Parks recreation director vs recreation supervisor

The differences between parks recreation directors and recreation supervisors 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 supervisor. Additionally, a parks recreation director has an average salary of $48,942, which is higher than the $45,209 average annual salary of a recreation supervisor.

The top three skills for a parks recreation director include aquatics, recreation programs and flag football. The most important skills for a recreation supervisor are CPR, recreational facilities, and payroll.

Parks recreation director vs recreation supervisor overview

	Parks Recreation Director	Recreation Supervisor
Yearly salary	$48,942	$45,209
Hourly rate	$23.53	$21.74
Growth rate	10%	10%
Number of jobs	7,782	4,698
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 71%	Bachelor's Degree, 73%
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 supervisor do?

Recreation Supervisors are responsible for overseeing the operations and service delivery of a recreation program for an organization. Their duties include facilitating the implementation of the recreations program, assist in staff recruitment, scheduling staff roster, developing training sessions, and track employee performance. They manage contracts, conduct community research, perform marketing outreach activities, and serve as a district representative in engaging external parties. Recreational Supervisors also develop marketing materials, coordinate logistic arrangements, monitor inventory, prepare program budgets, and write grant proposals.

Parks recreation director vs recreation supervisor salary

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

	Parks Recreation Director	Recreation Supervisor
Average salary	$48,942	$45,209
Salary range	Between $28,000 And $85,000	Between $32,000 And $62,000
Highest paying City	Cupertino, CA	Anchorage, AK
Highest paying state	Mississippi	Alaska
Best paying company	Icma-rc	Glen Ellyn Park District
Best paying industry	Automotive	Government

Differences between parks recreation director and recreation supervisor education

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

	Parks Recreation Director	Recreation Supervisor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 71%	Bachelor's Degree, 73%
Most common major	Recreation Management	Recreation Management
Most common college	California State University - Long Beach	California State University - Long Beach

Parks recreation director vs recreation supervisor demographics

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

	Parks Recreation Director	Recreation Supervisor
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 69.1% Female, 30.9%	Male, 56.2% Female, 43.8%
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, 12.4% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 15.0% Asian, 5.1% White, 61.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	8%	8%

Differences between parks recreation director and recreation supervisor 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 supervisor example responsibilities.

Manage recreation staff and programming for assist living and rehabilitation and skil nursing facilities.
Manage activity and progress reports including statistical data require by regulators, initial assessments, MDS and IDC documentation.
Open, close and run swim center.
Use of POS system for food and beverage sales
Develop plans and provide oversight for detailing and finishing work.
Start as a lifeguard, monitoring swimmers and waders for safety reason.

Parks recreation director vs recreation supervisor skills

Common parks recreation director skills

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

Common recreation supervisor skills

CPR, 25%
Recreational Facilities, 11%
Payroll, 8%
Safety Procedures, 4%
Front Desk, 3%
Performance Evaluations, 3%

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Parks Recreation Director vs Recreation Supervisor

Updated January 8, 2025

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