019.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Recreation Workers.
Salary distribution for Recreation Workers.
Employment Growth Projections
2.0% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
213,997 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 10.4%
236,226 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 21.9%
This occupation is projected to grow at 2.0% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Recreation Workers.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Recreation Workers and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Recreation Workers employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Recreation Workers.
Wage Trends by Industry
5.5% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Recreation Workers.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Recreation Workers.
Metropolitan employment on this page is from the California OEWS extract. Area names omit state codes; all listed metros are in California, so the state chart shows California totals (not a multi-state ranking).
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 46,030 employees, $42,941 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Recreation Workers.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 13,220 employees, $41,491 avg wage
- Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD: 4,410 employees, $40,704 avg wage
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA: 4,260 employees, $41,651 avg wage
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: 3,640 employees, $41,857 avg wage
- Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: 3,450 employees, $46,336 avg wage
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA: 2,820 employees, $42,608 avg wage
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA: 2,640 employees, $54,455 avg wage
- San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD: 2,570 employees, $50,293 avg wage
- Bakersfield-Delano MSA: 1,290 employees, $40,448 avg wage
- Stockton-Lodi MSA: 1,010 employees, $40,757 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Recreation Workers.
Diversity
Demographic information on Recreation Workers in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Recreation Workers in 2023 was 48,580 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Recreation Workers.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Recreation Workers.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Recreation Workers.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Recreation Workers in 2023 were Business Administration, Business, Social Sciences.
Common majors for Recreation Workers.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Recreation Workers workers.
Education level distribution for Recreation Workers.
Skills
Recreation Workers need many skills, but most especially Coordination, Speaking, Social Perceptiveness, Service Orientation, Active Listening.
Required skills for Recreation Workers.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Recreation Workers.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Recreation Workers include English Language, Public Safety and Security, Customer and Personal Service, Education and Training, Law and Government.
Knowledge areas required for Recreation Workers.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Recreation Workers include Oral Expression, Oral Comprehension, Speech Clarity, Near Vision, Problem Sensitivity.
Required abilities for Recreation Workers.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Recreation Workers.
Daily Activities
Recreation Workers spend their time on activities such as Getting Information, Thinking Creatively, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Scheduling Work and Activities, Making Decisions and Solving Problems.
Most important work activities for Recreation Workers.
About
Recreation Workers
The average yearly wage for Recreation Workers was $43,019 in 2023.
SOC Code
39-9032 - Recreation Workers
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Recreation Workers reports an average salary of $43,019.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 48,580 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 2.0%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.