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The differences between park aides and orientation leaders can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a park aide, becoming an orientation leader takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, an orientation leader has an average salary of $33,848, which is higher than the $28,379 average annual salary of a park aide.
The top three skills for a park aide include GRASS, general grounds and various maintenance. The most important skills for an orientation leader are role model, group discussions, and orientation program.
| Park Aide | Orientation Leader | |
| Yearly salary | $28,379 | $33,848 |
| Hourly rate | $13.64 | $16.27 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 41,113 | 32,073 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 47% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 4 |
A park aide is an administrative or grounds support staff in a park whose duties will vary according to the department in which they are posted. Park aides working in customer service interact with visitors to guide and give information or tour guides. Those working on the grounds may be assigned conservation and recreational duties or cleaning, while those in administration will be responsible for a variety of administrative roles such as working on outreach programs, visitor registration, or revenue collection.
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. Furthermore, an orientation leader usually works with faculty members and staff, coordinating with them, especially when handling students' programs. Aside from serving as a role model, an orientation leader must also share various academic and social resources to help the freshmen.
Park aides and orientation leaders have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Park Aide | Orientation Leader | |
| Average salary | $28,379 | $33,848 |
| Salary range | Between $22,000 And $35,000 | Between $10,000 And $105,000 |
| Highest paying City | Las Vegas, NV | - |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | - |
| Best paying company | Washington State University | - |
| Best paying industry | Hospitality | - |
There are a few differences between a park aide and an orientation leader in terms of educational background:
| Park Aide | Orientation Leader | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 47% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Most common major | Environmental Science | Psychology |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between park aides' and orientation leaders' demographics:
| Park Aide | Orientation Leader | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 56.5% Female, 43.5% | Male, 39.3% Female, 60.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 0.8% Unknown, 3.2% Hispanic or Latino, 2.5% Asian, 1.4% White, 90.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3% | Black or African American, 11.3% Unknown, 5.9% Hispanic or Latino, 15.2% Asian, 5.1% White, 61.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |