Recreation Workers
Recreation Workers (SOC 39-9032) earn a median $36,560 a year ($17.58 an hour) in the United States, with 331,490 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is District of Columbia.
What recreation workers do
Recreation workers lead leisure activities for groups at public, private, or volunteer agencies or at recreation facilities. They plan and promote activities such as crafts, sports, games, music, drama, social events, camping, and hobbies, shaped by the needs and interests of members. They assess what individuals and groups want and plan around the equipment or space available. On site they lead the activity, explain principles, techniques, and safety procedures, show how to use materials and equipment, and enforce facility rules to keep order and safety. They give first aid following prescribed steps and notify emergency medical staff when needed, and they fill out time and attendance forms and inventory lists. Some run the daily operations of a facility or direct special events such as aquatics, gymnastics, or performing arts. The O*NET list includes activities aide, activities coordinator, and activities director.
Typical entry: O*NET respondents most often report a bachelor's degree as the usual education level (about 62 percent).
Also called: Activities Aide, Activities Assistant, Activities Associate, Activities Coordinator, Activities Counselor.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $13.27 | $15.28 | $17.58 | $20.90 | $24.24 | $18.52 | 331,490 |
| Annual | $27,600 | $31,780 | $36,560 | $43,470 | $50,410 | $38,520 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where recreation workers earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| District of Columbia | Hourly | $18.26 | $18.47 | $22.34 | $24.08 | $32.09 | $24.20 | 470 | 0.66 | 0.31 |
| Annual | $37,990 | $38,420 | $46,460 | $50,080 | $66,750 | $50,330 | ||||
| Washington | Hourly | $17.14 | $17.99 | $21.58 | $24.11 | $28.75 | $22.09 | 6,380 | 1.80 | 0.84 |
| Annual | $35,660 | $37,420 | $44,890 | $50,150 | $59,790 | $45,940 | ||||
| South Dakota | Hourly | $15.57 | $17.26 | $20.32 | $23.38 | $29.07 | $21.25 | 650 | 1.42 | 0.67 |
| Annual | $32,390 | $35,900 | $42,270 | $48,630 | $60,470 | $44,200 | ||||
| Hawaii | Hourly | $15.24 | $18.88 | $19.71 | $19.71 | $21.77 | $19.79 | 1,590 | 2.53 | 1.19 |
| Annual | $31,690 | $39,270 | $41,000 | $41,000 | $45,270 | $41,170 | ||||
| California | Hourly | $17.26 | $17.94 | $19.12 | $22.38 | $26.99 | $20.93 | 48,560 | 2.67 | 1.25 |
| Annual | $35,900 | $37,320 | $39,780 | $46,550 | $56,150 | $43,530 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $17.26 | $17.94 | $19.12 | $22.38 | $26.99 | $20.93 | 48,560 | 2.67 | 1.25 |
| Annual | $35,900 | $37,320 | $39,780 | $46,550 | $56,150 | $43,530 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $15.99 | $16.78 | $18.29 | $22.15 | $26.26 | $20.09 | 24,790 | 2.56 | 1.20 |
| Annual | $33,260 | $34,900 | $38,040 | $46,070 | $54,610 | $41,790 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $11.02 | $13.55 | $15.73 | $19.96 | $23.02 | $17.13 | 18,660 | 1.33 | 0.62 |
| Annual | $22,910 | $28,170 | $32,720 | $41,520 | $47,870 | $35,620 | ||||
| Florida | Hourly | $14.01 | $15.23 | $17.06 | $18.99 | $23.62 | $18.09 | 18,010 | 1.81 | 0.85 |
| Annual | $29,130 | $31,680 | $35,490 | $39,490 | $49,130 | $37,620 | ||||
| Illinois | Hourly | $15.00 | $15.31 | $17.06 | $19.14 | $22.83 | $18.17 | 17,650 | 2.89 | 1.36 |
| Annual | $31,200 | $31,840 | $35,480 | $39,800 | $47,480 | $37,790 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Fairbanks-College, AK | Hourly | $17.95 | $20.25 | $29.34 | $29.87 | $46.33 | $29.36 | 50 | 1.44 | 0.67 |
| Annual | $37,330 | $42,110 | $61,040 | $62,130 | $96,370 | $61,070 | ||||
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | Hourly | $19.26 | $21.55 | $27.68 | $29.58 | $29.58 | $26.32 | 2,620 | 2.31 | 1.08 |
| Annual | $40,050 | $44,830 | $57,580 | $61,520 | $61,520 | $54,750 | ||||
| College Station-Bryan, TX | Hourly | $11.49 | $22.94 | $23.02 | $23.02 | $23.02 | $20.98 | 1,170 | 8.73 | 4.09 |
| Annual | $23,900 | $47,700 | $47,870 | $47,870 | $47,870 | $43,640 | ||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Hourly | $18.26 | $19.46 | $22.26 | $24.99 | $29.77 | $23.47 | 6,510 | 2.74 | 1.29 |
| Annual | $37,980 | $40,470 | $46,290 | $51,990 | $61,920 | $48,810 | ||||
| Bend, OR | Hourly | $17.87 | $19.90 | $22.23 | $22.23 | $28.06 | $22.29 | 290 | 2.66 | 1.25 |
| Annual | $37,170 | $41,390 | $46,230 | $46,230 | $58,360 | $46,360 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $16.57 | $17.19 | $18.48 | $22.35 | $26.44 | $20.49 | 21,900 | 2.31 | 1.08 |
| Annual | $34,460 | $35,740 | $38,440 | $46,480 | $54,990 | $42,620 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $17.35 | $17.99 | $18.65 | $21.40 | $23.46 | $20.14 | 17,850 | 2.85 | 1.34 |
| Annual | $36,100 | $37,420 | $38,790 | $44,510 | $48,790 | $41,900 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | $15.00 | $15.78 | $17.23 | $20.00 | $23.14 | $18.42 | 13,670 | 3.03 | 1.42 |
| Annual | $31,200 | $32,810 | $35,830 | $41,600 | $48,130 | $38,300 | ||||
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | Hourly | $15.04 | $16.19 | $17.40 | $19.39 | $25.57 | $19.19 | 9,200 | 3.87 | 1.82 |
| Annual | $31,280 | $33,680 | $36,190 | $40,320 | $53,180 | $39,920 | ||||
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | Hourly | $15.82 | $17.62 | $18.64 | $21.98 | $24.32 | $20.05 | 8,720 | 3.23 | 1.51 |
| Annual | $32,910 | $36,640 | $38,770 | $45,710 | $50,580 | $41,710 | ||||
Top industries employing recreation workers
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) employ 33.0% of recreation workers nationally (109,230 jobs) at a median $36,530 a year ($17.56 an hour), followed by Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities) (10.9%) and Other Amusement and Recreation Industries (9.9%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) NAICS 999300 | 109,230 | 33.0% | $36,530 | $17.56 |
| Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities) NAICS 623100 | 36,210 | 10.9% | $36,870 | $17.72 |
| Other Amusement and Recreation Industries NAICS 713900 | 32,970 | 9.9% | $33,810 | $16.26 |
| Civic and Social Organizations NAICS 813400 | 26,010 | 7.8% | $36,440 | $17.52 |
| Continuing Care Retirement Communities and Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly NAICS 623300 | 25,540 | 7.7% | $38,300 | $18.42 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (331,490). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $29,680 for recreation workers in May 2021 and $36,560 in May 2025, with employment of 264,020 and 331,490.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $29,680 | $14.27 | 264,020 |
| May 2022 | $31,680 | $15.23 | 270,380 |
| May 2023 | $34,410 | $16.55 | 281,750 |
| May 2024 | $35,380 | $17.01 | 309,640 |
| May 2025 | $36,560 | $17.58 | 331,490 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
51 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia profile | $22.34 | $46,460 | $37,990 | $66,750 | 470 | 0.66 | 0.31 |
| 2 | Washington profile | $21.58 | $44,890 | $35,660 | $59,790 | 6,380 | 1.80 | 0.84 |
| 3 | South Dakota profile | $20.32 | $42,270 | $32,390 | $60,470 | 650 | 1.42 | 0.67 |
| 4 | Hawaii profile | $19.71 | $41,000 | $31,690 | $45,270 | 1,590 | 2.53 | 1.19 |
| 5 | California profile | $19.12 | $39,780 | $35,900 | $56,150 | 48,560 | 2.67 | 1.25 |
| 6 | Oregon profile | $19.05 | $39,610 | $32,330 | $56,730 | 4,640 | 2.36 | 1.11 |
| 7 | Colorado profile | $18.67 | $38,820 | $31,080 | $53,580 | 6,100 | 2.12 | 1.00 |
| 8 | Massachusetts profile | $18.53 | $38,540 | $32,910 | $50,090 | 11,280 | 3.10 | 1.45 |
| 9 | New York profile | $18.29 | $38,040 | $33,260 | $54,610 | 24,790 | 2.56 | 1.20 |
| 10 | Alaska profile | $18.03 | $37,510 | $36,720 | $66,140 | 630 | 1.94 | 0.91 |
