Activities aide vs activities director

The differences between activities aides and activities directors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both an activities aide and an activities director. Additionally, an activities director has an average salary of $44,982, which is higher than the $27,892 average annual salary of an activities aide.

The top three skills for an activities aide include patients, rehabilitation and PET. The most important skills for an activities director are patients, rehabilitation, and resident care.

Activities aide vs activities director overview

	Activities Aide	Activities Director
Yearly salary	$27,892	$44,982
Hourly rate	$13.41	$21.63
Growth rate	10%	10%
Number of jobs	41,842	6,845
Job satisfaction	4	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 33%	Bachelor's Degree, 57%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	4	4

What does an activities aide do?

An activity aide is responsible for facilitating recreation activities under the supervision of a recreation leader within nursing homes or other related institutions. Activity aides ensure the adequacy of resources and supplies according to the activity's instructions and budget limitations. They also reiterate the safety protocols and guidelines to the participants, as well as conducting inspections of the facilities to prevent potential hazards. An activity aide must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially in writing reports and escalating concerns for immediate resolution.

What does an activities director do?

An activities director is responsible for planning engaging events for the participants, considering individual interests and the safety of procedures and resources. Activities directors guide the activity staff on assisting the participants, ensuring that they are comfortable with joining the activities. Since most activities directors work at a healthcare facility or elderly institution, they must also monitor the health of the participants by conducting therapeutic activities and evaluate the participants' progress for every program. The activities director must be a critical-thinker, as well as have excellent communication skills to coordinate with facilities personnel for successful activity completion.

Activities aide vs activities director salary

Activities aides and activities directors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Activities Aide	Activities Director
Average salary	$27,892	$44,982
Salary range	Between $21,000 And $35,000	Between $27,000 And $74,000
Highest paying City	Guilderland, NY	Huntington, NY
Highest paying state	Alaska	Mississippi
Best paying company	Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York	Microsoft
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Health Care

Differences between activities aide and activities director education

There are a few differences between an activities aide and an activities director in terms of educational background:

	Activities Aide	Activities Director
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 33%	Bachelor's Degree, 57%
Most common major	Psychology	Business
Most common college	Minnesota State University - Mankato	University of Pennsylvania

Activities aide vs activities director demographics

Here are the differences between activities aides' and activities directors' demographics:

	Activities Aide	Activities Director
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 17.2% Female, 82.8%	Male, 20.4% Female, 79.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.9% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 15.7% Asian, 5.4% White, 61.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 11.9% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 15.5% Asian, 5.1% White, 61.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	8%	8%

Differences between activities aide and activities director duties and responsibilities

Activities aide example responsibilities.

Prevent or manage aggressive behavior among individuals and administer CPR in emergency intervention.
Prepare activities - baking, bingo, therapeutic chores, range of motion, table games, etc.
Assist residents of the facility with every day activities such as board games, checkers, and community bingo.
Launch new division of ministry and set precedent for new groups focuse on follow up and recruiting new leaders.
Supervise activities gear toward residents with severe dementia and Alzheimer's such as sing-a-long, current events and live entertainment.
Plan activities, take residents on trips, fed residents, transport residents, supervise Alzheimer's activities, prepare meals

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Activities director example responsibilities.

Manage updated JCC social media, including Facebook.
Manage pet therapy/pat visitation protocol.
Attend interdisciplinary care plan meetings and document in MDS and resident medical records as appropriate.
Plan, organize, and run the afterschool
Create reports, handouts, and PowerPoint presentations.
Assist teachers with reading and mathematics lessons and activities.

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Activities aide vs activities director skills

Common activities aide skills

Patients, 18%
Rehabilitation, 14%
PET, 12%
Nursing Home, 10%
Compassion, 7%
Taking Care, 5%

Common activities director skills

Patients, 15%
Rehabilitation, 10%
Resident Care, 8%
Customer Service, 7%
Home Health, 7%
MDS, 6%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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