# Amusement and Recreation Attendants

US SOC code 39-3091. Markdown version of https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/39-3091

Also called: Ride operator, Amusement park attendant, Theme park attendant, Recreation attendant, Water park attendant.

## In brief

In May 2025, [BLS](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) counted **397,830** US amusement and recreation attendants, with median pay of **$32,150** a year. Of the BLS counts since 2003, the May 2025 count is the highest. The earliest figure here is [an estimate](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coney_Island) of **30,000** from 1900, not measured the same way as today's count. The last full technology era for amusement and recreation attendants: Cashless mobile payments + biometric entry gates, 2013 to 2021.

## What the sources say

### Official outlook

BLS projects employment to grow 3.7% from 2025 to 2035. Source: [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=39-3091&ioType=o).

### AI exposure studies

- **36.5%** of this job's tasks are exposed to large language models. Not a forecast of job losses. [Eloundou and others, 2023](https://github.com/openai/GPTs-are-GPTs/blob/main/data/occ_level.csv)
- **0.72** estimated probability that the whole occupation could be computerised, over an unspecified number of years. Not a forecast of job losses. [Frey and Osborne, 2013](https://oms-www.files.svdcdn.com/production/downloads/academic/The_Future_of_Employment.pdf)

### Since the 2013 prediction

In 2013, Frey and Osborne put this job's probability of computerisation at 0.72. BLS counted **260,680** of these jobs in May 2013 and **397,830** in May 2025 (+53%, a change derived by Future History).

Data as of BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35. BLS publishes these counts as yearly survey snapshots and cautions against reading them as a precise trend. In May 2021 BLS changed how it estimates these counts (a model-based method using three years of survey data) and moved fully to the 2018 occupation codes, so part of a change across 2021 can come from the method rather than the work.

## Amusement and Recreation Attendants employment and pay by year

- On record since: 1842
- Latest US employment: 397,830 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [5]
- Latest US median pay: $32,150 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [9]
- Outlook: +3.7% by 2035. Source: BLS Employment Projections 2025-35 [20]

### In other countries

The latest figure each country's statistics agency publishes for this job. Each uses its own occupation definition, survey basis and currency, so the numbers are not directly comparable with each other or with the US figures.

- **Canada** (NOC 65211)
  - Employment, 2020: 34,780. Source: Statistics Canada Census 2021 [6]. Statistics Canada Census of Population 2021: number of persons with employment income in NOC 65211 Operators and attendants in amusement, recreation and sport, Canada, reference year 2020. A recipients basis (anyone with employment income during the year), slightly broader than a point-in-time employed count. Statistics Canada Open Licence.
  - Median pay, 2020: C$54,800. Source: Statistics Canada Census 2021 [11]. Statistics Canada Census of Population 2021 (Table 98-10-0586): median employment income for NOC 65211 Operators and attendants in amusement, recreation and sport, Canada, reference year 2020, full-year full-time workers (the basis comparable to the US OEWS full-time median). Statistics Canada Open Licence.

