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The differences between activities aides and program leads 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 a program lead. Additionally, a program lead has an average salary of $100,727, 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 a program lead are project management, HR, and work ethic.
| Activities Aide | Program Lead | |
| Yearly salary | $27,892 | $100,727 |
| Hourly rate | $13.41 | $48.43 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 41,842 | 61,632 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 33% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
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.
A program lead is responsible for managing a business program's operation from its conceptualization to implementation. Program leads must have excellent communication and researching skills to monitor current industry trends, adjusting program techniques and strategies to meet society's demands. They have a clear understanding of the organization's long-term goals and outline plans to define those objectives, bringing new programs to light following clients' specifications that would help the business grow revenues, maintain customer satisfaction, and keep its good reputation, and achieve profitability goals.
Activities aides and program leads have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Activities Aide | Program Lead | |
| Average salary | $27,892 | $100,727 |
| Salary range | Between $21,000 And $35,000 | Between $59,000 And $171,000 |
| Highest paying City | Guilderland, NY | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | New York |
| Best paying company | Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York | Netflix |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | - |
There are a few differences between an activities aide and a program lead in terms of educational background:
| Activities Aide | Program Lead | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 33% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Business |
| Most common college | Minnesota State University - Mankato | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between activities aides' and program leads' demographics:
| Activities Aide | Program Lead | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 17.2% Female, 82.8% | Male, 40.9% Female, 59.1% |
| 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, 10.0% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 15.5% Asian, 5.1% White, 62.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |