Recreation Worker Salary

Recreation Workers earn a median $36,560 a year nationally. Personal Care and Service Occupations

U.S. median

$36,560

$17.58 per hour

Range

$27,600 – $50,410

10th to 90th percentile

Employed

331,490

across the U.S.

Recreation Worker take-home pay calculator

Starts at the national median. Pick your state to see your real paycheck.

Your take-home pay

$31,556

per year · effective tax rate 13.7%

$2,630Monthly

$1,315Twice a month

$1,214Every 2 weeks

$15.17Hourly

Federal income tax$2,207
Social Security (6.2%)$2,267
Medicare (1.45%)$530
Texas income tax$0
Take-home pay$31,556

Marginal rate: 12% federal + 0.00% state

Pay by experience

Percentile	Salary	Hourly	Take-home (no state tax)
10th percentile (entry level)	$27,600	$13.27	$24,339
25th percentile	$31,780	$15.28	$27,715
Median (50th)	$36,560	$17.58	$31,556
75th percentile	$43,470	$20.90	$37,108
90th percentile (top earners)	$50,410	$24.24	$42,684

Best cities for recreation workers (after tax & cost of living)

#	Metro area	Median	Take-home	Real value*	Jobs
1	College Station, TX	$47,870	$40,644	$44,687	1,170
2	San Jose, CA	$57,580	$46,193	$41,832	2,620
3	Seattle, WA	$45,990	$39,133	$35,213	3,600
4	Duluth, MN	$36,080	$30,059	$33,862	500
5	Spokane, WA	$39,260	$33,725	$33,609	510
6	Austin, TX	$38,230	$32,898	$33,547	1,880
7	Nashville, TN	$37,460	$32,279	$33,506	1,070
8	Des Moines, IA	$36,150	$30,505	$33,265	630
9	Springfield, MO	$34,740	$29,398	$33,186	450
10	San Francisco, CA	$46,290	$37,931	$32,809	6,510
11	Washington, DC	$42,800	$35,168	$32,298	4,360
12	Green Bay, WI	$35,540	$29,954	$32,178	640
13	Kansas City, MO	$35,090	$29,663	$32,053	2,250
14	Springfield, MA	$37,500	$30,656	$31,913	590
15	Omaha, NE	$34,630	$29,309	$31,889	620
16	Tulsa, OK	$33,780	$28,348	$31,775	520
17	Portland, OR	$42,580	$33,497	$31,774	2,660
18	Pittsburgh, PA	$35,980	$29,985	$31,673	1,540
19	Bloomington, IL	$36,030	$29,491	$31,529	470
20	Tampa, FL	$36,840	$31,781	$31,501	2,860
21	Bakersfield, CA	$38,060	$31,755	$31,476	1,260
22	Tucson, AZ	$36,050	$30,454	$31,429	1,620
23	McAllen, TX	$30,870	$26,984	$31,415	490
24	New Orleans, LA	$34,270	$29,074	$31,399	900
25	Virginia Beach, VA	$37,050	$30,633	$31,277	2,310

*Take-home pay in U.S.-average dollars (BEA Regional Price Parities).

Highest-paying cities

San Jose, CA — $57,580
College Station, TX — $47,870
San Francisco, CA — $46,290
Seattle, WA — $45,990
Washington, DC — $42,800
Portland, OR — $42,580
Urban Honolulu, HI — $41,000
San Diego, CA — $40,380
Santa Rosa, CA — $40,010
Denver, CO — $39,640
Spokane, WA — $39,260
Vallejo, CA — $38,990
Oxnard, CA — $38,930
Sacramento, CA — $38,820
Los Angeles, CA — $38,790

