Pennsylvania's outdoor economy is growing. According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) 2023 Outdoor Recreation Satellite Account (ORSA), Pennsylvania’s outdoor recreation economy grew 10% from 2022 to 2023. Outdoor recreation contributed almost 19 billion dollars to Pennsylvania's economy, accounting for 2% of Pennsylvania’s 2023 GDP. Pennsylvania ranked 8th among all states in outdoor recreation value added from 2022 to 2023.
Nationally, the outdoor recreation industry contributed $639.5 billion, or 2.3%, to the US GDP. While outdoor recreation growth (3.6%) once again outpaced growth in the national economy (2.9%), this growth rate is down from 2022 (10.2%).
Within Pennsylvania’s outdoor recreation economy, Boating and Fishing is the top outdoor activity in economic contribution. Notable growth occurred in Motorcycling/ATVing and Bicycling from 2021 to 2023.
Source: BEA 2021-2023
In terms of value add, Pennsylvania ranks among the highest in the nation in dollars generated from Bicycling (2) and Motorcycling/ATVing (5). Pennsylvania is also in the top ten states for Equestrian (7), Climbing / hiking / tent camping (8), Hunting / shooting / trapping (9), and RVing (10), indicating the variety of outdoor activities enjoyed in the state.
In Pennsylvania, economic value generation is not limited to outdoor activities alone. Supporting activities, including construction, tourism, transportation, souvenirs, accommodation and food service make up nearly half of outdoor recreation’s economic contribution ($7.9 B).
Employment
More than 168,000 are employed in outdoor recreation in Pennsylvania, an increase of more than 6,400 jobs since 2022. Outdoor recreation employment grew by 4% between 2022 and 2023 in Pennsylvania, slightly outpacing the national growth rate of 3.3%.
Source: BEA 2023
More than one third of outdoor recreation employment in Pennsylvania is in Retail and one quarter is in Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation.
Compensation
Outdoor recreation compensation grew 10% in Pennsylvania from 2022 to 2023, compared to 9% at the national level. Pennsylvania ranks 8th in the nation for outdoor recreation compensation and 15th in compensation growth rate. Compensation per outdoor recreation employee in Pennsylvania averages around $52k annually, compared to $83K for overall salaried positions. According to BEA “Employees include both part-time and full-time employees, as well as temporary (seasonal or short-term) employees, and employees on paid vacation or other paid leave.”
Nationally, the outdoor recreation industry employment growth (3.3%) and compensation growth (9%) also outpaced overall growth.
BEA Definitions & Limitations
ORSA data is based on BEA’s definition of Outdoor Economy and is comparable across geographies. The BEA distinguishes ORSA across conventional, other, and supporting industries. Conventional ORSA consists of what BEA defines as traditional outdoor activities, including camping, hiking, boating, and hunting. Other ORSA captures other activities that occur outside such as gardening and outdoor concerts. Supporting ORSA industries include construction, travel, tourism, local trips, and public investment.
While comparable across geographies, the BEA definition of Outdoor Economy is all encompassing rather than targeted or location specific. These rankings consider the outdoor economy overall rather than weigh industry concentrations or specialization. See BEA’s definition of outdoor recreation here.
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