Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between park interpretive specialists and specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a park interpretive specialist and a specialist. Additionally, a specialist has an average salary of $58,013, which is higher than the $43,411 average annual salary of a park interpretive specialist.
The top three skills for a park interpretive specialist include interpretive programs, cultural history and natural resources. The most important skills for a specialist are patients, customer service, and work ethic.
| Park Interpretive Specialist | Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $43,411 | $58,013 |
| Hourly rate | $20.87 | $27.89 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 1,286 | 358,433 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 78% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A park interpretive specialist's role involves the interpretation and preparation of information for park exhibitions and tours. This role is responsible for conducting educational tours to explain the interrelationship between animals and plants in the park, environmental conservation education efforts, and acting as a guide on trails. Park interpretive specialists also prepare photos and videos for visitor education, pick out artifacts and specimens for exhibits, and liaise with other staff on schedules and themes for programs.
Specialists are employees who are responsible for specific tasks or activities in the department they are assigned to. The actions or tasks they work on are related to their educational background or work experiences. They are usually highly skilled in specializations related to the work they are assigned to. Specialists are also highly trained on the competencies that are required of their specialty. As such, they are focused on the skills and competencies that are needed to enhance their experience in their specific field further.
Park interpretive specialists and specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Park Interpretive Specialist | Specialist | |
| Average salary | $43,411 | $58,013 |
| Salary range | Between $23,000 And $80,000 | Between $32,000 And $104,000 |
| Highest paying City | Dover, DE | Jersey City, NJ |
| Highest paying state | Delaware | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Student Conservation Association | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | - |
There are a few differences between a park interpretive specialist and a specialist in terms of educational background:
| Park Interpretive Specialist | Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 78% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Most common major | Environmental Science | Business |
| Most common college | University of California, Berkeley | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between park interpretive specialists' and specialists' demographics:
| Park Interpretive Specialist | Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 45.8% Female, 54.2% | Male, 47.5% Female, 52.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 0.8% Unknown, 3.0% Hispanic or Latino, 2.5% Asian, 1.4% White, 91.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% | Black or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 10.5% White, 55.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 11% |