Assistant activity director vs recreation director

The differences between assistant activity directors and recreation directors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both an assistant activity director and a recreation director. Additionally, a recreation director has an average salary of $48,525, which is higher than the $39,926 average annual salary of an assistant activity director.

The top three skills for an assistant activity director include student organizations, event planning and bed facility. The most important skills for a recreation director are community resources, therapeutic recreation, and nursing home.

Assistant activity director vs recreation director overview

	Assistant Activity Director	Recreation Director
Yearly salary	$39,926	$48,525
Hourly rate	$19.20	$23.33
Growth rate	10%	10%
Number of jobs	9,492	8,479
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 56%	Bachelor's Degree, 71%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	4	4

Assistant activity director vs recreation director salary

Assistant activity directors and recreation directors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Assistant Activity Director	Recreation Director
Average salary	$39,926	$48,525
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $62,000	Between $30,000 And $77,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	Milpitas, CA
Highest paying state	Mississippi	California
Best paying company	UMiami Health System	Downtown United Soccer Club
Best paying industry	Education	Education

Differences between assistant activity director and recreation director education

There are a few differences between an assistant activity director and a recreation director in terms of educational background:

	Assistant Activity Director	Recreation Director
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 56%	Bachelor's Degree, 71%
Most common major	Business	Recreation Management
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	Northwestern University

Assistant activity director vs recreation director demographics

Here are the differences between assistant activity directors' and recreation directors' demographics:

	Assistant Activity Director	Recreation Director
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 23.1% Female, 76.9%	Male, 48.0% Female, 52.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 12.0% Unknown, 5.8% Hispanic or Latino, 15.2% Asian, 5.1% White, 61.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 12.2% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 5.1% White, 61.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	8%	8%

Differences between assistant activity director and recreation director duties and responsibilities

Assistant activity director example responsibilities.

Manage pet therapy/pat visitation protocol.
Review goals and progress notes; document MDS reports and progress notes.
Play bingo, exercise, watch movies, dance, garden, etc.
Conduct varies activities with patients including; bingo, gardening, crocheting, cooking, and socializing.
Complete and update state require paperwork such as assessments, notes, attendance, care plans, and MDS.
Provide quality and empathetic care for older adults with Alzheimer's type dementia, confusion, or other limiting disabilities.

Recreation director example responsibilities.

Manage recreation staff and programming for assist living and rehabilitation and skil nursing facilities.
Organize and provide staff training material regarding Alzheimer's disease.
Conduct monthly resident council meetings, daily initial evaluations, standard MDS and interdisciplinary care plan documentation.
Advance technical knowledge of all office equipment including Microsoft office and POS systems.
Expand programming, develop outdoor adventure programs, and maintain current city programs.
Design and layout seasonal brochure, create flyers, signs and periodically upload recreation information to town website.

Assistant activity director vs recreation director skills

Common assistant activity director skills

Student Organizations, 11%
Event Planning, 10%
Bed Facility, 10%
MDS, 7%
Alzheimer, 5%
Front Desk, 5%

Common recreation director skills

Community Resources, 15%
Therapeutic Recreation, 14%
Nursing Home, 14%
Customer Service, 10%
Provides Supervision, 7%
Recreation Programs, 5%

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Assistant Activity Director vs Recreation Director

Updated January 8, 2025

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