Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between recreation aides and recreation specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a recreation aide and a recreation specialist. Additionally, a recreation specialist has an average salary of $39,186, which is higher than the $28,756 average annual salary of a recreation aide.
The top three skills for a recreation aide include customer service, CPR and rehabilitation. The most important skills for a recreation specialist are CPR, customer service, and recreation programs.
| Recreation Aide | Recreation Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $28,756 | $39,186 |
| Hourly rate | $13.82 | $18.84 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 43,283 | 3,288 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 43% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A recreation aide is responsible for assisting with the planning of recreational activities, following the supervision of a recreational manager. Recreation aides prepare all the resources, guide the participants, maintain the activity equipment, facilitate the program, and reiterate the guidelines for the safe execution of the activity. They also ensure the cleanliness and orderliness of the facilities to be used. A recreation aide must have excellent communication and organizational skills, responding to the participants' inquiries and concerns, as well as performing administrative duties as the recreational manager advises.
A recreation specialist is responsible for planning and organizing engaging activities according to the event's purpose and community theme. Recreation specialists handle the event's outline from conceptualization to the actual execution, including the location, resources, participants, and budget limitations. They consider the needs of the participants and develop strategic plans that would cater to their lifestyle, growth, and development. A recreation specialist may also conduct outreach operations to gain sponsors and fundraising to enhance community events.
Recreation aides and recreation specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Recreation Aide | Recreation Specialist | |
| Average salary | $28,756 | $39,186 |
| Salary range | Between $22,000 And $36,000 | Between $28,000 And $53,000 |
| Highest paying City | Bellingham, WA | Loveland, CO |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Mississippi |
| Best paying company | National Park Foundation | Harlem Children's Zone |
| Best paying industry | Government | Hospitality |
There are a few differences between a recreation aide and a recreation specialist in terms of educational background:
| Recreation Aide | Recreation Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 43% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Most common major | Business | Kinesiology |
| Most common college | Duke University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between recreation aides' and recreation specialists' demographics:
| Recreation Aide | Recreation Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 39.8% Female, 60.2% | Male, 48.7% Female, 51.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 13.2% Unknown, 6.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.9% Asian, 5.0% White, 60.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 12.6% Unknown, 5.9% Hispanic or Latino, 15.3% Asian, 5.1% White, 60.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |