CareerGPS

Recreation Workers
Summary Occupational Forecast Data for Recreation Workers
Employment Employment Change Average Annual Job Openings Wage & Training Levels
2020 2025 Numerical Percent New Jobs Replacement Jobs Total Median Hourly Median Annual Training Levels
2,645 2,933 288 10.90% 58 686 744 $16.39 $34,094 High school diploma or equivalent
Description: 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.
Forecast Data Source: EMSI (4th Quarter 2023)

Occupation Details

The information in this section represents occupational characteristics included in O*NET which defines key features of an occupation as a standardized, measurable set of variables called "descriptors". These distinguishing characteristics of an occupation are described in greater detail in the O*NET Content Model. All items are listed in descending order of importance.

  • Enforce rules and regulations of recreational facilities to maintain discipline and ensure safety.
  • Organize, lead, and promote interest in recreational activities such as arts, crafts, sports, games, camping, and hobbies.
  • Manage the daily operations of recreational facilities.
  • Administer first aid according to prescribed procedures, and notify emergency medical personnel when necessary.
  • Ascertain and interpret group interests, evaluate equipment and facilities, and adapt activities to meet participant needs.
  • Greet new arrivals to activities, introducing them to other participants, explaining facility rules, and encouraging participation.
  • Explain principles, techniques, and safety procedures to participants in recreational activities, and demonstrate use of materials and equipment.
  • Evaluate recreation areas, facilities, and services to determine if they are producing desired results.
  • Complete and maintain time and attendance forms and inventory lists.
  • Confer with management to discuss and resolve participant complaints.
  • Supervise and coordinate the work activities of personnel, such as training staff members and assigning work duties.
  • Meet and collaborate with agency personnel, community organizations, and other professional personnel to plan balanced recreational programs for participants.
  • Direct special activities or events such as aquatics, gymnastics, or performing arts.
  • Meet with staff to discuss rules, regulations, and work-related problems.
  • Provide for entertainment and set up related decorations and equipment.
  • Encourage participants to develop their own activities and leadership skills through group discussions.

Knowledge

81%
Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
63%
English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
61%
Psychology - Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
54%
Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
54%
Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
53%
Public Safety and Security - Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.

Skills

75%
Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
72%
Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
72%
Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
72%
Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
72%
Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.
65%
Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
62%
Time Management - Managing one's own time and the time of others.
62%
Instructing - Teaching others how to do something.
60%
Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
56%
Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
56%
Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
56%
Management of Personnel Resources - Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
53%
Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
50%
Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

Abilities

75%
Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
72%
Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
69%
Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
65%
Speech Recognition - The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
62%
Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
62%
Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
60%
Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
60%
Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
56%
Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
56%
Information Ordering - The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
56%
Originality - The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
53%
Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
50%
Category Flexibility - The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
50%
Selective Attention - The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.

Work Activities

76%
Assisting and Caring for Others - Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
74%
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates - Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
72%
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work - Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
71%
Thinking Creatively - Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
71%
Performing General Physical Activities - Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling of materials.
70%
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events - Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
70%
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships - Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
70%
Getting Information - Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
69%
Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others - Getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks.
67%
Scheduling Work and Activities - Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
65%
Coaching and Developing Others - Identifying the developmental needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or otherwise helping others to improve their knowledge or skills.
65%
Performing for or Working Directly with the Public - Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
64%
Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings - Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
63%
Training and Teaching Others - Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others.
63%
Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others - Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.
62%
Making Decisions and Solving Problems - Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
59%
Developing and Building Teams - Encouraging and building mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.
58%
Judging the Qualities of Things, Services, or People - Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people.
56%
Documenting/Recording Information - Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
55%
Communicating with Persons Outside Organization - Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
55%
Performing Administrative Activities - Performing day-to-day administrative tasks such as maintaining information files and processing paperwork.
55%
Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates - Providing guidance and direction to subordinates, including setting performance standards and monitoring performance.
54%
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards - Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
51%
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Material - Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
50%
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge - Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
50%
Provide Consultation and Advice to Others - Providing guidance and expert advice to management or other groups on technical, systems-, or process-related topics.
Title Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
Overall Experience A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
Job Training Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
Job Zone Examples Many of these occupations involve coordinating, supervising, managing, or training others. Examples include accountants, sales managers, database administrators, teachers, chemists, environmental engineers, criminal investigators, and special agents.
Education Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.

Interests

Social - Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
Enterprising - Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.
Artistic - Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.
Realistic - Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outsi

Work Styles

Dependability - Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Integrity - Job requires being honest and ethical.
Cooperation - Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Self Control - Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
Social Orientation - Job requires preferring to work with others rather than alone, and being personally connected with others on the job.
Concern for Others - Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
Adaptability/Flexibility - Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
Stress Tolerance - Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations.
Attention to Detail - Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Independence - Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
Initiative - Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
Leadership - Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction.
Innovation - Job requires creativity and alternative thinking to develop new ideas for and answers to work-related problems.

Work Values

Relationships - Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
Independence - Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.