### All 28 years of cited US data

| Year | US employment | Annual pay (median unless marked) | Source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1900 | 30,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., Coney Island History [1] |
| 1920 | 80,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., Wikipedia [1] |
| 1955 | 70,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., Wikipedia [2] |
| 1980 | 185,000 (estimate) | $7,500 (estimate) | Est., Wikipedia (employment) [3]; Est., ESTIMATE (pay) [7] |
| 2000 | 197,790 | $13,980 | BLS OEWS 2000 [4] |
| 2003 | 236,070 | $15,030 | BLS OEWS May 2003 [5] |
| 2004 | 241,110 | $15,550 | BLS OEWS May 2004 [5] |
| 2005 | 232,030 | $15,920 | BLS OEWS May 2005 [5] |
| 2006 | 235,670 | $16,290 | BLS OEWS May 2006 [5] |
| 2007 | 245,380 | $16,850 | BLS OEWS May 2007 [5] |
| 2008 | 258,820 | $17,470 | BLS OEWS May 2008 [5] |
| 2009 | 257,350 | $18,120 | BLS OEWS May 2009 [5] |
| 2010 | 254,630 | $18,450 | BLS OEWS May 2010 [5] |
| 2011 | 253,110 | $18,650 | BLS OEWS May 2011 [5] |
| 2012 | 256,400 | $18,710 | BLS OEWS May 2012 [5] |
| 2013 | 260,680 | $18,810 | BLS OEWS May 2013 [5] |
| 2014 | 274,230 | $18,880 | BLS OEWS May 2014 [5] |
| 2015 | 273,870 | $19,280 | BLS OEWS May 2015 [5] |
| 2016 | 286,740 | $20,160 | BLS OEWS May 2016 [5] |
| 2017 | 310,970 | $21,060 | BLS OEWS May 2017 [5] |
| 2018 | 319,890 | $22,260 | BLS OEWS May 2018 [5] |
| 2019 | 338,110 | $23,370 | BLS OEWS May 2019 [5] |
| 2020 | 248,190 | $24,760 | BLS OEWS May 2020 [5] |
| 2021 | 262,170 | $24,500 | BLS OEWS May 2021 [5] |
| 2022 | 324,580 | $27,780 | BLS OEWS May 2022 [5] |
| 2023 | 361,680 | $29,390 | BLS OEWS May 2023 [5] |
| 2024 | 371,590 | $30,490 | BLS OEWS May 2024 [5] |
| 2025 | 397,830 | $32,150 | BLS OEWS May 2025 [5] |

## Sources (85)

### Employment series

1. [Coney Island History — Steeplechase Park (1897), Luna Park (1903), Dreamland (1904): three competing major parks drawing several million visitors per summer; Wikipedia "Coney Island" (history and attendance)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coney_Island), Wikipedia / Coney Island historical sources
2. [Wikipedia — "Disneyland" (opened July 17, 1955; 757 million visits since opening as of 2021); AMF history — "In 1952, American Machine and Foundry began marketing automatic Pinsetter machines. This eliminated the need for pinboys and caused bowling to rocket in popularity" (Wikipedia "History of bowling")](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disneyland), Wikipedia / Disney / AMF
3. [Wikipedia — "Six Flags" (Six Flags Over Texas opened August 1961; regional expansion 1960s-1980s; approximately 95,000 employees post-2024 merger); Wikipedia — "Walt Disney World" (opened October 1, 1971; largest single-site employer in Florida)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Six_Flags), Wikipedia / Six Flags / Disney
4. [BLS OES 2000 national estimates (flat file)](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oes00nat.zip), Bureau of Labor Statistics
5. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2003](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm03nat.zip), [2004](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm04nat.zip), [2005](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm05nat.zip), [2006](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm06nat.zip), [2007](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm07nat.zip), [2008](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm08nat.zip), [2009](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm09nat.zip), [2010](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm10nat.zip), [2011](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm11nat.zip), [2012](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm12nat.zip), [2013](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm13nat.zip), [2014](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm14nat.zip), [2015](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm15nat.zip), [2016](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm16nat.zip), [2017](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm17nat.zip), [2018](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm18nat.zip), [2019](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm19nat.zip), [2020](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm20nat.zip), [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2024](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)
6. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2021, Table 98-10-0586 (Employment income statistics by occupation unit group, NOC 2021), income reference year 2020](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=9810058601), Statistics Canada

### Wage series

7. [ESTIMATE — Estimate based on federal minimum wage in 1980 ($3.10/hr effective January 1980) applied to seasonal full-time equivalent hours (~2,000/yr = $6,200 base), with a modest premium for ride-operator skill. Park attendant wages were near-minimum-wage in this era; seasonal and part-time structure kept annual earnings low. BLS Industry Wage Survey data for "Amusement and Recreation Services" (SIC 799) would be required for precise figures.](https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/minimum-wage/history), US Department of Labor
8. [BLS OES 2000 national estimates (flat file)](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oes00nat.zip), Bureau of Labor Statistics
9. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2003](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm03nat.zip), [2004](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm04nat.zip), [2005](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm05nat.zip), [2006](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm06nat.zip), [2007](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm07nat.zip), [2008](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm08nat.zip), [2009](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm09nat.zip), [2010](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm10nat.zip), [2011](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm11nat.zip), [2012](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm12nat.zip), [2013](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm13nat.zip), [2014](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm14nat.zip), [2015](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm15nat.zip), [2016](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm16nat.zip), [2017](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm17nat.zip), [2018](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm18nat.zip), [2019](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm19nat.zip), [2020](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm20nat.zip), [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)
10. [BLS OEWS May 2024, national cross-industry estimates (flat file)](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
11. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2021, Table 98-10-0586 (Employment income statistics by occupation unit group, NOC 2021), income reference year 2020](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=9810058601), Statistics Canada

### Tool eras

12. [Wikipedia — "Barnum's American Museum" (opened January 1, 1842; 38 million visitors 1842-1865; 15,000 visitors/day at peak; 25-cent admission)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barnum%27s_American_Museum), Wikipedia
13. [Wikipedia — "World's Columbian Exposition" (opened May 1, 1893; 27 million visitors; Ferris Wheel 264 feet, 36 cars × 40 passengers; Midway Plaisance)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World%27s_Columbian_Exposition), Wikipedia
14. [Wikipedia — "Coney Island" (Steeplechase Park 1897, Luna Park 1903, Dreamland 1904; "on the busiest summer days, over a million people would travel to Coney Island")](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coney_Island), Wikipedia
15. [Wikipedia — "History of bowling" ("In 1952, American Machine and Foundry (AMF) of Brooklyn, New York, began marketing automatic Pinsetter machines. This eliminated the need for pinboys and caused bowling to rocket in popularity, making the 1950s the Decade of the Bowler.")](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_bowling), Wikipedia
16. [Wikipedia — "Disneyland" (opened July 17, 1955; 757 million visits since opening as of 2021; Cast Member concept; Disneyland University training protocols)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disneyland), Wikipedia / Disney
17. [Wikipedia — "Six Flags" (Six Flags Over Texas opened August 1961, regional expansion, pay-one-price model, approximately 95,000 employees after 2024 Cedar Fair merger)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Six_Flags), Wikipedia / Six Flags
18. [Wikipedia — "FastPass" ("first introduced in late 1999" at Disney Parks; guests scan ticket at automated machine; FastPass+ discontinued October 2021 at Walt Disney World)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FastPass), Wikipedia / Disney
19. [Wikipedia — "Disney MagicBand" (introduced 2013 at Walt Disney World; RFID wristband combining hotel key, park ticket, FastPass+, and payment)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MagicBand), Wikipedia / Disney

### Forecasts and exposure studies

20. [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35, National Employment Matrix: 39-3091 Amusement and recreation attendants (2025: 408.4 thousand; 2035: 423.6 thousand; +3.7%)](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=39-3091&ioType=o), Bureau of Labor Statistics
21. [Frey & Osborne (2013), "The Future of Employment: How Susceptible Are Jobs to Computerisation?", Appendix (SOC 39-3091 Amusement and Recreation Attendants: probability 0.72, rank 393 of 702)](https://oms-www.files.svdcdn.com/production/downloads/academic/The_Future_of_Employment.pdf), Oxford Martin School, University of Oxford
22. [Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin & Rock (2023), "GPTs are GPTs", occupation-level exposure data occ\_level.csv (O\*NET-SOC 39-3091.00, human-rated β 0.365)](https://github.com/openai/GPTs-are-GPTs/blob/main/data/occ_level.csv), OpenAI

