|
|
Educational requirements for recreation workers range from a high school diploma to a graduate degree, whereas fitness workers usually need certification. Competition will remain keen for full-time career positions in recreation; however, job prospects for fitness workers will be more favorable. The recreation field offers many part-time and seasonal job opportunities.
Recreation workers must exhibit leadership and sensitivity when dealing with people. Other occupations that require similar personal qualities include: counselors, probation officers and correctional treatment specialists, psychologists, recreational therapists, and social workers. Occupations that focus on physical fitness, as do fitness workers, include athletes, coaches, umpires, and related workers.
|
|
Recreation and fitness workers may work in a variety of settings—for example, a health club, cruise ship, woodland recreational park, or playground in the center of a large urban community. Regardless of setting, most recreation workers spend much of their time outdoors and may work in a variety of weather conditions, whereas most fitness workers spend their time indoors at fitness centers and health clubs. Recreation and fitness directors and supervisors, however, typically spend most of their time in an office, planning programs and special events. Directors and supervisors generally engage in less physical activity than do lower level recreation and fitness workers. Nevertheless, recreation and fitness workers at all levels risk suffering injuries during physical activities.
Many recreation and fitness workers work about 40 hours a week. People entering this field, especially camp counselors, should expect some night and weekend work and irregular hours. About 36 percent work part time and many recreation jobs are seasonal.
|
|
Recreation and fitness workers held about 485,000 jobs in 2002, and many additional workers held summer jobs in this occupation. About 62 percent were recreation workers; the rest were fitness trainers and aerobics instructors. Of those with year-round jobs as recreation workers, almost 40 percent worked for local governments, primarily in the park and recreation departments. Around 14 percent of recreation workers were employed in civic and social organizations, such as the Boy or Girl Scouts or Red Cross. Another 12 percent of recreation workers were employed by nursing and other personal care facilities.
Almost all fitness trainers and aerobics instructors worked in physical fitness facilities, health clubs, and fitness centers, mainly within the amusement and recreation services industry or civic and social organizations. About 5 percent of fitness workers were self-employed; many of these were personal trainers.
The recreation field has an unusually large number of part-time, seasonal, and volunteer jobs. These jobs include summer camp counselors, craft specialists, and afterschool and weekend recreation program leaders. In addition, many teachers and college students accept jobs as recreation and fitness workers when school is not in session. The vast majority of volunteers serve as activity leaders at local day-camp programs, or in youth organizations, camps, nursing homes, hospitals, senior centers, and other settings.
|
|
Median hourly earnings of recreation workers who worked full time in 2002 were $8.69. The middle 50 percent earned between about $7.09 and $11.36, while the top 10 percent earned $15.72 or more. However, earnings of recreation directors and others in supervisory or managerial positions can be substantially higher. Most public and private recreation agencies provide full-time recreation workers with typical benefits; part-time workers receive few, if any, benefits. Median hourly earnings in the industries employing the largest numbers of recreation workers in 2002 were:
Nursing care facilities $9.30
Local government 8.98
Individual and family services 8.71
Civic and social organizations 7.73
Other amusement and recreation industries 7.53
Median hourly earnings of fitness trainers and aerobics instructors in 2002 were $11.51. The middle 50 percent earned between $8.06 and $18.18, while the top 10 percent earned $26.22 or more. Earnings of successful self-employed personal trainers can be much higher. Median hourly earnings in the industries employing the largest numbers of recreation workers in 2002 were:
Other amusement and recreation industries $13.81
Civic and social organizations 9.24
Other schools and instruction 8.93
|
|