How to hire a park manager

How to hire a park manager, step by step

Here's a step-by-step park manager hiring guide:

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

What does a park manager do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the park manager you need to hire. Certain park manager 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?

   Yes

   No

   A park manager's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, park managers 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 park manager salaries for various positions.

   Type of Park Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   Park Manager	Conservation scientists and foresters manage the overall land quality of forests, parks, rangelands, and other natural resources.	$14-29
   Naturalist	Naturalists are people who educate the public on environmental-related matters. The core responsibilities of this position are preserving, restoring, maintaining, and protecting natural habitat... Show more	$11-35
   Manager	Managers are responsible for a specific department, function, or employee group. They oversee their assigned departments and all the employees under the department... Show more	$17-44

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Payroll
   • Human Resources
   • Public Safety
   • Customer Satisfaction
   • Cleanliness
   • POS
   • Customer Service
   • Cash Control
   • CPR
   • Oversight
   • Facility Maintenance
   • Financial Reports
   • Law Enforcement
   • Grounds Maintenance

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage mobile home park, monthly meter reading, manage maintenance crew, monthly billing and collection of rent.
   • Manage ATV trail system by creating a safe and fun environment for outdoor enthusiasts.
   • Lead seminars refreshing guards on their CPR and rescue skills as well as recertified some of them.
   • Manage natural areas including vegetation removal, planting, herbicide work, tree care, and mowing.
   • Provide leadership and supervision by managing day-to-day operations for a county park facility.
   • Manage all brewery operations including special project management, raw material ordering and handling, production scheduling, and client interfacing.

   More park manager duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the park manager job description is a good way to get more applicants. A park manager salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a park manager in Maine may be lower than in Nevada, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level park manager. Additionally, a park manager with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average park manager salary

   $42,985yearly

   $20.67 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level park manager salary

   $30,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 23, 2026

   Average park manager salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Nevada	$62,138	$30
   2	Washington	$54,432	$26
   3	California	$52,730	$25
   4	Oregon	$51,335	$25
   5	Minnesota	$50,240	$24
   6	New York	$50,114	$24
   7	Maryland	$41,832	$20
   8	Wisconsin	$41,775	$20
   9	Colorado	$41,675	$20
   10	Indiana	$40,758	$20
   11	Montana	$40,664	$20
   12	Virginia	$40,515	$19
   13	Massachusetts	$40,408	$19
   14	Pennsylvania	$38,665	$19
   15	Florida	$38,302	$18
   16	Illinois	$35,890	$17
   17	Texas	$35,348	$17
   18	Louisiana	$33,486	$16
   19	Kansas	$33,417	$16
   20	South Carolina	$32,479	$16

   Average park manager salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Apple	$127,968	$61.52
   2	Fifth Third Bank	$61,979	$29.80
   3	University of California-Berkeley	$52,544	$25.26
   4	Delaware State Government	$52,217	$25.10
   5	Madera High School	$51,014	$24.53
   6	Maxim Healthcare Group	$50,059	$24.07
   7	BASF	$49,769	$23.93
   8	United Natural Foods	$49,481	$23.79
   9	City of Louisville	$49,115	$23.61
   10	Loudoun County Social Svc	$48,619	$23.37
   11	National Park Foundation	$48,384	$23.26
   12	Roper St. Francis Healthcare	$47,263	$22.72
   13	Abercrombie & Fitch Co	$46,670	$22.44
   14	City of Reno	$44,902	$21.59
   15	Reef	$44,832	$21.55
   16	New York State Restaurant Association	$44,538	$21.41
   17	Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants	$44,483	$21.39
   18	Greystar Real Estate Partners	$44,444	$21.37	5
   19	Minnesota State Fair	$43,991	$21.15
   20	Mayo Clinic	$43,374	$20.85	1

4. Writing a park manager job description

   A park manager 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 park manager job description:

   Park manager job description example

   SUMMARY DESCRIPTION:
   
   At the direction of the principal, assists teachers by performing a variety of tasks that promote student learning and well-being. Works individually and in small groups to reinforce instruction, monitor performance, and support learning. This position also performs a variety of instructional and classroom management supports, as well as related clerical tasks to support teachers and other professional staff in all classrooms or learning environments.
   
   CERTIFICATE LICENSE:
   
   None
   
   KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, and ABILITIES:
   
   Knowledge of child development, instructional strategies and practices applicable to assignment, and instructional goals and policies of Montgomery County Public Schools. Ability to assist with implementation of the instructional program and to participate in monitoring and ensuring appropriate student behavior. Ability to exhibit patient behavior and to work effectively with children, young adults, and staff members. Ability to follow written and verbal instructions and to perform all required tasks. Ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing. Ability to read/write/speak English. Ability to interact with and support students with special needs. Knowledge of standard desktop computer hardware and software such as MS Office products and database software. Knowledge of and the ability to meet the seven core competencies of the Supporting Services Professional Growth System (SSPGS).
   
   EDUCATION, TRAINING, and EXPERIENCE:
   
   These requirements are in order of preference. 1. AA degree, required. Bachelor s degree preferred. College course work should include a minimum of nine credit-hours related to education field such as behavior management, instructional strategies, and one year experience working with students in structured educational (or academic) situations preferred. Or: If no related education course work, then two to four years experience working with children and adolescents required. I.e. working in a structured setting such as a daycare, pre-school, etc. required. 2. Or at least 48 college credits and two years of experience in an education related field including preschool, adult day program, after school program, extended day, or school/non-school based departments, etc. 3. Or two years of experience in an education related field including nursery school, adult day program, after school program, extended day, or school/non-school based departments, etc., and successful completion of the ParaPro Assessment with a qualifying score of 455 or higher is required. I.e. Opportunity for current supporting services employees 4. Any combinations of applicable education, training, and experience which provide the knowledge, abilities, and skills necessary to perform effectively in the position may be considered.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right park manager for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with park managers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit park managers who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your park manager job on Zippia to find and recruit park manager candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with park manager 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.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you 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 park manager

   Once you've found the park manager 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.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   To prepare for the new park manager first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

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 park manager?