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How to hire a camp assistant

Camp assistant hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring camp assistants in the United States:

  • The median cost to hire a camp assistant is $1,633.
  • It takes between 36 and 42 days to fill the average role in the US.
  • HR departments typically allocate 15% of their budget towards recruitment efforts.
  • Small businesses spend $1,105 per camp assistant on training each year, while large companies spend $658.
  • It takes approximately 12 weeks for a new employee to reach full productivity levels.
  • There are a total of 88,492 camp assistants in the US, and there are currently 4,707 job openings in this field.
  • Reading, PA, has the highest demand for camp assistants, with 4 job openings.

How to hire a camp assistant, step by step

To hire a camp assistant, you need to identify the specific skills and experience you want in a candidate, allocate a budget for the position, and advertise the job opening to attract potential candidates. To hire a camp assistant, you should follow these steps:

Here's a step-by-step camp assistant hiring guide:

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

    First, determine the employments status of the camp assistant you need to hire. Certain camp assistant 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?

    A camp assistant's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, camp assistants 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.

    The following list breaks down different types of camp assistants and their corresponding salaries.

    Type of Camp AssistantDescriptionHourly rate
    Camp AssistantRecreation 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.$9-16
    Activities LeaderAn activity leader's main duty is to offer sports programs and exercises that are riveting in a positive manner. The activities typically assigned to leaders are the ones they understand for the smooth promotion and planning of events... Show more$9-21
    Site LeaderA site leader is responsible for managing the staff's performance, ensuring the smooth delivery of daily operations, and guiding the successful project completion by maximizing the staff's productivity within the specified timeframe and budget goals. Site leaders work closely with the clients, together with the site manager, to identify their specifications and requirements, as well as providing progress updates and suggesting design adjustments as needed... Show more$14-64
  2. Create an ideal candidate profile

    Common skills:
    • Child Care
    • Kids
    • CPR
    • Check-In
    • Role Model
    • Safety Rules
    • Incident Reports
    • Safety Regulations
    • Front Desk
    • Mathematics
    • Conflict Resolution
    • Summer Camps
    • Food Preparation
    • Administrative Tasks
    Check all skills
    Responsibilities:
    • Guide and nurture campers by accompanying them to and assisting with camp activities, and lead hiking and canoe trips
    • Administer immediate first aid and CPR when necessary.
    • Insure the safety of the children being CPR certify.
    • Organize and run skill-building group sessions and individual instruction sessions.
    • excel, powerpoint, word), Photoshop, InDesign, and CorrelDraw.
    • Organize activities with the campers; run a court with drills and tennis games.
    More camp assistant duties
  3. Make a budget

    Including a salary range in your camp assistant job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A camp assistant salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

    For example, the average salary for a camp assistant in Kansas may be lower than in Mississippi, and an entry-level camp assistant usually earns less than a senior-level camp assistant. Additionally, a camp assistant with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

    Average camp assistant salary

    $12.80hourly

    $26,631 yearly

    Entry-level camp assistant salary
    $19,000 yearly salary
    Updated December 17, 2025

    Average camp assistant salary by state

    RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
    1California$33,409$16
    2Washington$30,367$15
    3Arizona$28,976$14
    4North Carolina$28,838$14
    5Colorado$27,446$13
    6New York$27,068$13
    7Idaho$26,903$13
    8Illinois$25,999$13
    9Virginia$25,930$12
    10Pennsylvania$24,660$12
    11Florida$24,291$12
    12Georgia$23,082$11
    13Michigan$22,322$11
    14Missouri$21,713$10
    15Kansas$21,397$10
    16Utah$21,234$10

    Average camp assistant salary by company

    RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rateJob openings
    1State College of Florida$39,868$19.17
    2City of Jacksonville$35,732$17.18
    3Black Rocket Productions$32,168$15.47
    4Pacific Science Center$31,395$15.091
    5El Paso County$30,996$14.90
    6City of Atlanta$30,613$14.72
    7Museum of Life and Science$30,470$14.65
    8Arlington County, VA$30,004$14.43
    9PSEA$29,876$14.361
    10Homes for the Homeless$29,617$14.24
    11Muckleshoot Casino$29,484$14.18
    12YMCA$26,771$12.8710
    13City & County Of San Francisco - Police Department (sfpd)$26,756$12.86
    14Avon Community School$26,675$12.82
    15City of Greenville, NC$26,565$12.77
    16Bullitt County Public Schools$25,839$12.42
    17Edventure More$25,461$12.2413
    18City of Edmonds, Official City Account$25,199$12.11
    19Virginia's Community Colleges$24,882$11.96
    20Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy$24,837$11.94
  4. Writing a camp assistant job description

