Also called: Director of Parks and Recreation
Leads a city or county parks department: parks, pools, sports leagues, community centers, and events.
They manage budgets in the millions, plan new parks and sports complexes, present to city council, and oversee hundreds of seasonal staff. Summer means pools, camps, and festivals all at once.
Estimate based on local government pay surveys.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Master's degree, about 12 years after high school. Bachelor's or master's in recreation or public administration plus years of experience; CPRP or CPRE certification.
Ways in: 4-year college, Graduate school, Certification. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Park and Recreation Management, Public Administration, Sports Management.
Growing about average. Steady local government demand.
Low risk for 10 years. AI helps with budgets, registration and reports; leading staff and working with city councils and residents stay human.
Classes: Government, Business, Environmental science.
Official data: O*NET occupation 11-9199.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.