Recreation Workers
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.
- O*NET-SOC code
39-9032.00 - Preparation Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
Wages
Median annual wage, U.S.$36,560
Employment, U.S.331,490
Median hourly wage$17.58
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $27,600 | $31,780 | $36,560 | $43,470 | $50,410 |
By state (51)
| State | Employment | Median annual | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 4,700 | $28,360 | 1.04 |
| Alaska | 630 | $37,510 | 0.91 |
| Arizona | 12,650 | $35,800 | 1.83 |
| Arkansas | 1,740 | $27,770 | 0.63 |
| California | 48,560 | $39,780 | 1.25 |
| Colorado | 6,100 | $38,820 | 1.00 |
| Connecticut | 5,000 | $36,610 | 1.38 |
| Delaware | 1,230 | $33,790 | 1.19 |
| District of Columbia | 470 | $46,460 | 0.31 |
| Florida | 18,010 | $35,490 | 0.85 |
| Georgia | 8,160 | $32,540 | 0.78 |
| Hawaii | 1,590 | $41,000 | 1.19 |
| Idaho | 2,080 | $30,100 | 1.14 |
| Illinois | 17,650 | $35,480 | 1.36 |
| Indiana | 8,050 | $30,190 | 1.18 |
| Iowa | 2,870 | $33,700 | 0.86 |
| Kansas | 2,990 | $31,760 | 0.98 |
| Kentucky | 3,290 | $32,400 | 0.77 |
| Louisiana | 2,830 | $28,580 | 0.69 |
| Maine | 1,260 | $37,450 | 0.92 |
| Maryland | 4,350 | $37,200 | 0.74 |
| Massachusetts | 11,280 | $38,540 | 1.45 |
| Michigan | 10,850 | $35,090 | 1.16 |
| Minnesota | 7,940 | $37,510 | 1.26 |
| Mississippi | 2,220 | $28,060 | 0.90 |
| Missouri | 5,380 | $34,320 | 0.86 |
| Montana | 800 | $35,090 | 0.74 |
| Nebraska | 1,510 | $34,590 | 0.69 |
| Nevada | 2,570 | $30,150 | 0.78 |
| New Hampshire | 2,030 | $37,040 | 1.39 |
| New Jersey | 7,550 | $36,880 | 0.83 |
| New Mexico | 870 | $31,900 | 0.47 |
| New York | 24,790 | $38,040 | 1.20 |
| North Carolina | 9,520 | $32,720 | 0.90 |
| North Dakota | 730 | $37,310 | 0.79 |
| Ohio | 12,340 | $32,420 | 1.04 |
| Oklahoma | 2,380 | $31,580 | 0.65 |
| Oregon | 4,640 | $39,610 | 1.11 |
| Pennsylvania | 9,850 | $35,710 | 0.76 |
| Rhode Island | 770 | $36,340 | 0.72 |
| South Carolina | 5,270 | $31,420 | 1.07 |
| South Dakota | 650 | $42,270 | 0.67 |
| Tennessee | 3,420 | $33,580 | 0.49 |
| Texas | 18,660 | $32,720 | 0.62 |
| Utah | 5,760 | $32,890 | 1.56 |
| Vermont | 840 | $37,450 | 1.29 |
| Virginia | 9,260 | $36,120 | 1.06 |
| Washington | 6,380 | $44,890 | 0.84 |
| West Virginia | 1,410 | $29,710 | 0.94 |
| Wisconsin | 6,840 | $35,530 | 1.09 |
| Wyoming | 790 | $30,720 | 1.31 |
Similar occupations
Similarity is our measure: the cosine of importance x level over all 120 O*NET skills, knowledge areas and abilities. It is not an O*NET finding. More.
Circles are the 20 most similar occupations, coloured by Job Zone. Lines join pairs where one is among the other's 10 most similar; darker lines are pairs O*NET also lists as related. Drag a circle to move it out of the way; select one to open it.
