Park manager vs park naturalist

The differences between park managers and park naturalists 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 manager and a park naturalist. Additionally, a park manager has an average salary of $42,985, which is higher than the $40,030 average annual salary of a park naturalist.

The top three skills for a park manager include payroll, human resources and public safety. The most important skills for a park naturalist are natural history, cultural history, and hand tools.

Park manager vs park naturalist overview

	Park Manager	Park Naturalist
Yearly salary	$42,985	$40,030
Hourly rate	$20.67	$19.25
Growth rate	5%	5%
Number of jobs	3,090	831
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 58%	Bachelor's Degree, 75%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	2	2

Park manager vs park naturalist salary

Park managers and park naturalists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Park Manager	Park Naturalist
Average salary	$42,985	$40,030
Salary range	Between $30,000 And $61,000	Between $22,000 And $71,000
Highest paying City	Reno, NV	-
Highest paying state	Nevada	-
Best paying company	Apple	-
Best paying industry	Start-up	-

Differences between park manager and park naturalist education

There are a few differences between a park manager and a park naturalist in terms of educational background:

	Park Manager	Park Naturalist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 58%	Bachelor's Degree, 75%
Most common major	Business	Environmental Science
Most common college	Stanford University	University of California, Berkeley

Park manager vs park naturalist demographics

Here are the differences between park managers' and park naturalists' demographics:

	Park Manager	Park Naturalist
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 63.8% Female, 36.2%	Male, 45.4% Female, 54.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 0.8% Unknown, 2.9% Hispanic or Latino, 2.5% Asian, 1.4% White, 91.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%	Black or African American, 0.7% Unknown, 2.9% Hispanic or Latino, 2.4% Asian, 1.4% White, 91.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage	8%	8%

Differences between park manager and park naturalist duties and responsibilities

Park manager example 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.

Park naturalist example responsibilities.

Manage and staff park entrance station facilitating camping reservations and assisting day use visitors.
Construct new wildlife exhibits and care for existing exhibits that include live-native snakes and birds of prey.
Process computerize campsite reservations, register overnight campers by computer or self-registration systems and prepare relate reports with ORMS system.
Guide tours through the aquarium and rainforest pyramids.

Park manager vs park naturalist skills

Common park manager skills

Payroll, 9%
Human Resources, 8%
Public Safety, 7%
Customer Satisfaction, 6%
Cleanliness, 5%
POS, 5%

Common park naturalist skills

Natural History, 21%
Cultural History, 14%
Hand Tools, 11%
Trail Maintenance, 9%
Nature Programs, 9%
Natural Resources, 5%

Park Manager vs. similar jobs

Park Manager related careers

Park Manager related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Life, Physical, and Social Science Industry
Park Manager
Park Manager vs Park Naturalist

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse life, physical, and social science jobs