Parks recreation director vs recreation director

The differences between parks recreation directors and recreation 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 recreation director. Additionally, a parks recreation director has an average salary of $48,942, which is higher than the $48,525 average annual salary of a recreation director.

The top three skills for a parks recreation director include aquatics, recreation programs and flag football. The most important skills for a recreation director are community resources, therapeutic recreation, and nursing home.

Parks recreation director vs recreation director overview

	Parks Recreation Director	Recreation Director
Yearly salary	$48,942	$48,525
Hourly rate	$23.53	$23.33
Growth rate	10%	10%
Number of jobs	7,782	8,479
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 71%	Bachelor's Degree, 71%
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 recreation director do?

Recreation directors may take part in leading activities like canoeing, wilderness first-aid, rock climbing, camping, and resource management for this dynamic career. Responsibilities include implementation and success assurance of recreation programs, as well as management of schedules for activities and facilities. They also handle the recruitment, training, and supervision of staff and volunteers.

Parks recreation director vs recreation director salary

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

	Parks Recreation Director	Recreation Director
Average salary	$48,942	$48,525
Salary range	Between $28,000 And $85,000	Between $30,000 And $77,000
Highest paying City	Cupertino, CA	Milpitas, CA
Highest paying state	Mississippi	California
Best paying company	Icma-rc	Downtown United Soccer Club
Best paying industry	Automotive	Education

Differences between parks recreation director and recreation director education

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

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

Parks recreation director vs recreation director demographics

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

	Parks Recreation Director	Recreation Director
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 69.1% Female, 30.9%	Male, 48.0% Female, 52.0%
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, 12.2% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 5.1% White, 61.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	8%	8%

Differences between parks recreation director and recreation director 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.

Recreation director example responsibilities.

Manage recreation staff and programming for assist living and rehabilitation and skil nursing facilities.
Organize and provide staff training material regarding Alzheimer's disease.
Conduct monthly resident council meetings, daily initial evaluations, standard MDS and interdisciplinary care plan documentation.
Advance technical knowledge of all office equipment including Microsoft office and POS systems.
Expand programming, develop outdoor adventure programs, and maintain current city programs.
Design and layout seasonal brochure, create flyers, signs and periodically upload recreation information to town website.

Parks recreation director vs recreation director skills

Common parks recreation director skills

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

Common recreation director skills

Community Resources, 15%
Therapeutic Recreation, 14%
Nursing Home, 14%
Customer Service, 10%
Provides Supervision, 7%
Recreation Programs, 5%

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Parks Recreation Director vs Recreation Director

Updated January 8, 2025

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