    A camp assistant job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a camp assistant job description:

    Camp assistant job description example

    Girl Scouts of Southwest Texas (GSSWT) is headquartered in San Antonio, TX and serves more than 18,000 Girl Scouts (girls and adults) across 21 counties in southwest Texas. Girl Scouts is the world’s preeminent leadership development organization for girls, building girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place.

    Job Summary: The Camp Ranger Assistant will assist camp ranger in various maintenance tasks to include but not limited to: (mowing, building repairs, property maintenance, landscape maintenance, and vehicle maintenance).

    Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

    • Maintains camp property in a safe operating condition in accordance with Girl Scouts of the U.S.A., American Camp Association, and federal, state, and local standards/codes.
    • Works with volunteer teams to support maintenance needs.
    • Maintains janitorial and maintenance supplies.
    • Maintains an inventory of furniture, fixtures and equipment.
    • Works cross-functionally with Camp Ranger and Property Manager to ensure camp property and facilities are ready for program use.
    • Ensures removal of all trash daily.
    • For troop camping, prepares unit sites for arrival of troops, ensures that troops are oriented regarding the site, parking, use of equipment and safety, and reviews departure checklist with each unit.
    • Provides basic equine care during resident camp and winter horse camp, as needed.
    • Performs additional duties as assigned in support of the council’s mission and goals.

    Qualifications: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

    • Education/Experience : Familiar with a variety of ground equipment (ex. tractor, mower, etc.). Working knowledge of bench tools (ex. drill press, saw, router, etc.), hand tools (power and manual) and various facility maintenance tools and equipment required.
    • Language Ability: Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations. Ability to write reports and business correspondence. Ability to respond to common inquiries or complaints from customers or regulatory agencies.
    • Math Ability: Ability to calculate figures and amounts such as discounts, interest, commissions, proportions, percentages, area, circumference, and volume. Ability to apply concepts of basic algebra and geometry.
    • Reasoning Ability: Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions. Ability to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagram form and deal with several abstract and concrete variables.
    • Computer Skills: Must be proficient with computer and Microsoft Office (i.e. Excel, Outlook, and Word).

    Work Environment: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

    • This position is regularly exposed to outdoor weather conditions and occasionally works in high precarious places or near moving mechanical parts or exposed to vibration, fumes, airborne particles or toxic or caustic chemicals. Noise levels are loud.

    Physical Demands: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

    • The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 25 pounds, regularly lift and/or move up to 50 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 100 pounds. Heavy visual acuity is required to perform the duties of this position including close vision, peripheral vision, distance vision, color vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus). While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee is frequently required to sit, stand, walk, use hands to finger, handle or feel, and reach with hands or arms. The employee occasionally required to climb or balance and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.



  5. Post your job

    There are a few common ways to find camp assistants for your business:

    • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
    • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
    • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
    • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.
    Post your job online:
    • Post your camp assistant job on Zippia to find and recruit camp assistant candidates who meet your exact specifications.
    • Use field-specific websites.
    • Post a job on free websites.
  6. Interview candidates

    Your first interview with camp assistant candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

    You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete 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 camp assistant

    Once you've decided on a perfect camp assistant candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

    It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

    After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new camp assistant. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are 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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How much does it cost to hire a camp assistant?

There are different types of costs for hiring camp assistants. One-time cost per hire for the recruitment process. Ongoing costs include employee salary, training, onboarding, benefits, insurance, and equipment. It is essential to consider all of these costs when evaluating hiring a new camp assistant employee.

You can expect to pay around $26,631 per year for a camp assistant, as this is the median yearly salary nationally. This can vary depending on what state or city you're hiring in. If you're hiring for contract work or on a per-project basis, hourly rates for camp assistants in the US typically range between $9 and $16 an hour.

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