occupation · 39-9032 · detailed
Recreation Workers — wages and employment
Recreation Workers earned a median annual wage of $35,380 in the United States in May 2024, with 309,640 people employed, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
What stands out
Recreation Workers earned a median annual wage of $35,380 in the United States in May 2024, with 309,640 people employed, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The lowest-paid tenth earned $25,640 or less, the best-paid tenth $49,460 or more. Since May 2023 the median moved from $34,410 to $35,380, +2.8 %. The best-paying state is District of Columbia at $45,760; the lowest Puerto Rico at $21,060. Among metropolitan areas, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA pays the highest median, $54,990. Wages are as published by BLS for May of each year; '≥ $239,200' is BLS's top code. Every value links to its fact record.
United States, year by year
Annual wages at the median, mean and four percentiles; employment is the May estimate.
| Reference | Employment | Median | Mean | 10th | 25th | 75th | 90th | Median hourly | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | 309,640 | $35,380 | $37,170 | $25,640 | $30,460 | $41,120 | $49,460 | $17.01 | evidence → |
| May 2023 | 281,750 | $34,410 | $36,270 | $24,040 | $29,120 | $39,840 | $49,690 | $16.55 | evidence → |
By state
Median annual wage, May 2024, highest first. Each state has its own record with the full series.
| State | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $45,760 | 510 |
| Washington | $43,850 | 4,630 |
| South Dakota | $41,380 | 570 |
| Alaska | $39,830 | 430 |
| North Dakota | $37,920 | 930 |
| California | $37,580 | 48,580 |
| Minnesota | $37,500 | 6,430 |
| Oregon | $37,440 | 3,980 |
| New York | $37,270 | 19,550 |
| Vermont | $37,160 | 840 |
| Colorado | $37,110 | 4,900 |
| Massachusetts | $36,960 | 10,730 |
| Rhode Island | $36,080 | 710 |
| Maine | $35,920 | 1,280 |
| New Jersey | $35,720 | 8,040 |
| Connecticut | $35,520 | 4,870 |
| Arizona | $35,340 | 11,820 |
| Virginia | $35,260 | 8,260 |
| New Hampshire | $35,180 | 2,020 |
| Maryland | $34,200 | 4,000 |
| Florida | $34,070 | 16,720 |
| Pennsylvania | $34,050 | 10,540 |
| Wisconsin | $33,910 | 6,320 |
| Illinois | $33,830 | 16,150 |
| Michigan | $33,520 | 11,370 |
| Montana | $33,310 | 990 |
| Hawaii | $32,610 | 1,590 |
| Virgin Islands | $31,900 | 30 |
| North Carolina | $31,680 | 9,020 |
| Tennessee | $31,620 | 3,150 |
| Georgia | $31,520 | 7,610 |
| New Mexico | $31,510 | 870 |
| South Carolina | $31,370 | 4,400 |
| Texas | $31,290 | 16,590 |
| Wyoming | $31,200 | 600 |
| Delaware | $31,190 | 1,120 |
| Kentucky | $31,100 | 2,390 |
| Utah | $31,060 | 5,950 |
| Ohio | $31,030 | 12,310 |
| Missouri | $30,910 | 5,530 |
| Oklahoma | $30,650 | 2,270 |
| Iowa | $30,460 | 2,570 |
| Kansas | $30,370 | 3,430 |
| Nebraska | $30,110 | 1,870 |
| Indiana | $29,140 | 6,150 |
| Nevada | $29,130 | 2,600 |
| Idaho | $29,120 | 1,820 |
| West Virginia | $29,050 | 1,670 |
| Guam | $28,030 | 60 |
| Alabama | $27,320 | 4,640 |
| Mississippi | $27,200 | 2,130 |
| Louisiana | $26,530 | 2,730 |
| Arkansas | $26,520 | 1,680 |
| Puerto Rico | $21,060 | 840 |
Highest-paying metropolitan areas
Top 20 by median annual wage.
| Metro area | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $54,990 | 2,640 |
| Fairbanks-College, AK | $46,480 | 50 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $45,170 | 2,500 |
| College Station-Bryan, TX | $45,110 | 1,100 |
| Rapid City, SD | $44,150 | 60 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $44,070 | 6,330 |
| Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | $42,010 | 140 |
| Longview-Kelso, WA | $40,920 | 60 |
| Sioux Falls, SD-MN | $40,230 | 170 |
| Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA | $40,060 | 80 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $39,780 | 2,460 |
| Bellingham, WA | $39,780 | 160 |
| Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA | $39,510 | 160 |
| Barnstable Town, MA | $39,300 | 340 |
| Napa, CA | $39,220 | 230 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | $38,940 | 1,730 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $38,500 | 4,260 |
| Bend, OR | $38,460 | 170 |
| Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA | $38,410 | 380 |
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | $38,380 | 160 |
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