How to hire a camp director

How to hire a camp director, step by step

Here's a step-by-step camp director 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 director job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new camp director
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a camp director do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The camp director hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

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

   This list presents camp director salaries for various positions.

   Type of Camp Director	Description	Hourly rate
   Camp Director	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.	$12-28
   Site Leader	A 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
   Orientation Leader	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... Show more	$4-50

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • CPR
   • Role Model
   • Safety Procedures
   • Kids
   • Staff Supervision
   • Professional Development
   • Develop Team
   • Summer Camps
   • Staff Evaluations
   • Adventure
   • Risk Management
   • ACA
   • Child Care
   • Program Planning

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage coaches schedules, do payroll and accounting, make bookings for customers, and oversee daily operations.
   • Manage and supervise the development and execution of program, including fiscal oversight, funding initiatives, and new partnerships.
   • Administer support planning and logistics associate with summer program.
   • Team leader for ACA accreditation visit for camp that year.
   • Lead conflict mediation in regards to parents, staff and campers
   • Provide daily oversight to insure a safe and efficient work environment.

   More camp director duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your camp director job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A camp director can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, camp directors' average salary in nevada is 58% less than in new york.
   • Seniority. Entry-level camp directors 58% less than senior-level camp directors.
   • Certifications. A camp director with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a camp director's salary.

   Average camp director salary

   $38,675yearly

   $18.59 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level camp director salary

   $25,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 20, 2026

   Average camp director salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New York	$59,445	$29
   2	California	$52,913	$25
   3	Alaska	$52,427	$25
   4	Massachusetts	$50,154	$24
   5	Washington	$49,264	$24
   6	Connecticut	$49,189	$24
   7	Oregon	$48,955	$24
   8	New Jersey	$47,035	$23
   9	Delaware	$46,284	$22
   10	Pennsylvania	$37,067	$18
   11	Colorado	$35,829	$17
   12	Florida	$35,450	$17
   13	North Carolina	$35,163	$17
   14	Michigan	$34,201	$16
   15	Missouri	$33,251	$16
   16	Virginia	$33,028	$16
   17	Utah	$30,477	$15
   18	Illinois	$30,413	$15
   19	Kansas	$28,752	$14
   20	Texas	$27,823	$13

   Average camp director salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Gill St. Bernard's School	$48,821	$23.47
   2	Camp Sloane	$43,988	$21.15
   3	Esf, Inc.	$43,739	$21.03	10
   4	Camp Allen	$43,388	$20.86
   5	NJY Camps	$42,647	$20.50
   6	Galileo	$42,280	$20.33	17
   7	YMCA	$41,678	$20.04	30
   8	Westcare Health Corporation	$41,463	$19.93
   9	Tioga	$40,651	$19.54
   10	University of Alaska	$39,711	$19.09	2
   11	North States Ind	$38,824	$18.67
   12	New York Botanical Garden	$37,560	$18.06
   13	City Of Kirkland	$37,526	$18.04
   14	Camp Hazen YMCA	$35,535	$17.08
   15	City of Georgetown	$34,279	$16.48
   16	City of Richardson Texas	$32,223	$15.49
   17	Gotham	$31,403	$15.10
   18	City of Medford	$30,893	$14.85
   19	City of Ann Arbor	$30,015	$14.43
   20	Wheaton Park District	$29,931	$14.39	5

4. Writing a camp director job description

   A job description for a camp director role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a camp director job description:

   Camp director job description example

   What do benefits, membership to a state-of-the-art fitness center, up to 20 paid holidays, PTO and working at the JCC have in common? Read below to find out!
   
   The Place: The Oshman Family Jewish Community Center (OFJCC) is an exciting and innovative non-profit organization in the heart of Silicon Valley. We create fun, meaningful, inclusive and joyful experiences through educational, social, cultural, spiritual, fitness and wellness programs. Join us! Year-round positions available!
   
   The Job: Do you love camp and have experience planning and implementing a camp program? If so, this might be the role for you! As the Camp Director you will be responsible for the daily operations of the youth & teens summer camp. This includes innovation, implementation and promotion of camp programs, Jewish culture and engaging activities for children. This position will supervise, mentor, guide and inspire permanent and seasonal camp staff.
   The Perks:
   
   + Medical, dental, vision insurance
   
   + Paid holidays and paid time off
   
   + 403(b) retirement
   
   + Free membership at our award-winning fitness center
   
   + Discounts for OFJCC Preschool, Camps and after school programs
   
   + Fun, motivating workplace
   
   Benefits exceptions apply, based on # hours worked per week
   
   The Core Duties:
   
   + Design, deliver and evaluate camp programs that meet the needs and interests of the camps target populations and ensure their delivery in a safe, fun and quality manner. Develop programs focused on social, emotional and physical growth for children and youth.
   
   + Develop vision and strategies for summer and year-round camp offerings by assessing competition, determining strategic opportunities and mirroring them with the mission of the OFJCC. Adjust program offerings and marketing strategies to drive increased attendance and enrollment.
   
   + Manage and lead staff to ensure overall success of camp programs by communicating agency vision and strategy, job expectations, coaching and fostering continued professional development. Serve as a role model for staff and campers.
   
   + Recruit, hire, train, supervise and evaluate staff, including international staff and independent contractors.
   
   The Essentials:
   
   + Bachelor Degree or equivalent in Education, Recreation or related area preferred
   
   + 2+ years management experience.
   
   + 2-5 years of experience managing youth or family programs, preferably in a camp setting.
   
   + 2+ years of experience creating and managing program budgets.
   
   + Strong interpersonal, communication and presentation skills. Ability to communicate information clearly (written and oral).
   
   + Knowledge of Jewish culture, values, traditions and community and previous experience in Jewish programming preferred.
   
   + Extremely organized and detailed oriented ; ability to work with tight deadlines.
   
   + Ability and desire to work independently and as a team member with the community and other employees.
   
   + Working knowledge of Microsoft Office especially Excel and Word.
   
   + Positive, upbeat and enthusiastic about working in a non-profit environment.
   
   + Ability to work effectively and cooperatively with a diverse group that includes OFJCC staff, parents, children and the public.
   
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5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find camp directors 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 director job on Zippia to find and recruit camp director candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting camp directors requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates 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 camp director

   Once you've found the camp director candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   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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