SOC 11-9072.00Bright outlook

    Entertainment and Recreation Managers, Except Gambling

    Plan, direct, or coordinate entertainment and recreational activities and operations of a recreational facility, including cruise ships and parks.

    Median pay
    $79,520
    Growth
    +6.0%
    Faster than average
    Openings a year
    5,100
    Typical education
    Bachelor's degree

    Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition

    Source: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

    See the pathway

    Annual pay range

    Lowest 10% earn less than
    $46,270
    Median
    $79,520
    Highest 10% earn more than
    $139,110
    National wages for all workers in this occupation. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.

    37,980 people work in this occupation.

    In short

    Entertainment and recreation managers plan and direct activities at facilities like parks, cruise ships, and camps. They earn a median annual salary of $79,520, with opportunities growing faster than average.

    Written with AI from the BLS, O*NET and CareerOneStop data on this page. Every figure is checked against that data before it is published.

    What entertainment and recreation managers, except gambling do

    Job Zone 4: Considerable preparation

    Plan, direct, or coordinate entertainment and recreational activities and operations of a recreational facility, including cruise ships and parks.

    Most need a bachelor's degree and several years of related experience.

    What the work is like

    People in this career oversee the daily operations of recreational facilities and programs. Their routine tasks involve organizing, planning, and prioritizing activities, as well as making critical decisions to solve operational problems. These managers must communicate constantly with staff, supervisors, and the public. They guide, train, and motivate their subordinates while resolving conflicts and negotiating when issues arise.

    Success in this field requires strong skills in active listening, speaking, social perceptiveness, and critical thinking. Managers must coordinate schedules and manage time effectively. Because the role is highly enterprising, it demands work styles such as leadership, dependability, cooperation, and stress tolerance. Managers draw on knowledge of administration, personnel management, customer service, and public safety to keep facilities running smoothly and safely.

    How to get there

    Entering this career typically requires a bachelor's degree along with several years of work experience in a related field. Students often prepare by majoring in fields such as parks, recreation, and leisure facilities management, hospitality administration, business administration, or sports and kinesiology. Other relevant majors include environmental and natural resources management.

    Depending on the location, some states list licensing requirements for individuals working in this role. Job titles in this field vary widely and include camp directors, amusement park managers, aquatics directors, and club managers.

    Pay and outlook explained

    In 2025, the median annual pay for these managers was $79,520. Earnings can vary significantly based on experience and the employing organization, with the lowest 10% earning less than $46,270 and the highest 10% earning more than $139,110.

    There are 37,980 people employed in this field. Between 2025 and 2035, employment is projected to grow by 6%, which is faster than the average for all occupations. This growth, combined with personnel turnover, is expected to result in about 5,100 job openings each year.

    Interest profile

    Realistic (R)
    39 / 100
    Investigative (I)
    16 / 100
    Artistic (A)
    16 / 100
    Social (S)
    49 / 100
    Enterprising (E) · strongest
    88 / 100
    Conventional (C)
    67 / 100
    How strongly each interest area describes the work, from O*NET (scores rescaled to 0–100). The interest code lists the strongest areas in order.

    Interest code ECS. Compare it with yours

    What you'd do

    Making Decisions and Solving Problems
    95
    Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
    89
    Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
    83
    Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
    82
    Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others
    82
    Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates
    81
    Thinking Creatively
    81
    Training and Teaching Others
    81
    Getting Information
    81
    Communicating with People Outside the Organization
    80
    Work activities rated by importance for this occupation, O*NET (0–100).

    Skills and strengths

    Skills

    • Active Listening
    • Reading Comprehension
    • Social Perceptiveness
    • Speaking
    • Coordination
    • Critical Thinking
    • Judgment and Decision Making
    • Monitoring
    • Time Management
    • Instructing

    Knowledge

    • Customer and Personal Service
    • Education and Training
    • English Language
    • Public Safety and Security
    • Administration and Management
    • Personnel and Human Resources
    • Psychology
    • Administrative
    • Mathematics
    • Sales and Marketing

    Abilities

    • Oral Expression
    • Oral Comprehension
    • Near Vision
    • Speech Clarity
    • Speech Recognition
    • Written Comprehension
    • Written Expression
    • Deductive Reasoning
    • Fluency of Ideas
    • Problem Sensitivity

    Work styles

    • Dependability
    • Social Orientation
    • Leadership Orientation
    • Cooperation
    • Optimism
    • Stress Tolerance
    • Adaptability
    • Self-Control
    • Initiative
    • Perseverance

    Also called

    Activities Manager · Amusement Park Manager · Aquatic Program Manager · Aquatics Director · Aquatics Manager · Boat Club Manager · Camp Director · Club Director · Club Manager · Entertainment and Recreation GM (Entertainment and Recreation General Manager)

    Career pathway

    From your interests to entertainment and recreation managers, except gambling

    Interests that fit the work, the career, majors that lead there and colleges whose graduates in those majors earn the most. Hover or focus a step to follow one path.