One skill away
Among the 50 occupations most similar to Recreation Workers, those at the same Job Zone or lower, where exactly one skill rated at least 3 in importance needs a level more than 0.75 points higher (on O*NET's 0-7 level scale). Our definition. Change the thresholds.
| Occupation | Skill to build | Level gap | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education | Learning Strategies | 0.88 | 0.965 |
| Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education | Learning Strategies | 0.76 | 0.959 |
| Recreational Therapists | Writing | 0.88 | 0.954 |
| Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners | Management of Financial Resources | 1.00 | 0.951 |
| Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Arrangers | Writing | 0.76 | 0.944 |
| Social and Human Service Assistants | Writing | 0.76 | 0.939 |
| Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses | Reading Comprehension | 0.87 | 0.938 |
| Postmasters and Mail Superintendents | Time Management | 0.76 | 0.937 |
Software to learn next
Software used by at least 3 of the 20 occupations most similar to Recreation Workers, excluding software Recreation Workers already lists and any you named. Ranked by how many of them use it, weighted by how much more common it is among them than across all occupations (lift). Our ranking.
| Software | Similar jobs using it | Lift |
|---|---|---|
| Children's educational software | 6 of 20 | 30.8x |
| Seesaw | 5 of 20 | 16.5x |
| Padlet | 5 of 20 | 13.6x |
| Screen magnification software | 4 of 20 | 23.1x |
| Screen reader software | 4 of 20 | 20.5x |
| Flipgrid | 5 of 20 | 10.0x |
| Bloomz | 3 of 20 | 23.1x |
| ClassDojo | 3 of 20 | 23.1x |
| Schoology | 4 of 20 | 9.7x |
| Edpuzzle | 3 of 20 | 19.8x |
Skills
From O*NET data. Importance is rated 1 to 5 and level 0 to 7.
| Skill | Type | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active Listening | Essential skill | 4.00 | 4.00 |
| Coordination | Transferable skill | 4.00 | 4.00 |
| Social Perceptiveness | Transferable skill | 4.00 | 4.00 |
| Speaking | Essential skill | 4.00 | 4.00 |
| Service Orientation | Transferable skill | 4.00 | 3.75 |
| Instructing | Transferable skill | 3.75 | 3.38 |
| Monitoring | Essential skill | 3.75 | 3.38 |
| Critical Thinking | Essential skill | 3.25 | 3.62 |
| Time Management | Transferable skill | 3.25 | 3.12 |
| Management of Personnel Resources | Transferable skill | 3.12 | 3.38 |
| Reading Comprehension | Essential skill | 3.12 | 3.25 |
| Active Learning | Essential skill | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Learning Strategies | Essential skill | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Persuasion | Transferable skill | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Writing | Essential skill | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Complex Problem Solving | Transferable skill | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Negotiation | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Systems Analysis | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 2.75 |
| Systems Evaluation | Transferable skill | 2.75 | 2.75 |
| Management of Material Resources | Transferable skill | 2.62 | 2.38 |
| Mathematics | Essential skill | 2.12 | 2.00 |
| Management of Financial Resources | Transferable skill | 2.00 | 2.12 |
| Operations Analysis | Transferable skill | 2.00 | 1.88 |
| Operations Monitoring | Transferable skill | 2.00 | 1.75 |
| Quality Control Analysis | Transferable skill | 1.88 | 1.50 |
| Technology Design | Transferable skill | 1.88 | 1.00 |
| Troubleshooting | Transferable skill | 1.88 | 0.88 |
| Operation and Control | Transferable skill | 1.62 | 0.75 |
| Science | Essential skill | 1.62 | 0.62 |
| Equipment Selection | Transferable skill | 1.38 | 0.38 |
| Programming | Transferable skill | 1.38 | 0.38 |
| Equipment Maintenance | Transferable skill | 1.00 | not rated |
| Installation | Transferable skill | 1.00 | not rated |
| Repairing | Transferable skill | 1.00 | not rated |
Knowledge (33) and abilities (52)
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| English Language | 4.11 | 4.23 |
| Public Safety and Security | 3.82 | 4.22 |
| Customer and Personal Service | 3.65 | 4.20 |
| Education and Training | 3.52 | 4.70 |
| Law and Government | 3.43 | 2.80 |
| Psychology | 3.17 | 4.30 |
| Administrative | 3.14 | 3.57 |
| Computers and Electronics | 3.04 | 3.50 |
| Mathematics | 3.00 | 3.14 |
| Administration and Management | 2.97 | 3.30 |
