The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that local park and recreation agencies employed more than 165,000 full-time (FT) staff throughout the United States in 2020. These employees, combined with the efforts of several hundred thousand more part-time and seasonal workers, deliver services in nearly every city, town and county virtually every day of the year. These skilled teams program events, maintain facilities and otherwise ensure that all community members can access and enjoy all that their local park and recreation agencies offer.

Comprehensive compensation data provides park and recreation agency leaders with guidance on how to attract the best candidates for their staff. Such data also can provide park and recreation professionals with insights into salary and benefits offered by potential employers. To amass that data, the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) research team sent a 37-question survey in March 2022 to elicit the salary data of 10 positions at park and recreation agencies and general information about benefits and salary policies. The responses from leaders of more than 500 park and recreation agencies across the United States are the basis of this report.

The 2022 NRPA Park and Recreation Salary Survey report features detailed base salary and bonus data for 10 typical park and recreation agency positions:

• Park and Recreation Agency Director (or Executive Director or Superintendent)
• Planning Director (or Superintendent)
• Director of Finance (or Administrative Director or Business Manager)
• Recreation Director (or Recreation Superintendent or Assistant Director – Recreation)
• Park Operations Director (or Maintenance Director or Maintenance Superintendent)
• Park Operations (or Maintenance Foreman)
• Facilities Manager
• Athletics Supervisor (or Athletics Manager)
• Aquatics Supervisor (or Aquatics Manager)
• Recreation Program Coordinator (or Recreation Program Manager)

Summarized Salary Survey Report