Parks recreation director vs camp counselor

The differences between parks recreation directors and camp counselors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a parks recreation director and a camp counselor. Additionally, a parks recreation director has an average salary of $48,942, which is higher than the $24,340 average annual salary of a camp counselor.

The top three skills for a parks recreation director include aquatics, recreation programs and flag football. The most important skills for a camp counselor are kids, CPR, and summer camps.

Parks recreation director vs camp counselor overview

	Parks Recreation Director	Camp Counselor
Yearly salary	$48,942	$24,340
Hourly rate	$23.53	$11.70
Growth rate	10%	10%
Number of jobs	7,782	28,182
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 71%	Bachelor's Degree, 66%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	4	4

What does a parks recreation director do?

A parks recreation director manages and leads the operations of a park's recreation department. You will be responsible for department oversight, budget management and requisition, coordination with other town council departments, recreation publicity campaigns, and overseeing capital expenditure. Parks recreation directors are the policy and strategy leads for city parks and submit regular reports to the council parks boards. Staff recruitment and supervision, community engagement in recreation activities, and ensuring policy compliance are other core duties.

What does a camp counselor do?

Camp counselors' general responsibility is the supervision of a camping event. Camp counselors' duties include reiterating the rules and regulations, emergency drills and procedures, and related standard protocols to ensure that the campers maintain a safe camping environment. A camp counselor should possess strong leadership and decision-making skills to develop recreational programs and immediately resolve concerns that might affect everyone's overall camping experience. Camp counselors also help develop social interaction, promote teamwork, and monitor participation among campers.

Parks recreation director vs camp counselor salary

Parks recreation directors and camp counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Parks Recreation Director	Camp Counselor
Average salary	$48,942	$24,340
Salary range	Between $28,000 And $85,000	Between $16,000 And $35,000
Highest paying City	Cupertino, CA	Omaha, NE
Highest paying state	Mississippi	Mississippi
Best paying company	Icma-rc	University of California, Berkeley
Best paying industry	Automotive	Education

Differences between parks recreation director and camp counselor education

There are a few differences between a parks recreation director and a camp counselor in terms of educational background:

	Parks Recreation Director	Camp Counselor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 71%	Bachelor's Degree, 66%
Most common major	Recreation Management	Psychology
Most common college	California State University - Long Beach	Northwestern University

Parks recreation director vs camp counselor demographics

Here are the differences between parks recreation directors' and camp counselors' demographics:

	Parks Recreation Director	Camp Counselor
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 69.1% Female, 30.9%	Male, 42.4% Female, 57.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 12.0% Unknown, 5.8% Hispanic or Latino, 15.3% Asian, 5.1% White, 61.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 13.1% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 15.2% Asian, 5.1% White, 60.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	8%	8%

Differences between parks recreation director and camp counselor duties and responsibilities

Parks recreation director example responsibilities.

Manage recreation staff and programming for assist living and rehabilitation and skil nursing facilities.
Perform minor first aid and CPR as needed.
Acquire MDS data for the use of the clinical reimbursement team, as well as assessed patients.
Examine injure persons and administer first aid or cardiopulmonary resuscitation, if necessary, using training and medical supplies and equipment.
Maintain written and personal communication with general public and local community through ongoing PowerPoint presentations, weekly newsletters and monthly newspaper.

Camp counselor example responsibilities.

Manage camp check-ins by assembling and assigning check-in teams, and helping implement opening day camp check-ins.
Guide and nurture campers by accompanying them to and assisting with camp activities, and lead hiking and canoe trips
Mentore kids using healthy conflict resolution techniques.
Organize group activities to facilitate communication between children with various health needs ranging from common allergies to severe developmental disabilities.
Supervise campers, cook, and run activities.
Provide support and host VIP visitors and guests.

Parks recreation director vs camp counselor skills

Common parks recreation director skills

Aquatics, 17%
Recreation Programs, 8%
Flag Football, 6%
Recreational Facilities, 5%
CPR, 5%
Program Development, 4%

Common camp counselor skills

Kids, 29%
CPR, 22%
Summer Camps, 9%
Role Model, 7%
Child Care, 5%
Incident Reports, 3%

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Parks Recreation Director vs Camp Counselor

Updated January 8, 2025

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