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The differences between activities directors and activity coordinators 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 director and an activity coordinator. Additionally, an activities director has an average salary of $44,982, which is higher than the $35,309 average annual salary of an activity coordinator.
The top three skills for an activities director include patients, rehabilitation and resident care. The most important skills for an activity coordinator are customer service, patients, and CPR.
| Activities Director | Activity Coordinator | |
| Yearly salary | $44,982 | $35,309 |
| Hourly rate | $21.63 | $16.98 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 6,845 | 20,364 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
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.
An activity coordinator is someone who creates and plans activities, outings, and events in various settings. Typically, they oversee creating programs, staffing events, and supervising the implementation of activities. They generally report to the activity director or community manager. One of their tasks is to collaborate with directors of studies to schedule the activities. Other tasks include coordinating staff with the activities and informing them of the decisions regularly. Also, they strategize, coordinate, and encourage the members to participate in the activities.
Activities directors and activity coordinators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Activities Director | Activity Coordinator | |
| Average salary | $44,982 | $35,309 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $74,000 | Between $28,000 And $44,000 |
| Highest paying City | Huntington, NY | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Mississippi | Mississippi |
| Best paying company | Microsoft | Medical University of South Carolina |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Government |
There are a few differences between an activities director and an activity coordinator in terms of educational background:
| Activities Director | Activity Coordinator | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Most common major | Business | Psychology |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Duke University |
Here are the differences between activities directors' and activity coordinators' demographics:
| Activities Director | Activity Coordinator | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 20.4% Female, 79.6% | Male, 28.4% Female, 71.6% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 11.6% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 15.6% Asian, 5.1% White, 61.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |