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Aquatic director vs program/project manager

The differences between aquatic directors and program/project managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a program/project manager has an average salary of $101,850, which is higher than the $39,785 average annual salary of an aquatic director.

The top three skills for an aquatic director include CPR, water safety and emergency situations. The most important skills for a program/project manager are project management, program management, and PMP.

Aquatic director vs program/project manager overview

Aquatic DirectorProgram/Project Manager
Yearly salary$39,785$101,850
Hourly rate$19.13$48.97
Growth rate10%16%
Number of jobs20,846243,017
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 74%Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Average age4747
Years of experience--

What does an aquatic director do?

An aquatic director is a person who manages swimming pools used in a facility such as a school or a university. It is the aquatics director's task to ensure safety in and around any pool, adhere to health protocols, and help promote and create pool-related activities. It is also the aquatic director's job to ensure that all safety protocols imposed by the school, university, or the state are followed and that all safety measures are observed. The aquatic director's added responsibility is to educate people on all safety policies, have an experienced lifesaver crew ready for emergencies and ensure the fun and experience of people using all aquatic facilities.

What does a program/project manager do?

The program manager and project manager are two important positions within a company that are thought to be similar. However, program managers direct diverse projects and programs while project managers head the team who is responsible for ensuring a project is completed on time and within budget. Program managers are responsible for the conveyance of the company goals and generally act as a customer interface that helps clients get their desired update and change of a project. Project managers, on the other hand, focus on the project's schedule, scope, and resources needed to complete it on time.

Aquatic director vs program/project manager salary

Aquatic directors and program/project managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Aquatic DirectorProgram/Project Manager
Average salary$39,785$101,850
Salary rangeBetween $23,000 And $65,000Between $74,000 And $138,000
Highest paying CityNew York, NYSan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateNew JerseyCalifornia
Best paying companyThe Medical Center IncMeta
Best paying industry-Professional

Differences between aquatic director and program/project manager education

There are a few differences between an aquatic director and a program/project manager in terms of educational background:

Aquatic DirectorProgram/Project Manager
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 74%Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Most common majorKinesiologyBusiness
Most common collegeUniversity of Southern CaliforniaUniversity of Pennsylvania

Aquatic director vs program/project manager demographics

Here are the differences between aquatic directors' and program/project managers' demographics:

Aquatic DirectorProgram/Project Manager
Average age4747
Gender ratioMale, 47.0% Female, 53.0%Male, 62.0% Female, 38.0%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 7.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 13.2% Asian, 7.2% White, 66.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%Black or African American, 7.5% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.6% Asian, 8.9% White, 65.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage10%10%

Differences between aquatic director and program/project manager duties and responsibilities

Aquatic director example responsibilities.

  • Organize and run daily and evening group activities.
  • Earn certification as national trainer in aquatics, wellness, CPR and first aid.
  • Audit water instructors class curriculum (WSI, aerobics, physical therapy, AFYAP) and coach when necessary.
  • Check pool chemicals and maintain water quality, oversee all swimming activities and perform first aid and CPR as needed.
  • Maintain spreadsheets, payments, payroll, orientations, worker's compensation, terminations, hiring, & disciplinary forms.
  • Monitor and correct bi-weekly payroll.
  • Show more

Program/project manager example responsibilities.

  • Plan and manage infrastructure installations and enterprise hardware and software upgrades of classify systems while balancing resources to manage troubleshooting/maintenance actions.
  • Facilitate daily scrum meetings and collaborate with product owners to prioritize and manage backlog.
  • Utilize SharePoint, the company's document repository engine to manage access and documentation reviews.
  • Manage, monitors and measures project portfolio status, recommending corrective action as necessary and communicate portfolio status to their management.
  • Promote to positions base on demonstrate skills in business analysis, project management, portfolio management and customer relationship management.
  • Provide program and project management support for applications and infrastructure systems monitoring as well as enhancements and maintenance of existing systems.
  • Show more

Aquatic director vs program/project manager skills

Common aquatic director skills
  • CPR, 24%
  • Water Safety, 8%
  • Emergency Situations, 8%
  • Adaptive, 6%
  • Safety Regulations, 5%
  • Kids, 5%
Common program/project manager skills
  • Project Management, 18%
  • Program Management, 7%
  • PMP, 6%
  • Status Reports, 5%
  • Infrastructure, 4%
  • Portfolio, 4%

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