Career Trends: Recreation Workers

Recreation workers design and lead recreational and leisure activities for groups in volunteer agencies or recreation facilities, such as playgrounds, parks, camps, aquatic centers, and senior centers. They may lead activities such as arts and crafts, dance, sports, adventure programs, music, and camping.

Recreation workers are employed in a variety of settings, including recreation centers, parks, summer camps, and nursing and residential care facilities. Many workers spend much of their time being physically active in the outdoors.

Education and training requirements for recreation workers vary with the type of job, but workers typically need at least a high school diploma or the equivalent.

Employment of recreation workers is projected to grow 10 percent from 2014 to 2024, faster than the average for all occupations. As more emphasis is placed on the importance of exercise, more recreation workers will be needed to work in local government parks and recreation departments, fitness centers, sports centers, and camps specializing in younger participants.

This occupation supported 345,400 jobs in 2012 and 379,300 jobs in 2014, reflecting an increase of 9.8%. In 2012, this occupation was projected to increase by 14.2% in 2022 to 394,400 jobs. As of 2014, to keep pace with prediction, the expected number of jobs was 355,200, compared with an observed value of 379,300, 6.8% higher than expected. This indicates current employment trends are much better than the 2012 trend within this occupation. In 2014, this occupation was projected to increase by 11.3% in 2024 to 418,300 jobs. Linear extrapolation of the 2012 projection for 2022 results in an expected number of 404,200 jobs for 2024, 3.4% lower than the 2014 projection for 2024. This indicates expectations for future employment trends are better than the 2012 trend within this occupation.