Average Entertainment And Recreation Managers, Except Gambling Salary in the United States
The national median salary for Entertainment And Recreation Managers, Except Gambling is $79,520 per year. The middle 50% earn between $61,060 and $104,770, with 37,980 workers employed nationally.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2025 estimates . Data covers 48 states and 160 metro areas.
Pay distribution
Here is how Entertainment And Recreation Managers, Except Gambling pay is distributed across workers nationally. The 10th percentile typically reflects entry-level or early-career pay, the median is the midpoint, and the 90th percentile represents the top earners in the field.
- 10th
- $46,270
- 25th
- $61,060
- Median
- $79,520
- 75th
- $104,770
- 90th
- $139,110
All values are percentiles of annual wages.
Pay is well above the national median for all US workers. This is an upper-income occupation.
Pay varies significantly across workers. Seniority, employer size, and specialization all move the needle, so it is normal for two entertainment and recreation managers, except gambling at different points in their careers to earn very different salaries.
Job outlook
BLS projects employment for entertainment and recreation managers, except gambling from 2024 to 2034. Growth is above the US average of about 4% across all occupations. This is an expanding field.
- Projected growth
- +7.7%
- 3,300 net jobs over the projection period.
- Annual openings
- 5,500
- Includes growth plus replacements for workers who leave. Annual openings reflect typical replacement demand alongside any growth.
- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
- Work experience
- Less than 5 years
A bachelor's degree is the typical entry requirement for entertainment and recreation managers, except gambling.
Where Entertainment And Recreation Managers, Except Gambling earn the most
Location matters a lot. The gap between top-paying and bottom-paying states is large, so where entertainment and recreation managers, except gambling work can reshape their total compensation. Right now, the top-paying state is District of Columbia at $113,930, about 43.3% above the national median. At the metro level, Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI leads with a median of $123,780.
Top-paying states
| State | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $113,930 | 30 |
| Minnesota | $107,660 | 480 |
| New York | $98,390 | 1,330 |
| Colorado | $97,000 | 940 |
| Washington | $96,790 | 630 |
| Idaho | $95,020 | 110 |
| Vermont | $92,320 | 270 |
| New Jersey | $89,590 | 2,260 |
Top-paying metros
| Metro area | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $123,780 | 320 |
| Naples-Marco Island, FL | $120,410 | 90 |
| Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA | $116,000 | 30 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $106,830 | 400 |
| Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL | $105,500 | 80 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $100,500 | 430 |
| Lexington-Fayette, KY | $99,770 | 40 |
| Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC | $99,640 | 50 |
Compare two locations side by side
Pick two states or metros to see entertainment and recreation managers, except gambling pay in each, along with a cost-of-living adjusted view.
Salary trend and related occupations
Between 2021 and 2025, the national median salary for Entertainment And Recreation Managers, Except Gambling rose from $62,000 to $79,520, a gain of +28.3% in nominal dollars.
Over the same period, US consumer prices rose by +18.8%. Just to keep pace with inflation, the 2021 median of $62,000 would need to be worth $73,663 in 2025 dollars.
The actual 2025 median of $79,520 is $5,857 above that inflation-adjusted benchmark, a real change of +8.0% in purchasing power.
Real wages have outpaced inflation by 8.0%, a modest but real gain in purchasing power.
- Nominal change
- +28.3%
- 2021–2025
- Cumulative inflation
- +18.8%
- US CPI, 2021–2025
- Real change
- +8.0%
- After adjusting for inflation
Median salary over time
Entertainment And Recreation Managers, Except Gambling median pay by year, going back through the available BLS releases.
- 2025
- $79,520
- 2024
- $77,180
- 2023
- $73,460
- 2022
- $67,220
- 2021
- $62,000
BLS did not publish a median for 2000–2020, so those years are omitted.
Related occupations
Other occupations in the same field, with median pay for comparison.
- Food Service Managers
- $69,390
- Lodging Managers
- $69,250
- Gambling Managers
- $93,220
Common salary questions for Entertainment And Recreation Managers, Except Gambling
What does the median salary mean? +
The median is the midpoint of all wages. Half of Entertainment And Recreation Managers, Except Gambling workers earn more and half earn less. It is a better measure of typical pay than the average, which can be skewed by very high or very low earners.
Why does pay vary so much by location? +
Local labor markets, cost of living, industry concentration, and employer competition all affect wages. High-cost metros like San Francisco and New York often pay more in nominal terms, though some of that premium is offset by higher living costs.
How current is this salary data? +
This page uses the May 2025 BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics release. BLS publishes OEWS data once per year, typically in the spring for the previous May reference period.
What do the percentile ranges tell me? +
The 10th and 90th percentiles show the full pay band. The 25th to 75th percentile range, the middle 50%, is where most workers fall. A wide spread usually means experience, specialization, or location matter a lot for this occupation.