How To Become A Recreation Coordinator: What It Is and Career Path

What is a recreation coordinator and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted expert

Ariel Rodríguez Ph.D., CPRP

Recreation coordinators organize and schedule activities for patrons. They may work for a recreation department in a municipality, public park, or a private company, such as a cruise ship or resort.

Recreation coordinators' duties include scheduling and organizing activities, monitoring large events, and conducting fitness or hobby classes. There are no education requirements to become a recreation coordinator, but many employers prefer candidates with an associate's degree and an understanding of physical fitness.

While data from BLS sees annual salaries of recreation coordinator as high as $54,000 and as low as $21,000, the majority of recreation coordinator salaries currently range between $29,500 and $42,500 with top earners making $52,000 annually.

What general advice would you give to a recreation coordinator?

Ariel Rodríguez Ph.D., CPRP

Associate Professor, Recreation Management Program Director, Springfield College

Be open, flexible, and willing to learn. I realize that after graduating from college, many individuals may feel as if they are mentally and emotionally done with learning, but the truth is that graduation is really just the beginning of lifelong learning as a recreation professional. If graduates are looking to work in parks and recreation, I would recommend applying for the Certified Park and Recreation Professional (CPRP) certification when they are eligible and feel ready to take on the CPRP exam.

If a recent graduate is unable to immediately crack into the field, I would recommend either volunteering in a recreation specialization they are interested in or perhaps looking at job descriptions for recreation positions they are interested in and find jobs that help to give them experience in the requested knowledge, skills, and abilities so that they can better position themselves as a future candidate.

ScoreRecreation CoordinatorUS Average

Salary

3.2

Avg. Salary $40,777

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

9.1

Growth rate 10%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

9.9

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.67%

Asian 5.12%

Black or African American 11.47%

Hispanic or Latino 15.48%

Unknown 5.57%

White 61.69%

Gender

female 53.75%

male 46.25%

Age - 43

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 43

Stress level

9.1

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

7.9

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

7.5

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a recreation coordinator

Explore recreation coordinator education requirements

Most common recreation coordinator degrees

Bachelor's

70.7 %

Associate

12.2 %

Master's

8.5 %

Start to develop specific recreation coordinator skills

Skills	Percentages
CPR	21.94%
Therapeutic Recreation	9.82%
Recreation Programs	9.41%
Recreation Facilities	5.00%
Sports Programs	3.68%

Complete relevant recreation coordinator training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New recreation coordinators learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a recreation coordinator based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real recreation coordinator resumes.

Gain additional recreation coordinator certifications

Recreation coordinator certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific recreation coordinator certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for recreation coordinators include Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS) and First Aid, CPR and AED Instructor.

More About Certifications

Research recreation coordinator duties and responsibilities

Manage funds and resources to include developing the annual NAF budget, which include submission and prioritization of program component requirements.
Communicate with veterans daily; fulfill shopping requests and arrange communication with family members.
Assist with transitioning veterans into facility during initial check-in process including pulling and documenting medical records.
Design and disseminate survey instruments to assess and provide analysis of sporting initiatives and programs for regional management and corporate leadership.

Prepare your recreation coordinator resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your recreation coordinator resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a recreation coordinator resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable recreation coordinator resume templates

Build a professional recreation coordinator resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your recreation coordinator resume.

Apply for recreation coordinator jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a recreation coordinator job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do recreation coordinators rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Recreation coordinator reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on May 2020

Pros

I like the engagement of helping my residents in actives, such as arts and crafts.

Cons

Really there is nothing I do not like, because my job is to entertain and bring enjoyment to my community. I like to see the smiles of residents as they achieve a craft, it makes feel proud knowing I did that.