← All careers

Business & Finance

Entertainment and Recreation Managers, Except Gambling

Plan, direct, or coordinate entertainment and recreational activities and operations of a recreational facility, including cruise ships and parks.

Median salary (BLS)

$79,520

10th–90th percentile (BLS)

$46k – $139k

Job outlook

+8% (faster than average)

AI exposure

Early-career check: graduates of the matching programs below typically earn $112,000 ten years after starting college — an early-career figure, vs. the all-experience BLS median above. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard.

Plan a path to Entertainment and Recreation Managers, Except Gambling

Education

Typical entry: Bachelor's degree

Plan my path to this →

How to qualify

Estimate

Cost to qualify

$40,500–$153,000

Time to qualify

4.5 yr

Renewal

  1. 1

    Bachelor's degree

    Degree

    Four years at public in-state rates — average published tuition & fees ≈ $11,610/yr, plus books. Private and out-of-state run higher; grant aid lowers most students' actual net price.

    $40,000–$150,000 · 4 years source

  2. 2

    Industry certification (optional for many roles)

    Certification

    Role-dependent — e.g. CPA, Series 7/65, PMP, SHRM. Not always required, but often expected for advancement.

    $500–$3,000 · 6 months source

Estimated typical U.S. route for "Entertainment and Recreation Managers, Except Gambling" — built from BLS education requirements and College Board 2024–25 average published prices (public, in-state tuition + fees + books). Not yet verified against a specific state's licensing rules — confirm with your state licensing board or program.

Typical progression

  1. Entertainment and Recreation Managers, Except Gambling Intern

    Internship

    $36,000

    ~4 mos to advance

  2. Junior Entertainment and Recreation Managers, Except Gambling

    Entry / Junior

    $46,270

    ~2 yrs to advance

  3. Entertainment and Recreation Managers, Except Gambling

    Established

    $79,520

    ~3 yrs to advance

  4. Senior Entertainment and Recreation Managers, Except Gambling

    Senior

    $109,315

Internships are a common on-ramp here — they speed up landing that first role and improve your odds, which is why the Safe and High-ceiling plans build one in.

Key skills

A typical day

  • Plan, organize, or lead group activities for customers, such as exercise routines, athletic events, or arts and crafts.
  • Plan programs of events or schedules of activities.
  • Talk to coworkers using electronic devices, such as computers and radios.
  • Write budgets to plan recreational activities or programs.
  • Interview and hire associates to fill staff vacancies.

Fields of study

Any field

Top colleges for Business & Finance

Explore all

Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.