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More than 40 percent of all workers have no formal education beyond high school. Employment growth, along with substantial replacement needs, should create numerous job opportunities. Earnings are relatively low, reflecting the large number of part-time and seasonal jobs.
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About 57 percent of wage and salary workers in the industry in the United States are employed in service occupations. Amusement and recreation attendants—the largest occupation in the arts, entertainment, and recreation industry—perform a variety of duties depending on where they are employed.
Fitness trainers and aerobics instructors lead or coach groups or individuals in exercise activities and in the fundamentals of sports.
Recreation workers organize and promote activities such as arts and crafts, sports, games, music, dramatics, social recreation, camping, and hobbies. They generally are employed by schools; theme parks and other tourist attractions; or health, sports, and other recreational clubs. Recreation workers schedule organized events to structure leisure time.
Gaming services workers assist in the operation of games such as keno, bingo, and gaming table games. They may calculate and pay off the amount of winnings, or collect players’ money or chips.
Tour and travel guides escort individuals or groups on sightseeing tours or through places of interest, such as industrial establishments, public buildings, and art galleries. They may also plan, organize, and conduct long-distance cruises, tours, and expeditions for individuals or groups.
Animal care and service workers feed, water, bathe, exercise, or otherwise care for animals in zoos, circuses, aquariums, or other settings. They may train animals for riding or performance.
Other service workers include waiters and waitresses, who serve food in entertainment establishments; fast food, and counter workers, and cooks and food preparation workers. who may serve or prepare food for patrons; and bartenders, who mix and serve drinks in arts, entertainment, and recreation establishments.
Building grounds, cleaning, and maintenance occupations include building cleaning workers, who clean up after shows or sporting events and are responsible for the daily cleaning and upkeep of facilities. Landscaping and groundskeeping workers care for athletic fields and golf courses. These workers maintain artificial and natural turf fields, mark boundaries, and paint team logos. They also mow, water, and fertilize natural athletic fields and vacuum and disinfect synthetic fields. Establishments in this industry also employ workers in protective service occupations. Security guards patrol the property and guard against theft, vandalism, and illegal entry. At sporting events, guards maintain order and direct patrons to various facilities. Gaming surveillance officers and gaming investigators observe casino operations to detect cheating, theft, or other irregular activities by patrons or employees.
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Professional and related occupations account for 11 percent of all jobs in this industry. Members of one of the most well-known, athletes and sports competitors, perform in a variety of sports. Professional athletes compete in events for compensation, either through salaries or prize money. Organizations such as the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) and the National Football League (NFL) sanction events for professionals. Few athletes are able to make it to the professional level, where high salaries are common. In some professional sports, minor leagues offer lower salaries with a chance to develop skills through competition before advancing to major league play.
Coaches and scouts train athletes to perform at their highest level. Often, they are experienced athletes who have retired and are able to provide insight from their own experiences to players. Although some umpires, referees, and other sports officials work full time, even in professional sports the majority usually work part time and often have other full-time jobs. For example, many professional sport referees and umpires officiate at amateur games, as well.
Musicians and singers may play musical instruments, sing, compose, arrange music, or conduct groups in instrumental or vocal performances. The specific skills and responsibilities of musicians vary widely by type of instrument, size of ensemble, and style of music. For example, musicians can play jazz, classical, or popular music, either alone or in groups ranging from small rock bands to large symphony orchestras.
Actors entertain and communicate with people through their interpretation of dramatic and other roles. They can belong to a variety of performing groups, ranging from those appearing in community and local dinner theaters to those playing in full-scale Broadway productions. Dancers express ideas, stories, rhythm, and sound with their bodies through different types of dance, including ballet, modern dance, tap, folk, and jazz. Dancers usually perform in a troupe, although some perform solo. Many become teachers when their performing careers end. Choreographers create and teach dance, and they may be called upon to direct and stage presentations. Producers and directors select and interpret plays or scripts, and give directions to actors and dancers. They conduct rehearsals, audition cast members, and approve choreography. They also arrange financing, hire production staff members, and negotiate contracts with personnel.
