Best states for a recreation worker

Q: What is the best state for recreation workers?

The best state to be a recreation worker is West Virginia based on recreation worker salaries and job opportunities.

Q: What is the highest paying state for recreation workers?

The highest paying state for recreation workers is Louisiana based on Zippia’s salary database.

Q: What is the worst state for recreation workers?

The worst state for recreation workers is Ohio, due to a combination of low salaries and few job opportunities.

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Are you wondering which place in the United States is the best state for recreation workers? Knowing how challenging it is to figure out where to start your career or where to move to advance your career, we decided to bring you a list of best states for recreation worker jobs.Although there are abundant recreation worker jobs in the United States, a large number of them are in the Midwest. West Virginia is the best state in the country for recreation worker jobs.

In order to get you the best states for recreation workers, we looked at our data on jobs and wages -- specifically the average annual wage and the number of available jobs per capita.West Virginia is the best state, and Duluth is the city with the highest pay for recreation workers.

10 best states for recreation workers in 2025

1. West Virginia
Total recreation worker jobs: 231
Average annual salary: $36,121
Lowest 10 percent earn: $26,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $49,000
Location Quotient:
2.01
Recreation worker jobs in West Virginia
2. Mississippi
Total recreation worker jobs: 18
Average annual salary: $39,475
Lowest 10 percent earn: $28,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $55,000
Location Quotient:
0.11
Recreation worker jobs in Mississippi
3. South Dakota
Total recreation worker jobs: 162
Average annual salary: $31,835
Lowest 10 percent earn: $24,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $42,000
Location Quotient:
2.01
Recreation worker jobs in South Dakota
4. New Hampshire
Total recreation worker jobs: 239
Average annual salary: $33,744
Lowest 10 percent earn: $26,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $43,000
Location Quotient:
1.82
Recreation worker jobs in New Hampshire
5. Minnesota
Total recreation worker jobs: 47
Average annual salary: $39,987
Lowest 10 percent earn: $30,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $51,000
Location Quotient:
0.09
Recreation worker jobs in Minnesota
6. Wyoming
Total recreation worker jobs: 12
Average annual salary: $35,271
Lowest 10 percent earn: $26,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $47,000
Location Quotient:
0.27
Recreation worker jobs in Wyoming
7. Florida
Total recreation worker jobs: 2,102
Average annual salary: $33,549
Lowest 10 percent earn: $23,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $48,000
Location Quotient:
1.79
Recreation worker jobs in Florida
8. New York
Total recreation worker jobs: 106
Average annual salary: $39,139
Lowest 10 percent earn: $28,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $53,000
Location Quotient:
0.11
Recreation worker jobs in New York
9. Alaska
Total recreation worker jobs: 28
Average annual salary: $36,549
Lowest 10 percent earn: $32,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $41,000
Location Quotient:
0.45
Recreation worker jobs in Alaska
10. Washington
Total recreation worker jobs: 1,012
Average annual salary: $32,484
Lowest 10 percent earn: $24,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $43,000
Location Quotient:
1.84
Recreation worker jobs in Washington

Recreation worker jobsNear Columbus, OH

How Zippia determines the best states to be a recreation worker

You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.

Detailed list of the best states for a recreation worker

Rank	State	Average salary	Lowest 10% earn	Population	Job count
1	West Virginia	$36,121	$26,000	1,815,857	231
2	Mississippi	$39,475	$28,000	2,984,100	18
3	South Dakota	$31,835	$24,000	869,666	162
4	New Hampshire	$33,744	$26,000	1,342,795	239
5	Minnesota	$39,987	$30,000	5,576,606	47
6	Wyoming	$35,271	$26,000	579,315	12
7	Florida	$33,549	$23,000	20,984,400	2,102
8	New York	$39,139	$28,000	19,849,399	106
9	Alaska	$36,549	$32,000	739,795	28
10	Washington	$32,484	$24,000	7,405,743	1,012
11	Massachusetts	$36,066	$27,000	6,859,819	134
12	Maine	$38,223	$31,000	1,335,907	0
13	Connecticut	$33,066	$24,000	3,588,184	389
14	North Dakota	$32,772	$25,000	755,393	16
15	District of Columbia	$35,788	$25,000	693,972	97
16	Vermont	$35,394	$28,000	623,657	0
17	Delaware	$31,276	$22,000	961,939	107
18	Rhode Island	$34,359	$25,000	1,059,639	2
19	California	$32,187	$22,000	39,536,653	3,736
20	Idaho	$30,348	$22,000	1,716,943	182
21	Alabama	$28,985	$20,000	4,874,747	499
22	Colorado	$30,682	$22,000	5,607,154	695
23	New Jersey	$32,409	$23,000	9,005,644	69
24	Oregon	$29,505	$21,000	4,142,776	553
25	North Carolina	$28,097	$20,000	10,273,419	1,212
26	Hawaii	$34,421	$29,000	1,427,538	15
27	Wisconsin	$31,693	$24,000	5,795,483	11
28	Texas	$28,402	$19,000	28,304,596	2,469
29	Nebraska	$26,709	$19,000	1,920,076	319
30	Montana	$29,906	$22,000	1,050,493	9
31	South Carolina	$26,546	$18,000	5,024,369	636
32	Georgia	$27,580	$19,000	10,429,379	1,269
33	Pennsylvania	$27,889	$20,000	12,805,537	35
34	Michigan	$27,370	$20,000	9,962,311	46
35	Tennessee	$23,495	$17,000	6,715,984	845
36	New Mexico	$24,569	$17,000	2,088,070	257
37	Illinois	$28,089	$21,000	12,802,023	32
38	Arkansas	$22,691	$16,000	3,004,279	441
39	Oklahoma	$24,220	$17,000	3,930,864	372
40	Arizona	$25,969	$18,000	7,016,270	57
41	Missouri	$23,924	$17,000	6,113,532	796
42	Indiana	$25,895	$19,000	6,666,818	15
43	Utah	$22,523	$16,000	3,101,833	473
44	Virginia	$24,350	$17,000	8,470,020	1,101
45	Iowa	$25,186	$18,000	3,145,711	15
46	Louisiana	$19,741	$13,000	4,684,333	452
47	Maryland	$25,236	$18,000	6,052,177	37
48	Nevada	$23,293	$16,000	2,998,039	36
49	Kentucky	$23,488	$17,000	4,454,189	22
50	Kansas	$23,408	$17,000	2,913,123	25
51	Ohio	$22,625	$16,000	11,658,609	33

Highest paying states for recreation workers

Rank	State	Avg. Recreation Worker Salary
1	West Virginia	$36,121
2	Mississippi	$39,475
3	South Dakota	$31,835
4	New Hampshire	$33,744
5	Minnesota	$39,987
6	Wyoming	$35,271
7	Florida	$33,549
8	New York	$39,139
9	Alaska	$36,549
10	Washington	$32,484
11	Massachusetts	$36,066
12	Maine	$38,223
13	Connecticut	$33,066
14	North Dakota	$32,772
15	District of Columbia	$35,788
16	Vermont	$35,394
17	Delaware	$31,276
18	Rhode Island	$34,359
19	California	$32,187
20	Idaho	$30,348
21	Alabama	$28,985
22	Colorado	$30,682
23	New Jersey	$32,409
24	Oregon	$29,505
25	North Carolina	$28,097
26	Hawaii	$34,421
27	Wisconsin	$31,693
28	Texas	$28,402
29	Nebraska	$26,709
30	Montana	$29,906
31	South Carolina	$26,546
32	Georgia	$27,580
33	Pennsylvania	$27,889
34	Michigan	$27,370
35	Tennessee	$23,495
36	New Mexico	$24,569
37	Illinois	$28,089
38	Arkansas	$22,691
39	Oklahoma	$24,220
40	Arizona	$25,969
41	Missouri	$23,924
42	Indiana	$25,895
43	Utah	$22,523
44	Virginia	$24,350
45	Iowa	$25,186
46	Louisiana	$19,741
47	Maryland	$25,236
48	Nevada	$23,293
49	Kentucky	$23,488
50	Kansas	$23,408
51	Ohio	$22,625

Recreation worker best states FAQs

What is the best state for recreation workers?

What is the highest paying state for recreation workers?

What is the worst state for recreation workers?

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Search for recreation worker jobs

Updated January 8, 2025

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Total recreation worker jobs:	231
Average annual salary:	$36,121
Lowest 10 percent earn:	$26,000
Highest 10 percent earn:	$49,000
Location Quotient:	2.01

Best states for a recreation worker

10 best states for recreation workers in 2025

1. West Virginia

2. Mississippi

3. South Dakota

4. New Hampshire

5. Minnesota

6. Wyoming

7. Florida

8. New York

9. Alaska

10. Washington