How to Become an Entertainment / Recreation Manager
Run venues, parks, teams and recreation programs, from staffing to events to the books. It typically requires a bachelor's degree, with a median salary of $79,520 per year and much faster than average projected job growth.
Median pay
$79,520/yr
Middle half
$61,060 to $104,770
Job growth
Much faster than average
Openings / yr
5,500
Majors that lead here
Key skills
- Operations
- Event Planning
- Budgeting
- Customer Service
Related careers
- Entrepreneur / Business Founder$213,990 median
- Human Resources Manager$149,280 median
- Sales Manager$148,270 median
- Purchasing Manager$148,080 median
- Fundraising Manager$125,470 median
- Administrative Services Manager$114,130 median
Frequently asked questions
How much does an Entertainment / Recreation Manager make?
The median pay for an Entertainment / Recreation Manager is $79,520 a year, and the middle half of workers earn between $61,060 and $104,770 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025). That covers everyone in the job, not only people starting out, so newer workers sit toward the lower end.
What degree do you need to become an Entertainment / Recreation Manager?
The usual entry point is a bachelor's degree. Common majors are Sport Management, Arts Management, and Hospitality Management.
Is Entertainment / Recreation Manager a growing field?
Projected job growth for this role from 2024 to 2034 is much faster than average (BLS projections via O*NET), with roughly 5,500 U.S. openings a year.
What skills does an Entertainment / Recreation Manager use most?
Common skills for this role are Operations, Event Planning, Budgeting, and Customer Service.
Planning to become a Entertainment / Recreation Manager?
Save this career to your PlanexAI path and track the majors, courses, and milestones that lead to it.
Not sure this is right for you?
Take our free 2-minute quiz to match your interests to majors and careers.
Take the major quizWhere these pay figures come from
Career pay is the annual wage of everyone working in that occupation, not only recent graduates, so it includes people who have done the job for decades. The middle half is the 25th to the 75th percentile. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET OnLine (median and percentile annual wages May 2025; employment projections 2024-2034).
All figures are national. What you earn depends on where you work, who you work for, and how far you take the degree.
Job-growth figures: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET OnLine (median and percentile annual wages May 2025; employment projections 2024-2034).