AI exposure by occupation, O*NET 39-9032.00
Will AI replace Recreation Workers?
Recreation Workers: AI can already handle 14 of 24 tasks; the work mostly needs a standard-tier model.
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Every task, scored
The 24 tasks O*NET 30.3 lists for Recreation Workers, from most to least exposed. 14 reach 60 or more, the level at which AI already handles a task.
| Task | AI exposure | Evidence | Model tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assess the needs and interests of individuals and groups and plan activities accordingly, given the available equipment or facilities. | Observed | Standard | |
| Organize, lead, and promote interest in recreational activities, such as arts, crafts, sports, games, camping, and hobbies. | Estimated | Frontier | |
| Manage the daily operations of recreational facilities. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Serve as liaison between park or recreation administrators and activity instructors. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Direct special activities or events, such as aquatics, gymnastics, or performing arts. | Estimated | Frontier | |
| Schedule maintenance and use of facilities. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Greet new arrivals to activities, introducing them to other participants, explaining facility rules, and encouraging participation. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Conduct individual in-room visits with residents. | Estimated | Frontier | |
| Confer with management to discuss and resolve participant complaints. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Meet with staff to discuss rules, regulations, and work-related problems. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Take residents on community outings. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Provide for entertainment and set up related decorations and equipment. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Evaluate recreation areas, facilities, and services to determine if they are producing desired results. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Evaluate staff performance, recording evaluations on appropriate forms. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Supervise and coordinate the work activities of personnel, such as training staff members and assigning work duties. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Oversee the purchase, planning, design, construction, and upkeep of recreation facilities and areas. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Encourage participants to develop their own activities and leadership skills through group discussions. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Meet and collaborate with agency personnel, community organizations, and other professional personnel to plan balanced recreational programs for participants. | Estimated | Frontier | |
| Explain principles, techniques, and safety procedures to participants in recreational activities and demonstrate use of materials and equipment. | Observed | Efficient | |
| Document individuals' progress toward meeting their treatment goals. | Observed | Efficient | |
| Develop treatment goals for individuals based on their assessments. | Observed | Standard | |
| Enforce rules and regulations of recreational facilities to maintain discipline and ensure safety. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Complete and maintain time and attendance forms and inventory lists. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Administer first aid according to prescribed procedures and notify emergency medical personnel when necessary. | Estimated | No tier |
Observed: scored from AI use recorded in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), 4 of 24 tasks. Estimated: scored from the task's O*NET 30.3 work activity, 20 of 24. Importance is O*NET's 1 to 5 rating of how central the task is. Model tier is the lowest tier that can do the task under the published rubric; "No tier" marks hands-on work.
The model tier this role needs
A standard-tier model or lower covers 79% of the role's importance-weighted task work. 96% of the work is something AI can address at some tier, and 5% is hands-on.
Efficient, standard and frontier tiers come from the JobRoute model tier reference. The recommended tier is the lowest one that covers 80% of the work AI can address. How the method works.
Wages, employment and outlook
- US employment
- 331,490
- Median annual wage
- $36,560
- Middle half of earners
- $31,780 to $43,470
- Projected change, 2024 to 2034
- +4.1%
Employment and wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, national. Projection: BLS Employment Projections 2024 to 2034.
Adjacent roles
The occupations that reuse the most of this role's skills, with the usual time to move. These are the first places to look when you plan to redeploy or retrain people in this role.
- Recreational Therapists 76% skill overlap, about 8 months to move Exposure47
- Amusement and Recreation Attendants 73% skill overlap, about 10 months to move Exposure58
- Entertainment and Recreation Managers, Except Gambling 71% skill overlap, about 10 months to move Exposure37
- Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers 68% skill overlap, about 11 months to move Exposure42
- First-Line Supervisors of Entertainment and Recreation Workers, Except Gambling Services 66% skill overlap, about 12 months to move Exposure39
Skill overlap and transition time from the JobRoute role adjacency graph on O*NET 30.3 skills.
Questions about Recreation Workers and AI
Will AI replace Recreation Workers?
AI already handles 14 of the 24 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, at a task exposure of 60 or more, and the role's importance-weighted exposure is 59 out of 100. JobRoute scores tasks, not whole jobs, so the score shows how much of the work changes rather than whether the job disappears. BLS projects employment to change by +4.1% from 2024 to 2034.
What is the AI exposure of Recreation Workers?
59 out of 100 on JobRoute's task exposure measure, the importance-weighted average of the role's O*NET task scores. Higher means more of the work is AI-doable today. 4 of the 24 task scores are observed in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), and the other 20 are estimated from each task's O*NET work activity.
Which Recreation Workers tasks can AI already do?
The tasks with the highest exposure are: Assess the needs and interests of individuals and groups and plan activities accordingly, given the available equipment or facilities; Organize, lead, and promote interest in recreational activities, such as arts, crafts, sports, games, camping, and hobbies; Manage the daily operations of recreational facilities. They are three of the 14 tasks that reach 60 or more.
What AI model tier does this role need?
A standard-tier model or lower covers 79% of the role's importance-weighted task work. JobRoute assigns each task the lowest tier that can do it under a published rubric and recommends the lowest tier that covers 80% of the work AI can address.
How many people work as Recreation Workers, and what do they earn?
331,490 people in the United States, with a median annual wage of $36,560 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). BLS Employment Projections expect a change of +4.1% from 2024 to 2034.
How to cite
Data version 2026-11-02, JobRoute method v1.0.0. Download all occupations or this occupation as JSON. Methodology.
JobRoute (2026). AI exposure: Recreation Workers. Data version 2026-11-02, method v1.0.0. Built on O*NET 30.3, BLS OEWS May 2025 and the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026). CC BY 4.0. https://www.jobroute.ai/jobs/recreation-workers
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