### Historical notes

23. [Wikipedia — "Barnum's American Museum" (opened January 1, 1842; 38 million visitors 1842-1865; 15,000 visitors/day at peak; 850,000 curiosities claimed)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barnum%27s_American_Museum), Wikipedia
24. [Wikipedia — "World's Columbian Exposition" (May 1, 1893; 27 million visitors; Ferris Wheel 264 feet, 36 cars × 40 passengers; Midway Plaisance developed by Sol Bloom)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World%27s_Columbian_Exposition), Wikipedia
25. [Wikipedia — "Coney Island" (Luna Park 1903; Steeplechase Park 1897; "on the busiest summer days, over a million people would travel to Coney Island"; Stillwell Avenue station 1919)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coney_Island), Wikipedia
26. [Wikipedia — "History of bowling" (AMF pinsetter marketed from 1952; "eliminated the need for pinboys"; bowling's 1950s popularity boom)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_bowling), Wikipedia / AMF
27. [Wikipedia — "Disneyland" (opened July 17, 1955; one millionth guest within two months; 757 million visits as of December 2021; A-E ticket system; Cast Member concept; Disneyland University 1962)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disneyland), Wikipedia / Disney
28. [Wikipedia — "Six Flags" (Six Flags Over Texas founded by Angus G. Wynne, opened August 1961; regional expansion; 2009 Chapter 11 bankruptcy; July 2024 merger with Cedar Fair; 34 properties, ~95,000 employees)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Six_Flags), Wikipedia / Six Flags
29. [Wikipedia — "FastPass" (FastPass+ discontinued October 2021 at Walt Disney World; replaced by Lightning Lane; original FastPass/MaxPass retired December 2021 at Disneyland)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FastPass), Wikipedia / Disney
30. [BLS National Employment Matrix 2024-34 — SOC 39-3091 (392,300 baseline; 405,500 projected 2034; 102,400 annual openings; +3.4% growth; fitness/recreation centers +11.5% fastest segment)](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=39-3091&ioType=o), Bureau of Labor Statistics

### Predecessors & successors

31. [Wikipedia — "Coney Island" (traveling carnival and midway staffing traditions; Luna Park 1903 and Steeplechase 1897 drew from the same labor pool as traveling fairs)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coney_Island), Wikipedia
32. [Wikipedia — "History of bowling" (pin boys manually reset pins before 1952 AMF pinsetter; typically young men and boys working for tips)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_bowling), Wikipedia / AMF
33. [O\*NET OnLine — 39-3091.00 (Job Zone 1-2, minimal preparation; 64% of employers require less than high school diploma; typical entry via on-the-job training)](https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/39-3091.00), O\*NET / Bureau of Labor Statistics

### Present-day analysis

- [O\*NET 30.3 — Amusement and Recreation Attendants (39-3091.00): tasks, knowledge, skills, wages, outlook](https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/39-3091.00), accessed 2026-06-05
- [BLS OES May 2023 — Amusement and Recreation Attendants: 392,300 employed, $14.66/hr median, $30,490 annual median](https://www.bls.gov/oes/2023/may/oes393091.htm), accessed 2026-06-05
- [BusinessWire — Six Flags launches AI-powered "Missi Six" digital concierge via Google Cloud Vertex AI (April 2024): ride wait times, food ordering, parking, personalized recommendations](https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240429443813/en/Revolutionizing-Thrills-Six-Flags-Sets-New-Standards-in-a-Digital-Transformation-Overhaul-to-Elevate-the-Guest-Experience), accessed 2026-06-05
- [IAAPA Safety Corner — Ellis International EAVS: AI video analytics for aquatic and amusement park safety monitoring (2025); 57 cameras at Roaring Springs Waterpark, complements human lifeguards](https://iaapa.org/news-funworld/safety-corner-ai-water-park-safety), accessed 2026-06-05
- [Ticket Fairy — RFID Event Technology 2025 Complete Guide: self-service RFID gates cut entry staffing by ~67% at some festivals](https://www.ticketfairy.com/blog/rfid-technology-for-event-ticketing-in-2025-the-complete-guide), accessed 2026-06-05
- [Semnox / Tixera — Parafait ticketing kiosks for amusement parks: self-service ticket issuance, RFID wristband printing, multi-language, reduces labor cost at entry points](https://www.semnox.com/ticketing-kiosks-at-amusement-parks/), accessed 2026-06-05
- [Eloundou et al. 2024 — GPTs are GPTs: Labor market impact potential of LLMs (Science)](https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.10130), accessed 2026-06-05
- [TailorTalk — AI for Entertainment Parks: 24/7 ticket and pricing FAQs, ride safety information, lost-and-found coordination, multi-language support](https://tailortalk.ai/industries/ai-for-entertainment-parks), accessed 2026-06-05
- [Connect&GO — Self-Service Kiosks and RFID cashless systems: guests tap wristbands for food, games, merchandise; auto-reconciliation of sales and inventory](https://www.connectngo.com/features/self-service-kiosks), accessed 2026-06-05

How to read these figures: https://futurehistory.earth/methodology. Every figure links to its own source; gaps stay gaps.