| 11 | Minnesota profile | $18.03 | $37,510 | $29,460 | $52,190 | 7,940 | 2.69 | 1.26 |
| 12 | Maine profile | $18.01 | $37,450 | $30,790 | $53,620 | 1,260 | 1.97 | 0.92 |
| 13 | Vermont profile | $18.01 | $37,450 | $32,130 | $51,310 | 840 | 2.76 | 1.29 |
| 14 | North Dakota profile | $17.94 | $37,310 | $22,250 | $54,000 | 730 | 1.69 | 0.79 |
| 15 | Maryland profile | $17.89 | $37,200 | $32,390 | $56,160 | 4,350 | 1.57 | 0.74 |
| 16 | New Hampshire profile | $17.81 | $37,040 | $27,040 | $51,240 | 2,030 | 2.97 | 1.39 |
| 17 | New Jersey profile | $17.73 | $36,880 | $32,220 | $49,240 | 7,550 | 1.76 | 0.83 |
| 18 | Connecticut profile | $17.60 | $36,610 | $34,010 | $51,340 | 5,000 | 2.95 | 1.38 |
| 19 | Rhode Island profile | $17.47 | $36,340 | $31,290 | $52,920 | 770 | 1.53 | 0.72 |
| 20 | Virginia profile | $17.36 | $36,120 | $27,390 | $53,800 | 9,260 | 2.25 | 1.06 |
| 21 | Arizona profile | $17.21 | $35,800 | $31,130 | $51,310 | 12,650 | 3.91 | 1.83 |
| 22 | Pennsylvania profile | $17.17 | $35,710 | $24,940 | $55,030 | 9,850 | 1.62 | 0.76 |
| 23 | Wisconsin profile | $17.08 | $35,530 | $26,440 | $50,980 | 6,840 | 2.33 | 1.09 |
| 24 | Florida profile | $17.06 | $35,490 | $29,130 | $49,130 | 18,010 | 1.81 | 0.85 |
| 25 | Illinois profile | $17.06 | $35,480 | $31,200 | $47,480 | 17,650 | 2.89 | 1.36 |
| 26 | Michigan profile | $16.87 | $35,090 | $29,020 | $47,740 | 10,850 | 2.46 | 1.16 |
| 27 | Montana profile | $16.87 | $35,090 | $29,070 | $50,020 | 800 | 1.57 | 0.74 |
| 28 | Nebraska profile | $16.63 | $34,590 | $28,520 | $46,500 | 1,510 | 1.47 | 0.69 |
| 29 | Missouri profile | $16.50 | $34,320 | $28,600 | $46,830 | 5,380 | 1.83 | 0.86 |
| 30 | Delaware profile | $16.25 | $33,790 | $31,200 | $44,930 | 1,230 | 2.53 | 1.19 |
| 31 | Iowa profile | $16.20 | $33,700 | $24,420 | $46,740 | 2,870 | 1.84 | 0.86 |
| 32 | Tennessee profile | $16.14 | $33,580 | $23,960 | $46,550 | 3,420 | 1.04 | 0.49 |
| 33 | Utah profile | $15.81 | $32,890 | $22,520 | $47,450 | 5,760 | 3.32 | 1.56 |
| 34 | North Carolina profile | $15.73 | $32,720 | $22,060 | $50,810 | 9,520 | 1.93 | 0.90 |
| 35 | Texas profile | $15.73 | $32,720 | $22,910 | $47,870 | 18,660 | 1.33 | 0.62 |
| 36 | Georgia profile | $15.64 | $32,540 | $22,340 | $48,870 | 8,160 | 1.67 | 0.78 |
| 37 | Ohio profile | $15.59 | $32,420 | $24,580 | $47,220 | 12,340 | 2.22 | 1.04 |
| 38 | Kentucky profile | $15.58 | $32,400 | $22,770 | $46,120 | 3,290 | 1.65 | 0.77 |
| 39 | New Mexico profile | $15.34 | $31,900 | $26,510 | $52,960 | 870 | 1.00 | 0.47 |
| 40 | Kansas profile | $15.27 | $31,760 | $22,160 | $45,250 | 2,990 | 2.08 | 0.98 |
| 41 | Oklahoma profile | $15.18 | $31,580 | $21,330 | $47,390 | 2,380 | 1.40 | 0.65 |
| 42 | South Carolina profile | $15.10 | $31,420 | $21,050 | $48,230 | 5,270 | 2.29 | 1.07 |
| 43 | Wyoming profile | $14.77 | $30,720 | $25,720 | $49,300 | 790 | 2.80 | 1.31 |
| 44 | Indiana profile | $14.52 | $30,190 | $22,470 | $45,710 | 8,050 | 2.52 | 1.18 |
| 45 | Nevada profile | $14.49 | $30,150 | $26,930 | $50,220 | 2,570 | 1.66 | 0.78 |
| 46 | Idaho profile | $14.47 | $30,100 | $21,150 | $50,370 | 2,080 | 2.42 | 1.14 |
| 47 | West Virginia profile | $14.28 | $29,710 | $22,340 | $53,400 | 1,410 | 2.01 | 0.94 |
| 48 | Louisiana profile | $13.74 | $28,580 | $19,300 | $45,320 | 2,830 | 1.46 | 0.69 |
| 49 | Alabama profile | $13.64 | $28,360 | $19,150 | $45,110 | 4,700 | 2.22 | 1.04 |
| 50 | Mississippi profile | $13.49 | $28,060 | $19,350 | $40,710 | 2,220 | 1.91 | 0.90 |
| 51 | Arkansas profile | $13.35 | $27,770 | $23,700 | $42,530 | 1,740 | 1.33 | 0.63 |
Related occupations
Occupations in the same SOC broad group (39-9030), with their national median annual wage.
Part of Personal Care and Service Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 39-9032 Recreation Workers.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 39-9032, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 39-9032.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.