| Communications and Media | 2.74 | 2.37 |
| Therapy and Counseling | 2.67 | 3.89 |
| Transportation | 2.66 | 2.28 |
| Sociology and Anthropology | 2.57 | 2.64 |
| Philosophy and Theology | 2.53 | 3.51 |
| Personnel and Human Resources | 2.40 | 2.35 |
| Fine Arts | 2.37 | 1.98 |
| Telecommunications | 2.23 | 1.83 |
| Sales and Marketing | 2.07 | 1.82 |
| Production and Processing | 2.02 | 1.54 |
| Geography | 1.87 | 1.44 |
| Mechanical | 1.85 | 1.57 |
| History and Archeology | 1.84 | 1.88 |
| Medicine and Dentistry | 1.84 | 1.08 |
| Economics and Accounting | 1.82 | 1.38 |
| Design | 1.81 | 1.08 |
| Biology | 1.49 | 0.69 |
| Engineering and Technology | 1.42 | not rated |
| Foreign Language | 1.41 | 0.59 |
| Food Production | 1.32 | not rated |
| Chemistry | 1.31 | not rated |
| Building and Construction | 1.30 | not rated |
| Physics | 1.29 | 0.42 |
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Oral Comprehension | 4.00 | 4.00 |
| Oral Expression | 4.00 | 4.00 |
| Speech Clarity | 3.88 | 3.25 |
| Near Vision | 3.62 | 3.25 |
| Problem Sensitivity | 3.62 | 3.12 |
| Speech Recognition | 3.62 | 3.12 |
| Written Comprehension | 3.38 | 3.25 |
| Deductive Reasoning | 3.25 | 3.25 |
| Originality | 3.12 | 3.50 |
| Fluency of Ideas | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Written Expression | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Category Flexibility | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Far Vision | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Information Ordering | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Inductive Reasoning | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Selective Attention | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Time Sharing | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Gross Body Coordination | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Stamina | 2.88 | 2.75 |
| Trunk Strength | 2.75 | 2.62 |
| Speed of Closure | 2.62 | 2.62 |
| Flexibility of Closure | 2.62 | 2.50 |
| Visualization | 2.62 | 2.50 |
| Perceptual Speed | 2.62 | 2.25 |
| Multilimb Coordination | 2.50 | 1.88 |
| Static Strength | 2.38 | 2.12 |
| Auditory Attention | 2.25 | 2.00 |
| Mathematical Reasoning | 2.25 | 2.00 |
| Extent Flexibility | 2.12 | 2.12 |
| Number Facility | 2.12 | 2.12 |
| Dynamic Strength | 2.12 | 2.00 |
| Gross Body Equilibrium | 2.12 | 1.88 |
| Visual Color Discrimination | 2.12 | 1.62 |
| Arm-Hand Steadiness | 2.00 | 2.00 |
| Finger Dexterity | 2.00 | 2.00 |
| Memorization | 2.00 | 2.00 |
| Hearing Sensitivity | 2.00 | 1.88 |
| Depth Perception | 2.00 | 1.75 |
| Explosive Strength | 1.88 | 1.00 |
| Manual Dexterity | 1.75 | 0.75 |
| Control Precision | 1.62 | 1.12 |
| Speed of Limb Movement | 1.62 | 1.00 |
| Reaction Time | 1.62 | 0.88 |
| Wrist-Finger Speed | 1.62 | 0.62 |
| Response Orientation | 1.38 | 0.62 |
| Glare Sensitivity | 1.25 | not rated |
| Dynamic Flexibility | 1.12 | not rated |
| Night Vision | 1.00 | not rated |
| Peripheral Vision | 1.00 | not rated |
| Rate Control | 1.00 | not rated |
| Sound Localization | 1.00 | not rated |
| Spatial Orientation | 1.00 | not rated |
Software used
Examples from O*NET data. "Hot" and "in demand" are O*NET flags for technologies often listed in job postings.
- Microsoft Office software in demand
- Microsoft Excel hot
- Microsoft Outlook hot
- Microsoft PowerPoint hot
- Microsoft Windows hot
- Microsoft Word hot
- Appletree
- Corel WordPerfect Office Suite
- Database software
- GroupMe
- Microsoft Internet Explorer
- Microsoft Publisher
- Recordkeeping software
- Scheduling software
- YouTube
Where it concentrates
Metro areas ranked by BLS location quotient: the occupation's share of the area's jobs divided by its share of all US jobs. Above 1 means more concentrated than the nation. Metros employing fewer than 100 are left out.
| Metro area | Employment | Location quotient | Median annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ann Arbor, MI | 3,190 | 6.80 | $35,090 |
| College Station-Bryan, TX | 1,170 | 4.09 | $47,870 |
| Gadsden, AL | 200 | 2.79 | $25,370 |
| Chico, CA | 430 | 2.58 | $35,320 |
| Flagstaff, AZ | 360 | 2.57 | $35,210 |
| Bloomington, IL | 470 | 2.50 | $36,030 |
| Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ | 300 | 2.50 | $34,660 |
| Logan, UT-ID | 350 | 2.43 | $29,910 |
| Modesto, CA | 1,000 | 2.41 | $37,230 |
| South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI | 660 | 2.35 | $30,190 |