Career
Entertainment and recreation managers, except gambling
Run the places people go to have fun.
$79,520
Median pay
+6.0%
Job growth, 2025–35
5,100
Openings a year
Bachelor's degree
Typical education
4 years
Typical time after high school
Here's what you actually need to know.
The work
What people in this job do
- Write budgets to plan recreational activities or programs.
- Talk to coworkers using electronic devices, such as computers and radios.
- Talk to customers to convey information about events or activities.
- Plan programs of events or schedules of activities.
- Explain rules and regulations of facilities and entertainment attractions to customers.
The outlook
How the forecast changed this year
The deeper question
What kind of person does this path ask you to become?
What this work centers on
O*NET interest profile, scored 1–7.
The work
Do you want most of your days spent on persuasion & leadership, then information & systems?
Responsibility
Are you willing to be the one responsible for this?
“Write budgets to plan recreational activities or programs.”
Development
What would you need to build over the next 5–10 years?
Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Speaking, Social Perceptiveness.
Trade-offs
What does it ask of you in exchange?
4 years of education after high school (bachelor's degree), for a median of $79,520 a year and 5,100 openings nationally each year.
Paths in
Degrees that lead here
- Business AdministrationSee the degree →
- Kinesiology and Exercise ScienceSee the degree →
- Business (General)See the degree →
- Hospitality ManagementSee the degree →
- Environmental/Natural Resource Recreation and TourismCIP 03.0207
- Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management, GeneralCIP 31.0301
Paths across
Careers that use similar skills
- Recreation Workers$36,560 · +4.3%
- Fitness and Wellness Coordinators
- Recreational Therapists$61,960 · +4.8%
- Park Naturalists
- General and Operations Managers$105,770 · +5.0%
Ask anything about this career.
“Would this make sense if I don't want to sit at a desk all day?” Answers will come from the sources on this page, with citations. Coming soon.
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Sources
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- BLS Employment Projections, 2024–34 (archived), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), National Center for O*NET Development / U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk, NCES and BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-01.