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The differences between parks recreation directors and camp directors 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 director. Additionally, a parks recreation director has an average salary of $48,942, which is higher than the $38,675 average annual salary of a camp director.
The top three skills for a parks recreation director include aquatics, recreation programs and flag football. The most important skills for a camp director are CPR, role model, and safety procedures.
| Parks Recreation Director | Camp Director | |
| Yearly salary | $48,942 | $38,675 |
| Hourly rate | $23.53 | $18.59 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 7,782 | 8,983 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
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.
A camp director spearheads and oversees the operations of recreational camps and their programs. They manage the camps' daily activities and supervise the employees, ensuring that campers get to receive optimal services and experience. A camp director is mostly responsible for setting goals and guidelines, establishing budgets and timelines, planning events and activities, liaising with internal and external parties, and building strong relationships with business partners. Moreover, a camp director leads and motivates staff to reach goals, all while implementing the camps' safety policies and regulations.
Parks recreation directors and camp directors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Parks Recreation Director | Camp Director | |
| Average salary | $48,942 | $38,675 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $85,000 | Between $25,000 And $59,000 |
| Highest paying City | Cupertino, CA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Mississippi | New York |
| Best paying company | Icma-rc | Gill St. Bernard's School |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Education |
There are a few differences between a parks recreation director and a camp director in terms of educational background:
| Parks Recreation Director | Camp Director | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Recreation Management | Psychology |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between parks recreation directors' and camp directors' demographics:
| Parks Recreation Director | Camp Director | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 69.1% Female, 30.9% | Male, 46.0% Female, 54.0% |
| 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, 12.5% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 5.6% White, 61.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |