Educational Requirements
Most recreation administrators have completed at least a bachelor's degree, but more and more professionals are going on to complete a master's degree. The most popular degree programs are in parks and recreation, leisure stud-
Related Professions
- Resort Manager
- Cruise Ship Activity Director
- Youth Agency Director
- Corrections Recreation Specialist
- Senior Citizens Center Director
- Eco-Tour Guide
- Recreation Leader
- Fitness Club Manager
- Recreation Worker
- Park Planner
- Conventions Coordinator
Professional Certification
The National Recreation and Park Association offers a document of certification for those who meet the requirements of professionalism and technical knowledge. Contact the NRPA for information on testing procedures and personal requirements.
Setting
Recreation administrators work for the federal, state, and local governments in park and recreation departments, and in agencies that have in-house recreation programs. They work in physical education departments and run sports facilities at colleges and universities. They are employed by quasi-public or nonprofit city or community organizations that run community activity pro-grams, youth and senior centers, and nursing homes. A growing number of professionals work in the private sector for companies and corporations that run or sponsor employee leisure activities, such as physical fitness programs, travel programs, social functions, and softball and bowling leagues. They also work at vacation resorts and on leisure cruise ships throughout the world.
Administrators spend about 60 percent of their time indoors doing administrative and managerial duties and another 40 percent outdoors running particular programs, training workers, and interacting with the public. Professionals in the public sector oversee the facilities that range from old and in need of updated equipment to modem and well-funded sites. Those in the private sector are generally better equipped and funded. Recreation administrators working in the resort and entertainment industry are often in charge of lavish and state-of-the-art facilities and equipment.
Employment Statistics and Major Employers
In 1992 about 200,000 full-time recreation workers were employed in the United States, and many more were working for U.S. and foreign vacation and entertainment companies around the world. Recreation administrators are needed in all of these settings. More than half work in government agencies, primarily in park and recreation departments at the municipal and county levels. Another 15 percent work in membership organizations with a social, fraternal or civic orientation, such as YMCAs, the Boy Scouts or the Red Cross, and about 12 percent work for social service or nonprofit organizations like youth and senior programs.
Recreation administrators employed in the private sector work for a variety of organizations. Private fitness and recreation centers employ a large number. Companies and corporations like IBM, Transamerica Life, and Proctor and Gamble provide employment opportunities, because they often offer their employees access to on-site fitness facilities and have encouraged employees to participate in company-sponsored social functions and team sports. In the hospitality industry, recreation administrators work in large hotels across the world. In addition, many hotels in gambling cities like Las Vegas and Atlantic City have opened family-oriented hotel/casinos with lavish recreation facilities.
Employment opportunities in recreation administration are expected to grow about as fast as the average for all occupations through the year 2005. This is primarily due to the increase in leisure time for many Americans, the rising number of retired Americans who need recreational opportunities, and the overall increased interest in fitness and health. Job opportunities in local government are expected to slow slightly due to budget constraints. Employment opportunities in the private sector are expected to grow slightly faster than average.
Salary Statistics
According to the 1993 National Comprehensive Salary and Benefits Study conducted by the National Recreation and Park Association, the average salary for all recreation professionals is about $30,000. Park superintendents received the highest average salary of $43,269, and recreation directors and recreation supervisors were close behind with respective average salaries of $42,675 and $42,510. In addition, recreation supervisors earned an average of $28,935, and recreation center directors made $27,939. Salaries in the private sector, particularly for recreation directors and supervisors, are expected to be much higher.
