SOC 39-9032 · Watertown-Fort Drum, NY metro

Recreation Workers Salary in Watertown, NY

The average salary for recreation workers in Watertown, New York is $36,260 a year ($17.43 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $32,410: half of the 140 people in this job in the Watertown-Fort Drum, NY metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 7% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($38,839).

$36,260average per year

$17.43 / hourMedian $32,410Take-home ≈ $29,926

  • $32K10th
  • $32K25th
  • $32KMedian
  • $37K75th
  • $45K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

140people in this job
-7%vs U.S. metro average
#13 of 13New York metros
88cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Recreation Workers pay range in Watertown

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $32,240 a year or less, while the top 10% make $44,640 or more. The middle half of recreation workers in Watertown earn between $32,240 and $37,470.

  • $32K10th
  • $32K25th
  • $32KMedian
  • $37K75th
  • $45K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$36,260$3,022$17.43
Median$32,410$2,701$15.58
Entry level (25th percentile)$32,240$2,687$15.50
Experienced (75th percentile)$37,470$3,122$18.01

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.

Recreation Workers salary after taxes in Watertown

On the average salary of $36,260, a single filer in Watertown takes home about $29,926 a year, or $2,494 a month and $1,151 every two weeks. Taxes take 17% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). New York City (up to 3.876%) and Yonkers income taxes are not included.

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Is Watertown a good place for recreation workers? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Watertown area are 12% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 87.7), so the average $36,260 buys what about $41,350 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.7 times the median wage of all jobs in Watertown ($47,600). A typical home costs $230,401, or 6.4 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $36,260 is worth in another city

Recreation Workers salary in other New York cities

Watertown ranks 13th of 13 New York metro areas for this job; New York pays the most ($42,620).

All Recreation Workers salaries in New York

Highest-paying cities for recreation workers

Fairbanks, AK pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($61,070).

Recreation Workers salary by city

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Reviewed before it counts. Recreation Workers in Watertown, NY.

Recreation Workers salary in Watertown: questions

How much do recreation workers make an hour in Watertown?

$17.43 an hour on average, and $15.58 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level recreation workers salary in Watertown?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $32,240 a year and the 25th percentile is $32,240, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the recreation workers take-home pay in Watertown?

About $29,926 a year ($2,494 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $36,260. New York City (up to 3.876%) and Yonkers income taxes are not included.

Do recreation workers earn more in Watertown than elsewhere?

The average here is 7% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($38,839).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 39-9032; area Watertown-Fort Drum, NY (48060). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 0.9%.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). New York City (up to 3.876%) and Yonkers income taxes are not included.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 1.63, this job is 1.6 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.

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