How To Become A Recreation Manager: What It Is and Career Path

What is a recreation manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted experts

Ariel Rodríguez Ph.D., CPRP,

Kerem Cakirer Ph.D.

On the surface, the job of a recreation manager sounds like a piece of cake. They get to spend their whole day working with recreational activities, or just have fun. However, it turns out that there's a lot of work behind having fun. Recreation managers need to take care of all the logistics that need to be arranged in order for recreational programs to happen.

Recreation managers can work for local governments or nonprofits, any place that organizes recreational activities. They can specialize in activities for children, elderly people, or the general public. The recreation manager helps schedule activities, publicize them so that people actually come, obtain funding for activities, and more. They usually oversee a whole staff of people dedicated to making fun happen.

Turns out, people need a lot of qualifications in order to organize fun. Most recreation managers have bachelor's degrees in business, management, or a related field. They also have work experience in event planning, organizing activities, and interacting with people of all ages and needs.

What general advice would you give to a recreation manager?

Ariel Rodríguez Ph.D., CPRP

Associate Professor, Recreation Management Program Director, Springfield College

Be open, flexible, and willing to learn. I realize that after graduating from college, many individuals may feel as if they are mentally and emotionally done with learning, but the truth is that graduation is really just the beginning of lifelong learning as a recreation professional. If graduates are looking to work in parks and recreation, I would recommend applying for the Certified Park and Recreation Professional (CPRP) certification when they are eligible and feel ready to take on the CPRP exam.

If a recent graduate is unable to immediately crack into the field, I would recommend either volunteering in a recreation specialization they are interested in or perhaps looking at job descriptions for recreation positions they are interested in and find jobs that help to give them experience in the requested knowledge, skills, and abilities so that they can better position themselves as a future candidate.

ScoreRecreation ManagerUS Average

Salary

3.7

Avg. Salary $47,007

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

9.1

Growth rate 10%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

10.0

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.74%

Asian 5.07%

Black or African American 12.16%

Hispanic or Latino 15.13%

Unknown 6.05%

White 60.85%

Gender

female 45.05%

male 54.95%

Age - 43

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 43

Stress level

9.1

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

7.9

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

7.5

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a recreation manager

Explore recreation manager education requirements

Most common recreation manager degrees

Bachelor's

72.9 %

Associate

11.4 %

Master's

9.6 %

Start to develop specific recreation manager skills

Skills	Percentages
CPR	22.43%
Cleanliness	20.03%
Safety Procedures	11.76%
Guest Satisfaction	6.54%
Recreation Facilities	5.68%

Complete relevant recreation manager training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New recreation managers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a recreation manager based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real recreation manager resumes.

Research recreation manager duties and responsibilities

Manage activity and progress reports including statistical data require by regulators, initial assessments, MDS and IDC documentation.
Examine injure persons and administer first aid or cardiopulmonary resuscitation, if necessary, using training and medical supplies and equipment.
Attend and present at borough staff and safety meetings.
Participate in QA and QIS survey at a facility and corporate level.

Prepare your recreation manager resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your recreation manager resume.

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Choose from 10+ customizable recreation manager resume templates

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