Mostly Resilient
Last Update: 8/30/2026
AI Resilience Score for Entertainment & Rec Manager:
62.0%
Median Score
Meaningful human contribution
Measures the parts of the occupation that still require a human touch. This score averages data from up to four AI exposure datasets, focusing on the role’s resilience against automation.
Med
Long-term employer demand
Predicts the health of the job market for this role through 2034. Using Bureau of Labor Statistics data, it balances projected annual job openings (60%) with overall employment growth (40%).
Med
Sustained economic opportunity
Measures future earning potential and career flexibility. This score is a blend of total projected labor income (67%) and the role’s inherent ability to adapt to economic and technological shifts (33%).
High
This reflects the reliability of your score based on the number of data sources available for this career and how closely those sources agree on the outlook. A higher confidence means more consistent evidence from labor experts and AI models.
There are a reasonable number of sources for this result, but there is some disagreement between them.
Contributing sources
AI Resilience Report forEntertainment and Recreation Managers, Except Gambling
$79,520 median salary•5,100 annual openings•SOC Code: 11-9072.00
Entertainment and Recreation Managers, Except Gambling are somewhat more resilient to AI impacts than most occupations, according to our analysis of 6 sources.
Entertainment and recreation managers earn the "Mostly Resilient" label because the heart of this job, leading people, creating memorable experiences, and making quick judgment calls in live settings, is something AI simply cannot replicate. AI is already handling a good chunk of the behind-the-scenes work, like building schedules, tracking budgets, and analyzing customer data, but those time-saving tools are freeing managers up to focus more on the human side of their work, not pushing them out the door.
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Entertainment and recreation managers earn the "Mostly Resilient" label because the heart of this job, leading people, creating memorable experiences, and making quick judgment calls in live settings, is something AI simply cannot replicate. AI is already handling a good chunk of the behind-the-scenes work, like building schedules, tracking budgets, and analyzing customer data, but those time-saving tools are freeing managers up to focus more on the human side of their work, not pushing them out the door.
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View analysisChat with CoachLatest newsMore career infoAnalysisChatNewsMoreAnalysis of Current AI Resilience
Entertainment & Rec Manager
Updated Quarterly
How is AI changing Entertainment & Rec Manager jobs?
Right now, AI is mostly helping entertainment and recreation managers rather than replacing them — and it's showing up first in the paperwork side of the job. According to a recent industry survey [1], data analytics and personalisation are the two most common purposes for AI in events, followed by content creation, customer service automation and event logistics, which lines up neatly with the higher-automation tasks in this role (like tracking expenses, writing budgets, and building programming strategies from customer data). One industry columnist notes that AI is already compressing the "analytical scaffolding" of event work [2], pointing out that vendor coordination that required a coordinator's full morning is being managed by automated workflows and status reports are now generated in real time.
On the sports and recreation side, AI-driven schedulers can build league and tournament calendars in minutes instead of hours [3]. But the fun, hands-on parts of the job — leading a group hike, running arts and crafts, or giving first aid — are still very human. As Skift's meetings team puts it [4], AI is extending capacity but expanding expectations, not eliminating the manager role.
Sources
How fast is AI adoption growing for Entertainment & Rec Manager?
Adoption is moving fast on the office-work side. PCMA's 2026 Outlook report [5] found that the ability to use gen AI was most frequently named the top skill that respondents and their teams must develop in the next 12 months, cited by 63 percent, and 65% of event companies plan to increase AI usage in the next one to two years. Cost is manageable too — 40% of event companies spend less than $10,000 per year on AI, mostly using general tools like ChatGPT.
What's slowing things down? Training staff is the single biggest barrier to wider AI adoption at 30%, followed by cost at 25%, data privacy concerns at 20%. Skift also points out that AI adoption is rising quickly, but mostly for efficiency, not revenue.
On the social and safety side, adoption will stay slow: nobody wants a chatbot leading a kids' craft class or performing CPR. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics [6] still projects employment of entertainment and recreation managers to grow 8 percent from 2024 to 2034, much faster than the average for all occupations. So if you love this field, here's the hopeful takeaway: let AI handle the spreadsheets and let you focus on the people, creativity, and quick thinking that make events unforgettable.
