Entertainment and Recreation Managers, Except Gambling
Also called: Camp Director, Events Manager, Recreation Director, Recreation ManagerPlan, direct, or coordinate entertainment and recreational activities and operations of a recreational facility, including cruise ships and parks.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 9 of its 17 tasks, yet jobs are projected to grow 6.0% by 2035. In the most exposed occupations, the squeeze shows up first among early-career workers. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 7.9% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Entertainment and recreation managers”
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 11.1 hires for every 10 job openings in arts, entertainment, and recreation, which employs about 49% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.11.1 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $66,540 | $63,890 to $66,980 | 190 |
| Alaska | $70,700 | $60,580 to $117,890 | 120 |
| Arizona | $76,550 | $56,500 to $110,730 | 880 |
| Arkansas | $49,640 | $39,260 to $69,640 | 230 |
| California | $79,550 | $63,370 to $112,030 | 7,000 |
| Colorado | $97,000 | $74,880 to $133,880 | 940 |
| Connecticut | $78,010 | $67,690 to $88,400 | 130 |
| District of Columbia | $113,930 | $84,360 to $143,000 | 30 |
| Florida | $83,520 | $63,200 to $124,790 | 2,620 |
| Georgia | $83,470 | $65,210 to $111,770 | 830 |
| Hawaii | $81,160 | $60,580 to $101,220 | 50 |
| Idaho | $95,020 | $66,870 to $102,950 | 110 |
| Illinois | $77,310 | $54,090 to $100,660 | 3,260 |
| Indiana | $62,760 | $51,250 to $85,690 | 340 |
| Iowa | $68,320 | $52,400 to $89,230 | 620 |
| Kansas | $69,990 | $63,040 to $80,580 | 100 |
| Kentucky | $80,130 | $52,520 to $99,290 | 300 |
| Louisiana | $62,390 | $47,570 to $72,520 | 90 |
| Maine | $82,780 | $82,780 to $109,310 | 70 |
| Maryland | $81,220 | $61,950 to $108,970 | 940 |
| Massachusetts | $89,450 | $72,360 to $105,770 | 1,030 |
| Michigan | $65,890 | $51,400 to $86,980 | 1,670 |
| Minnesota | $107,660 | $84,510 to $132,490 | 480 |
| Mississippi | $67,670 | $47,050 to $84,190 | 90 |
| Missouri | $83,620 | $65,460 to $104,900 | 370 |
| Nebraska | $63,270 | $47,290 to $81,790 | 310 |
| Nevada | $82,370 | $63,720 to $96,470 | 410 |
| New Hampshire | $80,090 | $69,990 to $103,730 | 170 |
| New Jersey | $89,590 | $75,990 to $115,440 | 2,260 |
| New Mexico | not published | not published | 80 |
| New York | $98,390 | $73,520 to $135,210 | 1,330 |
| North Carolina | $77,990 | $60,730 to $100,270 | 1,200 |
| Ohio | $58,440 | $45,240 to $78,330 | 1,280 |
| Oklahoma | $78,420 | $54,600 to $97,060 | 100 |
| Oregon | $78,200 | $61,140 to $101,740 | 930 |
| Pennsylvania | $68,990 | $55,650 to $82,610 | 1,220 |
| Puerto Rico | $43,260 | $36,300 to $51,460 | 120 |
| Rhode Island | $88,750 | $65,620 to $107,040 | 40 |
| South Carolina | $79,110 | $61,910 to $102,900 | 440 |
| South Dakota | $76,000 | $63,480 to $97,280 | 160 |
| Tennessee | $70,530 | $60,860 to $95,810 | 540 |
| Texas | $78,500 | $58,970 to $100,910 | 2,880 |
| Utah | $79,400 | $58,170 to $101,260 | 370 |
| Vermont | $92,320 | $64,550 to $119,110 | 270 |
| Virginia | $74,800 | $58,670 to $105,930 | 310 |
| Washington | $96,790 | $78,760 to $141,020 | 630 |
| West Virginia | $47,310 | $44,310 to $58,520 | 100 |
| Wisconsin | $77,140 | $60,600 to $103,120 | 170 |
| Wyoming | $88,790 | $74,060 to $108,660 | 70 |
Nationally: $79,520. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on 9 of its 17 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| AI + software | Talk to customers to convey information about events or activities. | under 0.01% |
| AI + software | Talk to coworkers using electronic devices, such as computers and radios. | under 0.01% |
| AI alone | Explain rules and regulations of facilities and entertainment attractions to customers. | Not published |
| AI alone | Resolve customer complaints regarding worker performance or services rendered. | Not published |
| Not much | Train workers in company procedures or policy. | Not published |
| AI + software | Calculate and record department expenses and revenue. | Not published |
See all 17 tasks
| AI + software | Assign tasks and work hours to staff. | Not published |
| AI alone | Plan programs of events or schedules of activities. | 0.06% |
| AI + software | Write budgets to plan recreational activities or programs. | Not published |
| Not much | Administer first aid in emergency situations. | Not published |
| Not much | Interview and hire associates to fill staff vacancies. | Not published |
| Not much | Plan, organize, or lead group activities for customers, such as exercise routines, athletic events, or arts and crafts. | under 0.01% |
| AI alone | Write and present strategies for recreational facility programming using customer or employee data. | Not published |
| Not much | Inspect equipment, such as rides, games, and vehicles, to detect wear and damage. | Not published |
