The outdoor recreation industry provides significant economic impacts in the United States that have prompted the development of outdoor academic programs (OAPs) to train a workforce to support this job sector. Trained managers at state level offices of outdoor recreation are essential in the system of outdoor recreation management. This cross-sectional study utilized state-level data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis to determine if states with a dedicated state office of outdoor recreation and an OAP will have higher total outdoor recreation employment, higher total outdoor recreation economic output, and higher conventional outdoor recreation economic output. Findings from this study indicated that states with an OAP had higher total outdoor recreation employment, total economic output, and conventional economic output whereas states with outdoor recreation offices only had higher conventional economic output.