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The national median salary for Recreation Workers is $36,566 per year ($17.58/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $31,782 and $43,472 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $50,419 per year. There are approximately 331,490 recreation workers employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
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.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+4.1%
Faster than average
Annual openings
68K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
328K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
2% from new growth98% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
High school diploma or equivalent
Experience
None
On-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999300
109K
$36,530
Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities)
NAICS 623100
36K
$36,870
Other Amusement and Recreation Industries
NAICS 713900
33K
$33,810
Civic and Social Organizations
NAICS 813400
26K
$36,440
Continuing Care Retirement Communities and Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly
NAICS 623300
26K
$38,300
Wage range across top 5 industries: $33,810 to $38,300 (13% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$13.27
$27,602
P25
$15.28
$31,782
P50MEDIAN
$17.58
$36,566
P75
$20.90
$43,472
P90
$24.24
$50,419
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · retail sector
Active
Openings Rate
4.6%
Quits Rate
3.1%
Retail openings rose to 737K (+52K) in March, rate up to 4.6%. Hires increased to 684K (+73K). Frontline turnover persists with quit rate at 3.1%.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average recreation workers salary?
The national median salary for Recreation Workers is $36,566 per year ($17.58/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $31,782 and $43,472 annually.
How much do top-earning recreation workers make?
The 90th percentile salary for Recreation Workers is $50,419 per year ($24.24/hr). The 75th percentile is $43,472 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for recreation workers?
Entry-level Recreation Workers (10th percentile) earn approximately $27,602 per year ($13.27/hr). The 25th percentile is $31,782 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
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