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Natural Resource Recreation

Types of Degrees Natural Resource Recreation Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Natural Resource Recreation can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Bachelor’s Degree	91
Master’s Degree	80

What Natural Resource Recreation Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Natural Resource Recreation emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Natural Resource Recreation graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Natural Resource Recreation emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 5.5 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set developed in a Natural Resource Recreation program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Coordination — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Social Perceptiveness — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Natural Resource Recreation careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Speech Recognition — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.2 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Natural Resource Recreation graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.7 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.6 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.6 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.6 / 7
Getting Information	4.4 / 7
Communicating with People Outside the Organization	4.4 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.4 / 7
Working with Computers	4.3 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.3 / 7
Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates	4.3 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Natural Resource Recreation professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Project	Project management software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Dynamics GP	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—
Linux	Operating system software	—
LinkedIn	Web page creation and editing software	—
Oracle Database	Data base user interface and query software	—
Google Ads	Sales and marketing software	—
Google Drive	Cloud-based data access and sharing software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
LogMeIn GoToMeeting	Video conferencing software	—
Microsoft Teams	Project management software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Natural Resource Recreation graduates include:

• Life Enrichment Director
• Marina Club Manager
• Recreation Attendant Supervisor
• Amusement Park Manager
• Activities Manager
• Recreation Director
• Entertainment Supervisor
• Recreation Programmer
• Park Worker Supervisor
• Recreation Supervisor
• Recreation Program Manager
• Club Manager
• Aquatics Director
• Entertainment Manager
• Boat Club Manager

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Natural Resource Recreation graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	52.1%
Some college courses	23.1%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	16.8%
Master’s degree	7.3%
High school diploma or equivalent	0.7%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Natural Resource Recreation?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 45% women and 55% men among Natural Resource Recreation graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	77	45.0%
Men	94	55.0%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Natural Resource Recreation graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	115	67.3%
Hispanic or Latino	10	5.8%
Black or African American	1	0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native	2	1.2%
Two or More Races	4	2.3%
Race Unknown	6	3.5%
International Students	33	19.3%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Natural Resource Recreation Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Natural Resource Recreation graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$42,496
4 years	$52,434
5 years	$59,221

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $59,221 — roughly 39% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Natural Resource Recreation Programs

Fully online options is reported by IPEDS for Natural Resource Recreation. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Master’s	2	1

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Natural Resource Recreation Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Natural Resource Recreation graduates earn a median of $52,434 four years after completion — roughly 38% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy	03.02
Bioenergy	03.0210
Energy and Environmental Policy	03.0209
Environmental/Natural Resource Economics	03.0204
Environmental/Natural Resources Law Enforcement and Protective Services	03.0208
Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy, General	03.0201
Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy, Other	03.0299
Land Use Planning and Management/Development	03.0206
Water, Wetlands, and Marine Resources Management	03.0205

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.