Recreation Officer
Recreation officers plan and run the community programs and events that get people active, from school holiday activities to inclusive sport sessions.
- Median salary*
- $75,400
4.1%vs last year, before tax
- People employed
- 1,700
0.0%vs last year
- Projected growth
- +23.4%
to 2035
- AI exposure*
- Moderate
- automation risk
- Average hours
- 40/wk
matches all-jobs average
- Shortage status
- Not in shortage
national
Recreation officers work mainly for local councils and shires, running the programs that use public pools, halls, reserves and community centres. They are often confused with sports administrators, who run competitions and clubs, while a recreation officer designs and delivers activities for the wider community, including people who would never join a club. The role sits between community development and event management, and most of it happens on the ground rather than at a desk.
How much do recreation officers earn?
The median full-time salary for a recreation officer is $75,400 per annum, before tax, up $15,800 since 2018.
Most recreation officers are employed by local councils, so pay follows a council enterprise agreement with bands for the level of the role and years of service. Larger metropolitan councils and state agencies tend to sit above small regional shires, and casual or program-tied contracts pay differently from permanent roles. Evening and weekend work may attract penalty rates or time off in lieu, depending on the agreement.
What does a recreation officer do day to day?
The list below is what fills most weeks; the exact mix shifts with seniority and whatever stage the current work is at.
- Planning each season's programs, from school holiday activities and seniors' fitness to inclusive sport sessions
- Booking venues, equipment and staff, and writing the risk and wet weather plans that go with them
- Working with clubs, schools, volunteers and community groups to run activities and share facilities
- Promoting programs through council newsletters, social media and local networks
- Tracking budgets, participation numbers and grant acquittals for the programs they run
What skills do recreation officers need?
Employers look for community engagement, event coordination, project management, backed by Microsoft Office fluency and strong stakeholder management.
Specialist skills
- Community engagement
- Event coordination
- Project management
- Budgeting and forecasting
Software and tools
- Microsoft Office
- Eventbrite
- SurveyMonkey
- Social media management tools
- Booking and facility management software
General skills
- Stakeholder management
- Customer service
- Written communication
Is the job growing?
About 1,700 people work as recreation officers in Australia, and employment is projected to grow 23.4% over the decade to 2035. That's very strong growth. Few roles in Australia are expanding this fast, and it points to solid demand for years to come.
How do you become a recreation officer?
Here's the path most recreation officers take, step by step.
- 1Finish Year 12 and a certificate III or IV in sport and recreation
The certificate covers program planning, risk management and group leadership, and is the most direct entry point. TAFE and private providers offer it, usually over six months to a year.
- 2Build experience with clubs, councils or events
Volunteering at a local club, helping run a school holiday program or working a community event gives the practical examples interview panels ask about, and paid work at a pool, stadium or community centre counts just as much.
- 3Get the checks and licences employers ask for
A Working with Children Check is standard, and it is administered by each state and territory, so the process differs depending on where you work. First aid and a driver's licence are often listed for roles covering several venues.
- 4Apply for entry roles
Titles include recreation assistant, program officer and community recreation officer. Councils and shires are the main employers, along with community health services and sport organisations, and many entry roles start part time or on a contract tied to a funded program.
- 5Add a diploma or degree to move into coordination
Diplomas and degrees in sport and recreation management, community development or event management open coordination and management roles, and some councils list a degree for senior program positions.
Study routes we have checked
Qualifications that are a recognised way into this role, and what else you need.
- Certificate III in Sport, Aquatics and Recreation
A recognised route into this role
Choose electives or the specialisation supporting recreation-officer duties; lifeguard and swim-teaching specialisations do not automatically establish the same route.
Ready to apply as a recreation officer?
Whether you're working toward becoming a recreation officer or already are one and want a hand with the next step (sharpening your resume for ATS screening, tightening your cover letter, or knowing what you'll actually be asked at interview), here are examples grounded in this specific role, not generic templates.
What jobs can a recreation officer move to?
Moving into Sports Administrator typically comes with the biggest pay rise, worth $72,500 a year more on average.
| Move to | Typical pay change | Overlap | Retraining |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sports Administrator Program delivery and community sport knowledge carry into sports administration, with further study to step up.Known move | +$72,500 | 41% | reskill |
| Project Manager Event and program coordination, budgets and stakeholders carry into project management, with a short course to bridge.Known move | +$35,400 | 47% | short course |
| Sports Centre Manager Recreation program and facility operations experience carries into managing a sports centre, with further study for the senior role.Known move | +$7,800 | 35% | reskill |
| Community Development Officer Community engagement and program planning carry into community development work, with further study for the broader role.Known move | −$400 | 36% | reskill |
| Diversional Therapist Activity planning and group facilitation carry into therapeutic recreation in care settings, with further study to specialise.Known move | −$800 | 30% | reskill |
Moves are chosen from Jobs and Skills Australia's Data on Occupation Mobility, which follows income tax records between 2011-12 and 2020-21, together with entry requirements and skill overlap. A known move is one people were seen making in that data. Pay change compares median full-time pay for the two roles.
Who works as a recreation officer?
The typical recreation officer is 37 years old; 61% are women, 57% work full-time, and full-timers average 40 hours a week.
