Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies degree: salary, jobs & colleges
Bachelor's graduates in parks, recreation, and leisure studies earn a median $49,369 four years after finishing, across 63 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%).
Median across 63 colleges; middle half $45,623–$54,563.
College Scorecard field of study (graduates who received federal aid)
Middle half $35,750–$75,027. 9,650 survey respondents.
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata; field "Physical Fitness Parks Recreation And Leisure"; EducationGuide calculation
- 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 across colleges reporting.
College Scorecard field of study
Jobs parks, recreation, and leisure studies 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.
| Job | Share of graduates | U.S. median wage | Jobs growth 2025-35 | Typical entry | Interests |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary And Middle School Teachers | 4% | $64,170 | -0.4% | — | — |
| Exercise Trainers And Group Fitness Instructors | 3% | $47,160 | +7.3% | High school diploma or equivalent | SR |
| Registered Nurses | 3% | $97,550 | +5.6% | Bachelor's degree | SCI |
| Other Managers | 3% | — | — | — | — |
| Secondary School Teachers | 3% | $70,930 | -0.2% | — | — |
| Customer Service Representatives | 2% | $44,770 | -5.3% | High school diploma or equivalent | CES |
| Coaches And Scouts | 2% | $47,320 | +6.1% | Bachelor's degree | SER |
| Sales Representatives, Wholesale And Manufacturing | 2% | $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).
Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies 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.
| State | Graduates, 4 yrs (colleges) | Ages 25-34 (respondents) |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | — | $36,955 (103) |
| Arizona | $52,355 (3) | $51,325 (233) |
| California | $57,093 (9) | $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 | $53,854 (3) | $60,915 (204) |
| Missouri | $41,550 (3) | $45,686 (171) |
| New Jersey | — | $62,049 (233) |
| New York | — | $59,662 (373) |
| North Carolina | $42,838 (3) | $50,762 (487) |
| Ohio | $49,369 (7) | $50,762 (326) |
| Oregon | $46,044 (3) | $59,662 (106) |
| Pennsylvania | — | $54,991 (347) |
| South Carolina | — | $51,778 (191) |
| Tennessee | — | $47,481 (253) |
| Texas | — | $57,721 (1,002) |
| Utah | $59,855 (3) | $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 parks, recreation, and leisure studies graduates earn the most
In the states we cover so far (Florida, Virginia, California): 1 in Florida, 4 in Virginia, 13 in California offer this major. Open a college to see cost to finish and payback for your income.
| # | College | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis ObispoCA | $75,181 | $16,369 |
| 2 | California State University-East BayCA | $68,227 | $20,306 |
| 3 | California State University-ChicoCA | $59,765 | $18,179 |
| 4 | California State University-SacramentoCA | $59,041 | $20,024 |
| 5 | San Diego State UniversityCA | $57,093 | $14,999 |
| 6 | California State University-FresnoCA | $56,336 | $14,061 |
| 7 | San Francisco State UniversityCA | $55,212 | $16,797 |
| 8 | California State University-Long BeachCA | $53,933 | $14,500 |
| 9 | Radford UniversityVA | $48,743 | $26,000 |
| 10 | California State Polytechnic University-HumboldtCA | $40,566 | — |
College Scorecard field of study. Colleges meeting our core-data standard; online campuses left out.
Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies degree questions
How much do Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies graduates make?
Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies graduates earn a median $49,369 four years after finishing, across 63 U.S. colleges that report it (the middle half of colleges: $45,623 to $54,563; 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 Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies 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 Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies 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.
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
Data: JSON · Markdown · all degrees
Cite this: “Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies degree: salary, jobs and colleges,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/degrees/parks-recreation-and-leisure-studies.