Park supervisor vs interpretive naturalist

The differences between park supervisors and interpretive 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 supervisor and an interpretive naturalist. Additionally, an interpretive naturalist has an average salary of $43,341, which is higher than the $33,830 average annual salary of a park supervisor.

The top three skills for a park supervisor include routine maintenance, equipment maintenance and grounds maintenance. The most important skills for an interpretive naturalist are natural history, interpretive programs, and public speaking.

Park supervisor vs interpretive naturalist overview

	Park Supervisor	Interpretive Naturalist
Yearly salary	$33,830	$43,341
Hourly rate	$16.26	$20.84
Growth rate	5%	5%
Number of jobs	2,206	122
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 54%	Bachelor's Degree, 82%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	2	2

Park supervisor vs interpretive naturalist salary

Park supervisors and interpretive naturalists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Park Supervisor	Interpretive Naturalist
Average salary	$33,830	$43,341
Salary range	Between $24,000 And $45,000	Between $24,000 And $77,000
Highest paying City	Washington, DC	-
Highest paying state	Rhode Island	-
Best paying company	Washington County	-
Best paying industry	Government	-

Differences between park supervisor and interpretive naturalist education

There are a few differences between a park supervisor and an interpretive naturalist in terms of educational background:

	Park Supervisor	Interpretive Naturalist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 54%	Bachelor's Degree, 82%
Most common major	Business	Biology
Most common college	Stanford University	University of California, Berkeley

Park supervisor vs interpretive naturalist demographics

Here are the differences between park supervisors' and interpretive naturalists' demographics:

	Park Supervisor	Interpretive Naturalist
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 69.7% Female, 30.3%	Male, 37.7% Female, 62.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 0.6% Unknown, 2.9% Hispanic or Latino, 2.2% Asian, 1.4% White, 91.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%	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%
LGBT Percentage	8%	8%

Differences between park supervisor and interpretive naturalist duties and responsibilities

Park supervisor example responsibilities.

Provide leadership and supervision by managing day-to-day operations for a county park facility.
Instruct lifeguard certification classes while being CPR and first aid certify.
Generate knowledge and experience of inventories, payroll, scheduling, and supervising staff.
Care for animals on exhibit including several species of turtles, snakes, frogs and fish.
Create action plans for staff for appropriate services and programs, administer budget plan for facility, staff evaluations and payroll.
Certify in first aid and serve as a first responder in the event of an injury to youth or adult players.

Interpretive naturalist example responsibilities.

Lead tour groups on both bicycles and kayaks, man small retail/rental outlet as only staff person.
Perform GPS field mapping of Canada thistle, process GPS data, and used GIS for analysis and mapping.
Communicate and coordinate with DEP employees and volunteers.

Park supervisor vs interpretive naturalist skills

Common park supervisor skills

Routine Maintenance, 11%
Equipment Maintenance, 9%
Grounds Maintenance, 9%
Swimming Pools, 6%
DCR, 6%
Public Safety, 6%

Common interpretive naturalist skills

Natural History, 20%
Interpretive Programs, 18%
Public Speaking, 14%
Natural Resources, 8%
DNR, 8%
Environmental Education Programs, 5%

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Park Supervisor vs Interpretive Naturalist

Updated January 8, 2025

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