- 37
- Median age
- 61%
- Female share
- 57%
- Full-time
- +0h
- vs all-jobs avg
What's it like being a recreation officer?
The rhythm of the job follows the calendar: school holidays, the summer sport season and the grant cycle set the busy periods, with quieter weeks for planning in between. Officers move between a desk, a venue and a community meeting, so the work suits someone who likes being out among people but is happy to keep records and budgets straight. The pressure comes from running events to a fixed date with volunteers, weather and funding you can't control.
What people like
- You watch the programs get used. A holiday program that fills up, a walking group that keeps coming back or a modified sport session that gives someone their first game in years is visible proof the work landed.
- The week doesn't repeat. One week might hold a planning meeting, a site inspection, a grant application and an evening event, which suits people who would rather not sit at one desk all day.
- The network is local. Working with the same clubs, schools, volunteers and venue staff builds relationships that make each new program easier to get off the ground.
- Access is the point. A fair share of the job is removing barriers such as cost, transport, equipment or a program that only suits confident athletes.
What people find hard
- The job peaks when everyone else is free. Weekends, evenings and school holidays are when programs run, so the busiest stretches fall outside standard hours even when the agreement returns the time later.
- Funding decides what you can run. Programs depend on council budgets and grant rounds, and a good idea can sit for a year waiting for a funding window.
- Weather and no-shows. Outdoor events need backup plans, and a wet weekend can empty a session you spent weeks promoting.
- The paperwork doesn't do itself. Risk assessments, attendance records and grant acquittals are part of every program, and they build up in the weeks after an event.
Based on our synthesis of professional-body surveys and public accounts of the role, not first-person verified reviews.
Which industries employ recreation officers?
Public Administration and Safety employs the largest share of recreation officers, followed by Health Care and Social Assistance.
Top employing industries
- 1Public Administration and Safety
- 2Health Care and Social Assistance
- 3Arts and Recreation Services
Ranked by employment share; the source doesn't publish an exact percentage per industry.
| Bachelor degree | 25.4% | |
|---|---|---|
| Year 12 or below | 24.9% | |
| Certificate III/IV | 19.4% | |
| Diploma / Advanced Diploma | 15.7% | |
| Postgraduate | 9.7% |
Will AI replace recreation officers?
Recreation officers sit in the middle on AI exposure. Scheduling, promotion copy, survey analysis and attendance reporting are increasingly handled by booking platforms and drafting tools, which shifts the officer's time towards interpreting the numbers and choosing what to run. The parts that depend on people in a hall, a pool or a reserve stay with the officer, and so does knowing which local programs will actually fill.
Share of typical working time by exposure level
- Running programs and events on the daySetting up a hall, adapting a session when it rains or when half the registrations don't show, and keeping a group of teenagers engaged can't be done remotely.40%low
- Working with clubs, volunteers and community groupsNegotiating ground allocations or talking a volunteer coordinator through a new program depends on relationships and local knowledge built over years.25%low
- Writing program promotion and newslettersDraft listings, social posts and newsletter copy come together quickly with AI, so the officer's time goes into choosing the right channels and checking details like dates, access and cost.20%high
- Collecting bookings and attendance dataBooking and registration software captures numbers automatically, leaving the officer to work out which programs are worth repeating and which need a different format.15%high
Moves least exposed to AI
These career moves from recreation officer work are rated low for AI exposure:
- Community Development Officer
Some skill overlap (36%), reskill to get there, and a low automation-risk profile.
- Diversional Therapist
Some skill overlap (30%), reskill to get there, and a low automation-risk profile.
- Project Manager
Solid skill overlap (47%), short course to get there, and a low automation-risk profile.
Common questions about becoming a recreation officer
Straight answers to the questions people ask most.
How much do recreation officers earn?
Recreation officers earn a median of $75,400 per year before tax. Most work for local councils, where pay follows an enterprise agreement with bands for the level of the role and years of service.
How do you become a recreation officer?
There is no single pathway. A certificate III or IV in sport and recreation is the most direct entry point, and about 25% of people currently in the role finished at Year 12 or below, so experience with clubs, councils or events counts for as much as the qualification.
Are recreation officers in demand?
Recreation officers are currently not in shortage, and employment is projected to grow 23.4% over the decade to 2035. With around 1,700 people in the role nationally, opportunities come up where councils and community organisations fund new programs rather than through steady turnover alone.
Will AI replace recreation officers?
Not the delivery side of the job. AI tools already help with scheduling, promotion copy, survey analysis and attendance reporting, which is where the moderate exposure sits. Deciding what a community will turn up to, running a session on the day and holding volunteers and clubs together remain people work.
What can a recreation officer move into?
Program delivery, budgets and stakeholder work carry into project management, and a short course can bridge the gap; pay is $35,400 more. Sports administration and sports centre management build on the same community sport and facility experience, with further study for the senior role. Community development officer is a sideways move for people who want to work on broader social programs, and pay is $400 less.
Do recreation officers work weekends?
Yes, frequently. Programs run after school, on weekends and during school holidays, and the agreement usually returns that time as penalty rates or time off in lieu; full-time officers average 40 hours a week.
Related roles
- Sports Administrator
- Community Development Officer
- Diversional Therapist
- Sports Centre Manager
- Project Manager
- Diversional Therapist
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