Entertainment and Recreation Managers Job Outlook
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of entertainment and recreation managers to grow 6.0% from 2025 to 2035 (about 2,700 more jobs), with about 5,100 openings a year, and the May 2025 median pay of $79,520 a year ranks 226th of 825 occupations.
- Projected change
- +6.0%
- Openings a year
- 5,100
- Median pay
- $79,520
- Pay rank
- 226th of 825
Is employment of entertainment and recreation managers growing or shrinking?
Growing: BLS projects employment of entertainment and recreation managers to rise 6.0% (about 2,700 more jobs) from 2025 to 2035, faster than the 3.5% projected across all occupations. That is about the same as the +6.2% summed from BLS's employment levels across the 37 management occupations with a projection. That change ranks 163rd of 830 projected occupations.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Employment, 2025 | 43,900 |
| Employment, 2035 | 46,500 |
| Projected change | +6.0% |
| Openings a year | 5,100 |
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035. A projection is a BLS estimate, not a count. The 43,900 jobs here differ from the 37,980 on the salary page because Employment Projections also counts the self-employed and a wider set of workers, while OEWS counts wage and salary jobs in May 2025. BLS published these projections on August 27, 2026; checked November 10, 2026. Confirm any figure in the BLS Employment Projections tables.
BLS's reasons for this projection are at the Occupational Outlook Handbook. State projections are at Projections Central; projections by industry are left to BLS. Education, licensing and work context at O*NET.
How many job openings are there each year?
About 5,100 openings a year, from job growth and from workers leaving the occupation, the 378th most of 830 occupations. About 95% of them replace workers who change occupations or leave the labor force; the rest come from the 270 jobs added in an average year.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035.
How does pay for entertainment and recreation managers rank?
The median of $79,520 a year ranks 226th of 825 occupations with a published median. It sits in the upper half of occupations on both pay and openings.
Source: BLS OEWS national file, May 2025. Wage and salary jobs only; the self-employed are not counted. OEWS pay excludes overtime, shift differentials and non-production bonuses. Ranks count only the occupations with that published figure: 830 for projected change, 830 for openings, 825 for median pay, which is why the totals differ.
What does it take to start?
- Typical entry-level education: bachelor's degree.
- Work experience in a related occupation: less than 5 years.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, education and training assignments.
How do related jobs compare on outlook?
| Occupation | Change | Openings a year | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal Service Managers, All Other | +6.2% | 2,000 | $69,770 |
| General and Operations Managers | +5.0% | 285,000 | $105,770 |
| Lodging Managers | +3.8% | 5,500 | $69,250 |
| Facilities Managers | +4.6% | 14,200 | $106,660 |
| Social and Community Service Managers | +7.2% | 18,500 | $80,390 |
| Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare | -3.1% | 5,200 | $59,300 |
| Recreation Workers | +4.3% | 67,000 | $36,560 |
| Recreational Therapists | +4.8% | 1,400 | $61,960 |
Related occupations from O*NET; projections from BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035; pay from BLS OEWS, May 2025.