Archivists, curators, and museum technicians play an important role in preparing museums for display. Archivists appraise, edit, and direct safekeeping of permanent records and historically valuable documents. They may also participate in research activities based on archival materials. Curators administer a museum’s affairs and conduct research programs. Museum technicians and conservators prepare specimens, such as fossils, skeletal parts, lace, and textiles, for museum collection and exhibits. They may also take part in restoring documents or installing and arranging materials for exhibit.
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About 9 percent of all jobs in this industry are in sales and related occupations. The largest of these, cashiers, often use a cash register to receive money and give change to customers.
In casinos, gaming change persons and booth cashiers exchange coins and tokens for patrons’ money. Counter and rental clerks check out rental equipment to customers, receive orders for service, and handle cash transactions.
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The arts, entertainment, and recreation industry provided about 1.8 million wage and salary jobs in 2002. Over half of these jobs were in the industry segment other amusement and recreation industries—which includes golf courses, membership sports and recreation clubs, and physical fitness facilities. Although most establishments in the arts, entertainment, and recreation industry are small, over half of all jobs in the United States were in establishments that employ more than 50 workers.
The arts, entertainment, and recreation industry is characterized by a large number of seasonal and part-time positions and by workers who are younger than the average for all industries. Nearly half of all workers are under the age of 35. Many businesses in the industry increase hiring during the summer, often employing high school- and college-age workers.
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Earnings in arts, entertainment, and recreation generally are low, reflecting the large number of part-time and seasonal jobs. Nonsupervisory workers in arts, entertainment, and recreation averaged $301 a week in 2002, compared with $506 throughout private industry.
Earnings vary according to occupation and segment of the industry. For example, some professional athletes earn millions, but competition for these positions is intense, and most athletes are unable to reach even the minor leagues. Many service workers make the minimum wage or a little more. Actors often go long periods with little or no income from acting, so they are forced to work at second jobs.
Because many amusement and theme parks dramatically increase employment during vacation periods, employment for a number of jobs in the industry is seasonal. Theme parks, for example, frequently hire young workers, often students, for summer employment. Also, many sports are not played all year, so athletes and people in the service jobs associated with those sports often are seasonally employed.
Employers in some segments of this industry offer benefits not available in other industries. For example, benefits for workers in some theme parks include free passes to the park, transportation to and from work, housing, scholarships, and discounts on park merchandise.
Although unions are not common in most segments of this industry, they are important in professional sports and the performing arts. Many professional athletes, actors, and performers are members of unions. Consequently, earnings of athletes and performers are often determined by union contracts that specify minimum salary rates and working conditions.
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About 9 percent of jobs in this industry in the United States are in office and administrative support occupations. Management, business, and financial occupations make up another 6 percent of employment in the industry. For more information on the duties undertaken by management and administrative workers in the industry, see Arts and Entertainment Management.
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Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations make up 4 percent of industry employment. General maintenance and repair workers are the largest occupation in this group.
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Jobs in arts, entertainment, and recreation are more likely to be part time than are those in other industries. In fact, the average nonsupervisory worker in the arts, entertainment, and recreation industry worked 25.7 hours a week in 2002. Musical groups and artists were inclined to work the fewest hours, due to the large number of performers competing for a limited number of engagements which may require a great amount of travel. The majority of performers are unable to support themselves in this profession alone and are forced to supplement their income through other jobs.
Many types of arts, entertainment, and recreation establishments dramatically increase employment during the summer and either scale back employment during the winter or close down completely. Workers may be required to work nights, weekends, and holidays because that is when most establishments are busiest. Some jobs require extensive travel. Music and dance troupes, for example, frequently tour or travel to major metropolitan areas across the country, in hopes of attracting large audiences.
Many in this industry work outdoors, whereas others may work in hot, crowded, or noisy conditions. Some jobs, such as those at fitness facilities or in amusement parks, involve some manual labor and, thus, require physical strength and stamina. Also, athletes, dancers, and many other performers must be in particularly good physical condition. Many jobs include customer-service responsibilities, so employees must be able to work well with the public.
In 2002, cases of work-related illness and injury averaged 6.3 for every 100 full-time workers, higher than the average of 5.3 for the entire private sector. Risks of injury are high in some jobs, especially those of athletes. Although most injuries are minor, including sprains and muscle pulls, they may prevent an employee from working for a period.
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