How to hire an activity coordinator

How to hire an activity coordinator, step by step

Here's a step-by-step activity coordinator hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an activity coordinator job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new activity coordinator
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an activity coordinator do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the activity coordinator you need to hire. Certain activity coordinator roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   An activity coordinator's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, activity coordinators from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   Here's a comparison of activity coordinator salaries for various roles:

   Type of Activity Coordinator	Description	Hourly rate
   Activity Coordinator	Recreation workers design and lead recreational and leisure activities for groups in volunteer agencies or recreation facilities, such as playgrounds, parks, camps, aquatic centers, and senior centers. They may lead activities such as arts and crafts, dance, sports, adventure programs, music, and camping.	$13-21
   Group Leader	A group leader is responsible for overseeing and distributing fair tasks to the members, ensuring clear instructions and procedures. Group leaders are mainly the ones leading the team towards their success... Show more	$27-83
   Program Lead	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... Show more	$28-82

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Customer Service
   • Patients
   • CPR
   • PowerPoint
   • Memory Care
   • Front Desk
   • MDS
   • Social Interaction
   • Developmental Disabilities
   • Alzheimer
   • Event Planning
   • Community Resources
   • Recreational Programs
   • Educational Programs

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage safety accident reports and ensure that all staff is CPR and a certified.
   • Manage and coordinate the workload of the release team members and are responsible for organizing and hosting all production release windows.
   • Direct and implement recreational programs, including adult and youth sports, aquatics, community center and special events.
   • Assist clients in reaching their ISP goals.
   • Specialize with the ADL's for residents with dementia.
   • Assist clients with personal care or ADL's as needed.

   More activity coordinator duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the activity coordinator job description is a good way to get more applicants. An activity coordinator salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for an activity coordinator in Iowa may be lower than in Mississippi, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level activity coordinator. Additionally, an activity coordinator with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average activity coordinator salary

   $35,309yearly

   $16.98 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level activity coordinator salary

   $28,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 19, 2025

   Average activity coordinator salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	District of Columbia	$49,008	$24
   2	California	$47,398	$23
   3	Oregon	$42,954	$21
   4	Washington	$42,944	$21
   5	Colorado	$40,881	$20
   6	Massachusetts	$39,983	$19
   7	Wisconsin	$38,715	$19
   8	Nevada	$38,614	$19
   9	Arizona	$38,314	$18
   10	Minnesota	$37,837	$18
   11	North Carolina	$36,881	$18
   12	Missouri	$35,590	$17
   13	Florida	$35,393	$17
   14	New York	$35,160	$17
   15	Texas	$34,831	$17
   16	Tennessee	$34,558	$17
   17	Maryland	$33,413	$16
   18	Pennsylvania	$33,259	$16
   19	Ohio	$32,904	$16
   20	Illinois	$32,390	$16

   Average activity coordinator salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Medical University of South Carolina	$48,825	$23.47	1
   2	City of Jacksonville	$46,070	$22.15
   3	Syracuse University	$46,036	$22.13	2
   4	University of Wisconsin System	$41,393	$19.90
   5	Jennings	$41,085	$19.75
   6	University of Alaska	$40,883	$19.66
   7	University of Pennsylvania	$40,697	$19.57	5
   8	Lifespan	$40,210	$19.33	2
   9	NC.gov	$40,204	$19.33	2
   10	Waters	$40,009	$19.24	2
   11	J.F. Shea Co	$39,642	$19.06
   12	Essence Global	$39,597	$19.04
   13	SunPower	$39,588	$19.03	4
   14	Shriners Hospitals for Children	$39,458	$18.97
   15	Sutter Health	$39,243	$18.87	5
   16	Pine Street Inn	$38,803	$18.66	2
   17	Erickson Senior Living	$38,738	$18.62	5
   18	Transforming Age	$38,302	$18.41
   19	AltaMed Health Services	$38,285	$18.41	1
   20	The Home For Little Wanderers	$38,283	$18.41	2

4. Writing an activity coordinator job description

   A good activity coordinator job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of an activity coordinator job description:

   Activity coordinator job description example

   Job DescriptionMcLean Hospital is a comprehensive psychiatric hospital committed to providing easy access to superior quality, cost-effective mental health services in the Boston area, Massachusetts and beyond. Since 1811, McLean Hospital has been a world leader in the treatment of mental illness and chemical dependency, research into the cause of mental illness and the training of generations of mental health care providers. McLean's multidisciplinary programs treat a broad range of psychiatric illnesses across the full continuum of care.
   
