Recreation Workers Salary
Recreation Workers in Texas make a median of $32,720 a year, or about $15.73 an hour. The range runs from $23K at the entry level to $48K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 91.49), which stretches that salary to about $35,763 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,415/month, about 60.1% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Texas. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $33K get you in Texas?
About recreation workers
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What this looks like in Texas
Pay for recreation workers in Texas runs about 11% below the U.S. median of $37K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,415/month, which is 59.9% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 91.49 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 9% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for recreation workerss.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Texas
Entry-level recreation workers (10th percentile) start around $23K. Mid-career wages sit at $33K. Top earners bring in $48K or more, a $25K spread from bottom to top.
Recreation Workers salary by metro in Texas
24 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| College Station-Bryan | $48K | +46% | 1,170 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos | $38K | +17% | 1,880 |
| Odessa | $34K | +5% | 40 |
| Texarkana | $34K | +5% | 60 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels | $34K | +3% | 1,190 |
| Waco | $34K | +3% | 150 |
| El Paso | $33K | +1% | 420 |
| Longview | $33K | +1% | 120 |
| Killeen-Temple | $33K | +0% | 240 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $33K | +0% | 5,160 |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur | $32K | -1% | 140 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands | $31K | -5% | 4,460 |
| McAllen-Edinburg-Mission | $31K | -6% | 490 |
| Amarillo | $31K | -7% | 260 |
| Midland | $30K | -7% | 60 |
| Sherman-Denison | $30K | -8% | 40 |
| Brownsville-Harlingen | $30K | -8% | 220 |
| Abilene | $30K | -8% | 80 |
| Corpus Christi | $30K | -8% | 240 |
| Wichita Falls | $30K | -10% | 90 |
| San Angelo | $29K | -11% | 40 |
| Tyler | $29K | -12% | 250 |
| Lubbock | $28K | -13% | 260 |
| Laredo | $28K | -15% | 60 |
Showing 1–10 of 24 metros
Compare to other states
Track recreation workers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Texas numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a recreation worker afford a 2BR apartment alone in Texas?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $33K, rent takes 59.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,415/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $700/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for recreation workers in Texas?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new recreation workers typically earn — is $23K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,375/month. At HUD’s $1,415/month FMR, rent would take 103% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is recreation worker a high-paying job in Texas?
Local pay runs 11% below the national median — $33K here vs. $37K nationally. Cost of living is 9% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Texas compare to the national average for recreation workers?
Texas pays $33K median vs. the U.S. average of $37K — that’s -11%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 91.49), the purchasing-power equivalent is $36K — below the national median.
How much do recreation workers make in Texas?
The median is $32,720 a year, that works out to about $16 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $22,910, and experienced recreation workers can clear $47,870. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $33K enough to live in Texas?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,361/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,415/month, which eats 59.9% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a recreation workers salary go in Texas?
Texas has a Regional Price Parity of 91.49 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median recreation workers salary is worth about $35,763 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do recreation workers get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.