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The differences between activities directors and orientation leaders 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 orientation leader. Additionally, an activities director has an average salary of $44,982, which is higher than the $33,848 average annual salary of an orientation leader.
The top three skills for an activities director include patients, rehabilitation and resident care. The most important skills for an orientation leader are role model, group discussions, and orientation program.
| Activities Director | Orientation Leader | |
| Yearly salary | $44,982 | $33,848 |
| Hourly rate | $21.63 | $16.27 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 6,845 | 32,073 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| 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 orientation leader helps new students adjust to life in universities or colleges. They are primarily responsible for sharing campus advice, facilitating campus tours, assisting incoming students in class and organization registrations, introducing university opportunities, and discussing essential matters with students and their families. Furthermore, an orientation leader usually works with faculty members and staff, coordinating with them, especially when handling students' programs. Aside from serving as a role model, an orientation leader must also share various academic and social resources to help the freshmen.
Activities directors and orientation leaders have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Activities Director | Orientation Leader | |
| Average salary | $44,982 | $33,848 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $74,000 | Between $10,000 And $105,000 |
| Highest paying City | Huntington, NY | - |
| Highest paying state | Mississippi | - |
| Best paying company | Microsoft | - |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | - |
There are a few differences between an activities director and an orientation leader in terms of educational background:
| Activities Director | Orientation Leader | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Most common major | Business | Psychology |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between activities directors' and orientation leaders' demographics:
| Activities Director | Orientation Leader | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 20.4% Female, 79.6% | Male, 39.3% Female, 60.7% |
| 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, 11.3% Unknown, 5.9% Hispanic or Latino, 15.2% Asian, 5.1% White, 61.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |