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Job outlook for play leaders in the United States
Are play leader jobs in demand?
Play leader job and salary trends over time
Play leader jobs over time
Play leader job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 486 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 599 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 660 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 651 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 649 | 0.00% |
Average play leader salary over time
Play leader salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $38,011 | $18.27 | +7.9% |
| 2024 | $35,217 | $16.93 | +5.1% |
| 2023 | $33,493 | $16.10 | +2.1% |
| 2022 | $32,798 | $15.77 | +2.8% |
| 2021 | $31,903 | $15.34 | +2.4% |
Play leader jobs by state
Most common states for play leaders
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 240 | 35% |
| 2 | Vermont | 623,657 | 143 | 23% |
| 3 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 252 | 19% |
| 4 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 1,114 | 16% |
| 5 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 124 | 16% |
| 6 | Alaska | 739,795 | 110 | 15% |
| 7 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 190 | 14% |
| 8 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 933 | 13% |
| 9 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 136 | 13% |
| 10 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 111 | 13% |
| 11 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 1,598 | 12% |
| 12 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 1,080 | 12% |
| 13 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 514 | 12% |
| 14 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 239 | 12% |
| 15 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 125 | 12% |
| 16 | New York | 19,849,399 | 1,793 | 9% |
| 17 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 153 | 3% |
| 18 | Mississippi | 2,984,100 | 82 | 3% |
| 19 | Kansas | 2,913,123 | 79 | 3% |
| 20 | Delaware | 961,939 | 31 | 3% |
Most common cities for play leaders
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hattiesburg | 1 | 2% | $42,793 |
| 2 | Austin | 2 | 0% | $32,439 |
| 3 | San Diego | 1 | 0% | $34,843 |
Play Leader job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of play leader experts
Bethel University
Jessica Tangen Daniels Ph.D.
Associate Provost - Innovation and Partnerships, Program Director/Professor, Ed.D. Leadership in Higher EducationBethel University
Education Leadership
What soft skills should all Play Leaders possess?
Jessica Tangen Daniels Ph.D.: With the rapid rate of change, accelerating information turnover, and boundless access to knowledge, certain new soft skills may now be prioritized in our current society. So we all have to be learners, seeking new information, anticipating that we will need to change our mind, and striving for a disposition of curiosity. The specific skill of asking good questions cannot be underestimated.
Employers may be seeking skills like imaginative bridging, humbly and curiously connecting dots. Or the skills of facilitation and curation, with so many different perspectives and lived experiences, and an overabundance of information, an educational leader, must manage people, perspectives, and content like never before.
Employers are looking for skills that relate to not only the day-to-day tactical aspects of educational leadership but also imaginative problem-solving for a thriving future.
What skills will help Play Leaders earn the most?
Jessica Tangen Daniels Ph.D.: For educational leaders, I'm not convinced discrete skills equate to salary. Working hard and working well with others, with a disposition of humility and curiosity, is really powerful. Perhaps the combination of soft and hard skills gained through diverse experiences, positions, and institutional contexts results in the highest earning potential.