   The incumbent is responsible for providing a variety of education/skills/recreational/activity groups on the inpatient units. Additionally, they are responsible for documenting patient group performance per unit policy, communicating with clinical staff through rounds, and other clinical meetings, and alert staff of emergent clinical issues that occur during the group sessions.
   
   Leads inpatient hospital education/skills/recreational/activity groups and interacts with individuals (one to one) on the unit in a professional manner and within group protocol guidelines as delegated. Specific duties are assigned by the unit Group Therapy Coordinator and/or Program Director.
   Provides scheduled coverage for unit staff as needed. Delivers appropriate education/skills/recreational/activity in groups and individual activity modules/plans as assigned by the Group Therapy Coordinator, which represent current interests and needs of patients, pertaining to nature of the unit" Provides feedback on an ongoing basis to the Group Therapy Coordinator on patient response to, or progress with, activities. May suggest to the Group Therapy Coordinator new activities, keeping in mind the treatment objectives of the program, and the interests/needs of the patient population." Maintains a safe and failure free environment for the clients with follow-up to staff, as needed. Helps ensure the environment complies with health and safety regulations. Interacts with clients, treatment team(s), and unit staff in a positive and effective manner. Communicates information regarding client interactive behaviors to appropriate clinical staff in a timely, effective presentation. Completes clinical documentation and documents information regarding clients who attended group(s) in a timely manner. Participates in clinical/professional meetings, in-service didactics, and trainings as appropriate. Reports to a supervisor and uses supervision effectively to enhance overall clinical awareness, growth, and professional development. Demonstrates good responsibility regarding attendance and punctuality. Follows established program policies, procedures, and protocols. Participate in supporting and managing the unit Milieu. Participates in quality assurance activities and special projects as needed. Maintenance of a commitment to professional growth and competency Attends staff meetings and shares input, concerns or feedback. Identifies areas of strengths and areas needing improvement with supervisor during monthly supervision. Uses supervision effectively to enhance growth and development. Performs all other duties as assigned All McLean team members are expected to consistently demonstrate our values of integrity, compassion, respect, diversity, teamwork, excellence and innovation in their work activities and interactions.
   
   Qualifications
   Education; B.A./B.S. required in social services, human services and/or related field. Experience; Experience and knowledge working with the identified clinical populations is preferred but not required. Experience in activity/creative clinical strategies (art and music) preferred but not required Candidates should be organized, timely, and possess good interpersonal skills to effectively communicate within a multi-disciplined team Ability to set and maintain appropriate boundaries. See departmental competency list if applicable. All employees must possess basic computer skills to use a variety of electronic or online systems for communication, clinical and administrative purposes. Required to complete electronic medical records training and demonstrate 80% accuracy on competency test within 30 days of hire.
   
   EEO Statement
   It is the policy of McLean Hospital to affirmatively provide equal opportunity to all qualified applicants for employment and existing employees without regard to their race, religion, color, national origin, sex, age, ancestry, protected veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy or a condition related to pregnancy including, but not limited to, lactation or the need to express breast milk for a nursing child, or any other basis that would be in violation of any applicable law or regulation. Partner's Healthcare is acting as an Employment Agency in relation to this vacancy.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right activity coordinator for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with activity coordinators they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit activity coordinators who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your activity coordinator job on Zippia to find and recruit activity coordinator candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit activity coordinators, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new activity coordinator

   Once you've selected the best activity coordinator candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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