| Not much | Store and retrieve equipment, such as vehicles, radios, and ride components. | Not published |
| Not much | Clean equipment and areas of amusement park, cruise ship, or other recreational facility. | Not published |
| Not much | Operate, drive, or explain the use of mechanical equipment in amusement parks, cruise ships, or other recreational facilities. | Not published |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 4 of the 17 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 17 tasks fall under 19 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
- #3 Respond to customer problems or inquiries
- #7 Explain technical details of products or services
- #11 Provide information to guests, clients, or customers
- and 1 more, in the table below
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Provide information to guests, clients, or customers | |||
| Explain regulations, policies, or procedures | |||
| Plan events or programs | |||
| Respond to customer problems or inquiries | |||
| Explain technical details of products or services | |||
| Teach academic or vocational subjects | |||
| Communicate with others about operational plans or activities | |||
| Clean tools, equipment, facilities, or work areas |
Show all 19 activities
| Prepare financial documents, reports, or budgets | |||
| Inspect facilities or equipment | |||
| Develop organizational policies, systems, or processes | |||
| Communicate with others about business strategies | |||
| Administer basic health care or medical treatments | |||
| Train others on operational or work procedures | |||
| Assign work to others | |||
| Operate transportation equipment or vehicles | |||
| Perform recruiting or hiring activities | |||
| Reconcile financial data | |||
| Replenish inventories of materials, equipment, or products |
How people in this work use Claude
What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations
- A plan or strategy41%
- A document or report22%
- Data or a spreadsheet7%
- An email or message4%
- An app or website3%
How they worked with Claude
53% of these conversations were about work. Anthropic Economic Index, May 2026.
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for entertainment and recreation managers, except gambling specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved next
of 2,666,458 moves out
- 1 General and Operations Managers High +5.0% 6%
- 2 Computer Occupations, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 5%
- 3 Management Analysts Very high +10.1% 5%
- 4 Sales Managers High +4.5% 3%
- 5 Postsecondary Teachers, All Other Very high +2.0% 3%
Where people moved in from
of 3,116,947 moves in
- 1 Computer Occupations, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 5%
- 2 General and Operations Managers High +5.0% 4%
- 3 First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers High -3.7% 3%
- 4 Management Analysts Very high +10.1% 3%
- 5 Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products Very high -0.9% 2%
The resume data uses 2010 occupation codes. This occupation comes from “Managers, All Other”, which today also includes “Personal Service Managers, All Other”, the occupation still called “Managers, All Other” and “Project Management Specialists”, so these figures cover those too. Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 3% less than high school
- 19% high school
- 26% some college
- 12% associate's
- 31% bachelor's
- 8% master's
- 1% doctorate
Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Entertainment and recreation managers” · 680 people surveyed.
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Entertainment and recreation managers”
9 programs, such as Environmental/Natural Resource Recreation and Tourism, Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management, General and Golf Course Operation and Grounds Management.
See all
- Environmental/Natural Resource Recreation and Tourism
- Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management, General
- Golf Course Operation and Grounds Management
- Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management, Other
- Sport and Fitness Administration/Management
- Business/Commerce, General
- Business Administration and Management, General
- Hospitality Administration/Management, General
- Resort Management
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
71.6% this occupation
45.3% all occupations
| By kind | This occupation | All occupations |
|---|---|---|
| a license | 6.5% | 19.1% |
| a certification | not published | |
| an educational certificate | not published |
Share of jobs whose employer requires it. BLS doesn't say which credential. How to read this
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeships: DOL's list of apprenticeable occupations doesn't include this one.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS · Brynjolfsson, Chandar and Chen, Stanford (Aug 2026)
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