Will AI replace Entertainment & Rec Manager?
No. We don't think AI will replace Entertainment and Recreation Managers, Except Gambling, though we do expect the job to change.
Our 62.0% AI Resilience Score reflects a role that is holding up well, and for good reason. AI is already handling the tedious back-office work: building schedules, tracking expenses, generating status reports, and pulling insights from customer data (exhibitcitynews.com, ezfacility.com). That compression of administrative work is real, and managers who ignore it will fall behind. But it also frees up time for the parts of the job that actually require a person.
Those human parts are significant. Leading a group activity, reading a crowd, making a split-second safety call, building trust with staff and guests: none of that is going to a chatbot anytime soon. The adoption data backs this up too. Most event companies are using AI for efficiency, not to replace managers, and training staff remains the biggest barrier to wider rollout [5]. Meanwhile, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment in this field to grow 8 percent from 2024 to 2034, much faster than average [6].
The honest takeaway: learn the AI tools, let them handle the spreadsheets, and invest your energy in the creativity and people skills that make this work irreplaceable.
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Latest AI news for Entertainment & Rec Manager
These articles highlight that careers in "Entertainment and Recreation Managers, Except Gambling" are relatively safe from AI replacement. For instance, one source reports a low risk score of 23/100, suggesting these roles are less likely to be automated. Another article notes that while some tasks like scheduling and budgeting may see automation, the overall resilience of this career path is strong, with a 65.2% AI Resilience Score. This indicates that students can expect a stable future in this field, with opportunities to leverage AI as a tool rather than a threat.
AI Resilience Report for First-Line Supervisors of Entertainment ...
www.airesilience.org • 9/20/2026
First-Line Supervisors of Entertainment and Recreation Workers, Except Gambling Services have a 65.2% AI Resilience Score — more resilient than most careers ...
Will AI Replace Entertainment and Recreation Managers ...
www.replacedbai.com • 9/20/2026
Yes, Entertainment and Recreation Managers, Except Gambling is relatively safe from AI replacement. With a risk score of 23/100, this occupation is in the ... Read more
Entertainment and Recreation Managers, Except Gambling
willrobotstakemyjob.com • 9/20/2026
Explore the automation risk for Entertainment and Recreation Managers. See whether AI and robots could replace this job, plus salary, growth, and safer ...
A Look Ahead: AI's Influence on Labor in the Entertainment ...
www.loeb.com • 9/20/2026
Below, Dimitry explores the intricacies of AI provisions in labor agreements, addressing concerns through the lens of both talent and studios, and provides ... Read more
Will AI Replace Leisure Management Jobs?
jobzonerisk.com • 9/20/2026
Entertainment and recreation managers face moderate AI transformation as scheduling, budgeting, marketing, and compliance tasks are automated, but programme ... Read more
More Career Info
Career: Entertainment and Recreation Managers, Except Gambling
They plan and organize fun events and activities, like concerts or sports leagues, to make sure people have a great time and everything runs smoothly.
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Employment & Wage Data
Median Wage
$79,520
Jobs (2025)
43,900
Growth (2025-35)
+6.0%
Annual Openings
5,100
Education
Bachelor's degree
Experience
Less than 5 years
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025-2035
Task-Level AI Resilience Scores
AI-generated estimates of task resilience over the next 3 years
1
Administer first aid in emergency situations.
2
Plan, organize, or lead group activities for customers, such as exercise routines, athletic events, or arts and crafts.
3
Operate, drive, or explain the use of mechanical equipment in amusement parks, cruise ships, or other recreational facilities.
4
Clean equipment and areas of amusement park, cruise ship, or other recreational facility.
5
Store and retrieve equipment, such as vehicles, radios, and ride components.
6
Resolve customer complaints regarding worker performance or services rendered.
7
Interview and hire associates to fill staff vacancies.
Tasks are ranked by their AI resilience, with the most resilient tasks shown first. Core tasks are essential functions of this occupation, while supplemental tasks provide additional context.