    1. Interests

    2. This career

      • Entertainment and Recreation Managers, Except Gambling$79,520 median pay

    3. Majors

    4. Colleges

    College Scorecard program outcomes

    Colleges with strong outcomes

    Programs that lead to this career, ranked by what their graduates earn four years after finishing. Earnings are for graduates who received federal aid.

    1. 1Carnegie Mellon University logo
      Carnegie Mellon University

      Pittsburgh, PA · Business Administration, Management and Operations · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $97,419
      4 yrs after
      $160,783
      Median debt
      $19,000
    2. 2University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Main Campus logo
      University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Main Campus

      Ann Arbor, MI · Business Administration, Management and Operations · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $96,806
      4 yrs after
      $144,654
      Median debt
      $19,500
    3. 3University of California-Berkeley CAL logo
      University of California-Berkeley CAL

      Berkeley, CA · Business Administration, Management and Operations · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $94,811
      4 yrs after
      $144,599
      Median debt
      $10,656
    4. 4University of Pennsylvania UPENN logo
      University of Pennsylvania UPENN

      Philadelphia, PA · Business Administration, Management and Operations · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $108,743
      4 yrs after
      $136,806
      Median debt
      $19,250
    5. 5Emory University-Main Campus logo
      Emory University-Main Campus

      Atlanta, GA · Business Administration, Management and Operations · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $87,830
      4 yrs after
      $136,731
      Median debt
      $15,000
    6. 6University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Main Campus logo
      University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Main Campus

      Chapel Hill, NC · Business Administration, Management and Operations · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $88,182
      4 yrs after
      $135,874
      Median debt
      $9,250
    7. 7Baylor University logo
      Baylor University

      Waco, TX · Business/Commerce, General · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $75,807
      4 yrs after
      $124,434
      Median debt
      $12,000
    8. 8Boston College logo
      Boston College

      Chestnut Hill, MA · Business Administration, Management and Operations · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $75,464
      4 yrs after
      $123,144
      Median debt
      $18,625

    Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard field-of-study data, 2025. Programs with few graduates are not listed.

    NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk

    Majors that lead here

    Related programs by four-digit CIP code. They are common routes in, not the only ones.

    CareerOneStop

    Certifications, licenses and pay by state

    What entertainment and recreation managers, except gambling may need beyond a degree, where a license is required, and what the work pays in each state.

    Training

    Programs of study that prepare people for this work.

    • Business Administration and Management, General
    • Business/Commerce, General
    • Environmental/Natural Resource Recreation and Tourism
    • Golf Course Operation and Grounds Management
    • Hospitality Administration/Management, General
    • Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management, General
    • Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management, Other
    • Resort Management
    • Sport and Fitness Administration/Management

    Find training near you on CareerOneStop

    Licenses by state

    5 states list a license for this work. Open your state for the license and the agency that issues it.

    Check license requirements on CareerOneStop

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 6, 2026.

    Your plan

    Build my pathway plan

    Courses, majors, colleges, scholarships and a timeline for this career, built from your profile.

    Related careers

    Careers with similar work, interests or skills.

    All careers

    Questions about entertainment and recreation managers, except gambling

    Written with AI from the BLS, O*NET and CareerOneStop data on this page. Every figure is checked against that data before it is published.

    What are some common job titles for this career?

    People in this field are known by many names, including activities managers, camp directors, amusement park managers, aquatics directors, and club managers.

    What college majors are recommended for this field?

    Recommended majors include parks, recreation, and leisure facilities management, hospitality administration, business administration, and sports or kinesiology.

    Do these managers need a license?

    Licensing requirements depend on where you work, as some states list a license for this occupation.

    Sources and attribution

    Every figure on this page comes from these public datasets. Missing values are shown as not reported, never estimated.

    O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 6, 2026.

    Page data updated November 5, 2026.