Leisure and Recreational Activities degree: salary, jobs & colleges

Bachelor's graduates in leisure and recreational activities earn a median $42,292 four years after finishing, across 3 U.S. colleges. At ages 25-34, people whose degree is in physical fitness parks recreation and leisure earn $53,523, $8,526 less than all bachelor's holders. The most common job is elementary and middle school teachers (4%).

Graduates, 4 years out
$42,292

Median across 3 colleges; middle half $39,609–$54,813.

College Scorecard field of study (graduates who received federal aid)

All workers ages 25-34 with this degree
$53,523

Middle half $35,750–$75,027. 9,650 survey respondents.

Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata; field "Physical Fitness Parks Recreation And Leisure"; EducationGuide calculation

Compared with
  • All bachelor's, 25-34$62,049
  • High school, 25-34$35,638
  • This degree vs high school+$17,885/yr

Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers not in school

Median federal debt at graduation
$26,000

Median across colleges reporting.

College Scorecard field of study

Jobs leisure and recreational activities graduates hold

What employed 25-34-year-olds whose bachelor's is in physical fitness parks recreation and leisure actually do, with U.S. wages and the outlook for each job. The first column comes from the Census survey; wages and growth from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

JobShare of graduatesU.S. median wageJobs growth 2025-35Typical entryInterests
Elementary And Middle School Teachers4%$64,170-0.4%——
Exercise Trainers And Group Fitness Instructors3%$47,160+7.3%High school diploma or equivalentSR
Registered Nurses3%$97,550+5.6%Bachelor's degreeSCI
Other Managers3%————
Secondary School Teachers3%$70,930-0.2%——
Customer Service Representatives2%$44,770-5.3%High school diploma or equivalentCES
Coaches And Scouts2%$47,320+6.1%Bachelor's degreeSER
Sales Representatives, Wholesale And Manufacturing2%$76,460———

These 8 jobs account for 23% of employed graduates: people with this degree spread across many kinds of work.

Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata (ages 25-34, bachelor's as highest degree, employed); BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35; O*NET 31.0 interest codes (R realistic, I investigative, A artistic, S social, E enterprising, C conventional).

Leisure and Recreational Activities earnings by state

Two views of pay: recent graduates of the state's colleges four years out (College Scorecard), and everyone ages 25-34 living in the state with this field of degree (Census). States show a figure only with at least 3 colleges or 100 survey respondents.

StateGraduates, 4 yrs (colleges)Ages 25-34 (respondents)
Alabama—$36,955 (103)
Arizona—$51,325 (233)
California—$59,662 (1,019)
Colorado—$59,662 (284)
Florida—$52,793 (491)
Georgia—$49,156 (336)
Illinois—$57,721 (377)
Indiana—$52,547 (229)
Iowa—$46,364 (133)
Kansas—$52,473 (119)
Kentucky—$50,274 (149)
Maryland—$59,662 (190)
Massachusetts—$57,721 (201)
Michigan—$48,881 (283)
Minnesota—$60,915 (204)
Missouri—$45,686 (171)
New Jersey—$62,049 (233)
New York—$59,662 (373)
North Carolina—$50,762 (487)
Ohio—$50,762 (326)
Oregon—$59,662 (106)
Pennsylvania—$54,991 (347)
South Carolina—$51,778 (191)
Tennessee—$47,481 (253)
Texas—$57,721 (1,002)
Utah—$40,610 (180)
Virginia—$59,662 (255)
Washington—$53,523 (215)
Wisconsin—$48,881 (151)

College Scorecard field of study (median of each college's graduates); Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata; EducationGuide calculations.

Colleges where leisure and recreational activities graduates earn the most

The highest graduate earnings among the 15 colleges we cover that offer this major. Pick your state in the table above, or open a college to see cost to finish and payback for your income.

#CollegeEarnings, 4 yrsMedian debt
1Fitchburg State UniversityMA$54,813—
2SUNY at FredoniaNY$42,292$24,500
3Western Connecticut State UniversityCT$39,609$26,000

College Scorecard field of study. Colleges meeting our core-data standard; online campuses left out.

Leisure and Recreational Activities degree questions

How much do Leisure and Recreational Activities graduates make?

Leisure and Recreational Activities graduates earn a median $42,292 four years after finishing, across 3 U.S. colleges that report it (the middle half of colleges: $39,609 to $54,813; College Scorecard, graduates who received federal aid). Among all workers ages 25-34 whose bachelor's degree is in physical fitness parks recreation and leisure, the median is $53,523 (Census ACS 2020-2024).

Is a Leisure and Recreational Activities degree worth it?

At ages 25-34, people with a bachelor's in physical fitness parks recreation and leisure earn a median $53,523: $8,526 less than all bachelor's degree holders ($62,049) and $17,885 more than high school graduates ($35,638). EducationGuide calculation from Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers not in school.

What jobs do Leisure and Recreational Activities graduates get?

Among employed 25-34-year-olds whose bachelor's is in physical fitness parks recreation and leisure, the most common jobs are elementary and middle school teachers (4%), exercise trainers and group fitness instructors (3%), registered nurses (3%). Elementary And Middle School Teachers earn a U.S. median $64,170.

Census field of degree matched to this major by EducationGuide (Leisure and Recreational Activities -> Physical Fitness Parks Recreation And Leisure).
Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey microdata; Bureau of Labor Statistics; O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0). Method
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Cite this: “Leisure and Recreational Activities degree: salary, jobs and colleges,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/degrees/leisure-and-recreational-activities.