Recreation Worker salary by state

State	Median	Take-home	Range	Jobs
District of Columbia	$46,460	$37,889	$37,990 – $66,750	470
Washington	$44,890	$38,249	$35,660 – $59,790	6,380
South Dakota	$42,270	$36,144	$32,390 – $60,470	650
Hawaii	$41,000	$33,485	$31,690 – $45,270	1,590
California	$39,780	$33,046	$35,900 – $56,150	48,560
Oregon	$39,610	$31,370	$32,330 – $56,730	4,640
Colorado	$38,820	$32,372	$31,080 – $53,580	6,100
Massachusetts	$38,540	$31,440	$32,910 – $50,090	11,280
New York	$38,040	$31,288	$33,260 – $54,610	24,790
Alaska	$37,510	$32,319	$36,720 – $66,140	630
Minnesota	$37,510	$31,131	$29,460 – $52,190	7,940
Maine	$37,450	$30,891	$30,790 – $53,620	1,260
Vermont	$37,450	$31,450	$32,130 – $51,310	840
North Dakota	$37,310	$32,159	$22,250 – $54,000	730
Maryland	$37,200	$30,667	$32,390 – $56,160	4,350
New Hampshire	$37,040	$31,942	$27,040 – $51,240	2,030
New Jersey	$36,880	$31,240	$32,220 – $49,240	7,550
Connecticut	$36,610	$30,874	$34,010 – $51,340	5,000
Rhode Island	$36,340	$30,633	$31,290 – $52,920	770
Virginia	$36,120	$29,940	$27,390 – $53,800	9,260
Arizona	$35,800	$30,259	$31,130 – $51,310	12,650
Pennsylvania	$35,710	$29,777	$24,940 – $55,030	9,850
Wisconsin	$35,530	$29,946	$26,440 – $50,980	6,840
Florida	$35,490	$30,696	$29,130 – $49,130	18,010
Illinois	$35,480	$29,077	$31,200 – $47,480	17,650
Michigan	$35,090	$29,134	$29,020 – $47,740	10,850
Montana	$35,090	$29,482	$29,070 – $50,020	800
Nebraska	$34,590	$29,279	$28,520 – $46,500	1,510
Missouri	$34,320	$29,080	$28,600 – $46,830	5,380
Delaware	$33,790	$28,132	$31,200 – $44,930	1,230
Iowa	$33,700	$28,629	$24,420 – $46,740	2,870
Tennessee	$33,580	$29,162	$23,960 – $46,550	3,420
Utah	$32,890	$28,093	$22,520 – $47,450	5,760
North Carolina	$32,720	$27,674	$22,060 – $50,810	9,520
Texas	$32,720	$28,471	$22,910 – $47,870	18,660
Georgia	$32,540	$27,260	$22,340 – $48,870	8,160
Ohio	$32,420	$28,120	$24,580 – $47,220	12,340
Kentucky	$32,400	$27,197	$22,770 – $46,120	3,290
New Mexico	$31,900	$27,400	$26,510 – $52,960	870
Kansas	$31,760	$26,711	$22,160 – $45,250	2,990
Oklahoma	$31,580	$26,679	$21,330 – $47,390	2,380
South Carolina	$31,420	$26,698	$21,050 – $48,230	5,270
Wyoming	$30,720	$26,864	$25,720 – $49,300	790
Indiana	$30,190	$25,577	$22,470 – $45,710	8,050
Nevada	$30,150	$26,406	$26,930 – $50,220	2,570
Idaho	$30,100	$25,878	$21,150 – $50,370	2,080
West Virginia	$29,710	$25,296	$22,340 – $53,400	1,410
Louisiana	$28,580	$24,673	$19,300 – $45,320	2,830
Alabama	$28,360	$23,811	$19,150 – $45,110	4,700
Mississippi	$28,060	$24,327	$19,350 – $40,710	2,220
Arkansas	$27,770	$23,608	$23,700 – $42,530	1,740

Frequently asked questions

How much does a recreation worker make?

The national median salary for recreation workers is $36,560 a year ($17.58 an hour). The lowest-paid 10% earn under $27,600 and the top 10% earn over $50,410. Source: BLS, May 2025.

Which state pays recreation workers the most?

District of Columbia has the highest median pay at $46,460. After taxes and local prices, College Station, TX offers the best real take-home pay of any metro area.

How many recreation workers are there in the U.S.?

About 331,490 people work as recreation workers nationwide.

All 119 cities