61162/Sports and Recreation Instruction
US businesses, employees and payroll, 2017 to 2023
177K
employees, 2023
177K
employees, 2023
In 2023, 20,916 US Sports and Recreation Instruction business locations employed 176,751 people and paid $4.0 billion in annual payroll, $22,522 per employee on average. Employment was up 10.9% from 2022. California had the most employees.
Updated Oct 9, 2026 · data year 2023
Business locations
20,916
+6.4% vs 2022
Employees
176,751
+10.9% vs 2022
Annual payroll
$4.0B
+5.0% vs 2022
Average pay
$22,522
-5.3% vs 2022
Over the years
United States, 2017 to 2023
Employees
Paid employees in mid-March
Business locations
Places with paid employees
By state
Employees of Sports and Recreation Instruction in each state, 2023
Employees by state
States with the most employees
Employees and the share of all the state's jobs
| State | Business locations | Employees | Average pay | Share of state jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 2,872 | 26,592 | $26,000 | 0.16% |
| Texas | 1,780 | 16,891 | $22,564 | 0.14% |
| New York | 1,378 | 10,962 | $23,024 | 0.13% |
| Florida | 1,759 | 9,431 | $32,652 | 0.09% |
| Illinois | 754 | 6,669 | $21,230 | 0.12% |
| New Jersey | 789 | 6,621 | $23,653 | 0.17% |
| Washington | 646 | 5,837 | $21,909 | 0.19% |
| Pennsylvania | 660 | 5,425 | $21,320 | 0.09% |
| North Carolina | 653 | 5,243 | $20,407 | 0.12% |
| Virginia | 624 | 5,143 | $22,144 | 0.14% |
| Colorado | 590 | 5,105 | $21,793 | 0.20% |
| Massachusetts | 649 | 5,027 | $25,015 | 0.14% |
| Georgia | 647 | 4,708 | $22,470 | 0.11% |
| Ohio | 463 | 4,653 | $17,412 | 0.09% |
| Tennessee | 319 | 4,363 | $27,851 | 0.15% |
The 15 states with the most employees. Download the CSV for all 51.
Top metro areas
Metro and micro areas with the most Sports and Recreation Instruction employees, 2023
Metro areas with the most employees
| Metro area | Locations | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 1,571 | 12,962 | $25,013 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 1,040 | 7,897 | $26,140 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 635 | 5,724 | $22,671 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 545 | 5,362 | $20,568 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 502 | 5,008 | $22,329 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 313 | 4,954 | $25,453 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 546 | 4,667 | $23,153 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 460 | 4,566 | $30,868 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 452 | 3,743 | $21,285 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 481 | 3,742 | $25,176 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 433 | 3,683 | $24,516 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 486 | 3,626 | $23,699 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 360 | 3,310 | $23,640 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 279 | 3,028 | $20,457 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | 326 | 2,782 | $20,791 |
Business size
US Sports and Recreation Instruction business locations by number of employees, 2023
Locations by size
| Employees | Locations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 12,302 | 58.8% |
| 5 to 9 | 3,603 | 17.2% |
| 10 to 19 | 2,637 | 12.6% |
| 20 to 49 | 1,924 | 9.2% |
| 50 to 99 | 386 | 1.8% |
| 100 to 249 | 52 | 0.2% |
| 250 to 499 | 6 | 0.0% |
| 500 to 999 | 3 | 0.0% |
| 1,000 or more | 3 | 0.0% |
Related industries
Sports and Recreation Instruction and the 1 industry directly below it
Part of Educational Services 61Educational Services 611Other Schools and Instruction 6116
| Code | Industry | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| 611620 | Sports and Recreation Instruction | 176,751 | $22,522 |
Questions and answers
How many people work in Sports and Recreation Instruction in the US?
176,751 people worked at 20,916 US Sports and Recreation Instruction business locations in 2023, up 10.9% from 2022. That is 0.13% of all US private-sector employees.
What is the average pay in Sports and Recreation Instruction?
$22,522 a year per employee in 2023, from $4.0 billion in annual payroll (down 5.3% from 2022). The average across all US industries was $68,342.
Which state has the most Sports and Recreation Instruction jobs?
California had the most, with 26,592 employees in 2023, followed by Texas (16,891) and New York (10,962).
Which metro areas have the most Sports and Recreation Instruction jobs?
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ (12,962), Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA (7,897), Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (5,724) had the most Sports and Recreation Instruction employees in 2023.
Are most Sports and Recreation Instruction businesses small?
88.6% of the 20,916 Sports and Recreation Instruction business locations had fewer than 20 employees in 2023, and 6 had 500 or more.
Official US government statistics, published once a year. Business locations are places with paid employees; employees are counted in mid-March; payroll covers the whole year. Covers most private employers, not the self-employed, most government workers or farm workers on farms. Changes from the year before are shown only when both years use the same edition of the industry codes.