How to hire a recreation director

How to hire a recreation director, step by step

Here's a step-by-step recreation director hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a recreation director job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new recreation director
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a recreation director do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The recreation director hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect recreation director also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   This list shows salaries for various types of recreation directors.

   Type of Recreation Director	Description	Hourly rate
   Recreation Director	Recreation workers design and lead recreational and leisure activities for groups in volunteer agencies or recreation facilities, such as playgrounds, parks, camps, aquatic centers, and senior centers. They may lead activities such as arts and crafts, dance, sports, adventure programs, music, and camping.	$14-37
   Day Camp Counselor	The job of the camp counselors is to develop recreational plans and oversee camp activities in residential camps. Their duties and responsibilities include organizing camping trips, planning and scheduling group activities, and guiding children and teenagers in various outdoor activities such as swimming and hiking... Show more	$9-21
   Camp Counselor	Camp counselors' general responsibility is the supervision of a camping event. Camp counselors' duties include reiterating the rules and regulations, emergency drills and procedures, and related standard protocols to ensure that the campers maintain a safe camping environment... Show more	$7-16

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Community Resources
   • Therapeutic Recreation
   • Nursing Home
   • Customer Service
   • Provides Supervision
   • Recreation Programs
   • Recreation Services
   • Community Organizations
   • Patients
   • Rehabilitation
   • Recreation Assistants
   • MDS
   • Program Development
   • Safety Procedures

   Check all skills

   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.

   More recreation director duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the recreation director job description is a good way to get more applicants. A recreation director salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a recreation director in Kansas may be lower than in California, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level recreation director. Additionally, a recreation director with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average recreation director salary

   $48,525yearly

   $23.33 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level recreation director salary

   $30,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 14, 2025

   Average recreation director salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$72,885	$35
   2	Oregon	$60,306	$29
   3	New York	$59,023	$28
   4	Washington	$52,500	$25
   5	Rhode Island	$51,043	$25
   6	Massachusetts	$50,880	$24
   7	Nevada	$49,167	$24
   8	North Carolina	$48,894	$24
   9	Hawaii	$48,393	$23
   10	New Jersey	$46,422	$22
   11	New Mexico	$45,590	$22
   12	Pennsylvania	$45,486	$22
   13	Colorado	$43,532	$21
   14	Virginia	$43,223	$21
   15	Florida	$43,211	$21
   16	New Hampshire	$42,170	$20
   17	Texas	$42,039	$20
   18	South Carolina	$41,525	$20
   19	Illinois	$40,657	$20
   20	Tennessee	$36,398	$18

   Average recreation director salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Downtown United Soccer Club	$48,544	$23.34
   2	Oregon State University	$48,045	$23.10
   3	Parker University	$47,671	$22.92
   4	PruittHealth	$46,243	$22.23	12
   5	Lago Mar Country Club	$45,549	$21.90
   6	NHC	$43,964	$21.14	6
   7	PlayCore	$43,906	$21.11
   8	Daemen College	$43,075	$20.71
   9	CareOne	$42,732	$20.54	1
   10	MJHS Health System	$42,656	$20.51
   11	Avalon Health Care Group	$42,474	$20.42	2
   12	Associated Recreation Council	$41,902	$20.15
   13	The Actors Fund	$40,221	$19.34
   14	Jewish Federation of Southern New Jersey	$39,974	$19.22
   15	Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts	$39,116	$18.81
   16	The John Stewart Company	$39,111	$18.80
   17	Good Neighbor Society	$38,870	$18.69
   18	The Center for Health Care Services	$37,908	$18.23
   19	Genesis HealthCare	$36,968	$17.77	45
   20	The Good Samaritan Society	$36,510	$17.55

4. Writing a recreation director job description

   A job description for a recreation director role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a recreation director job description:

   Recreation director job description example

   • A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.
   • Hold a current certification from the National Certification Council for Activity Professionals or National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification; or willing to certify within 6 months.
   • Minimum of two (2) years’ experience in a recreational program.
   • Has an understanding of, affection for, and a desire to work with the aging.
   • Ability to read and write English.
   • Be adaptable to change and able to meet crises and emergencies.

   ABOUT THIS POSITION

   This is a full-time salaried position based in The Actor’s Fund Home in Englewood, NJ. The Actors Fund offers a competitive salary, as well as a comprehensive benefits package, including: choice of multiple health and dental plan options, voluntary vision, flex and dependent care plans, employer-paid life and long-term disability insurance, supplemental life and disability, 401(k) plan with generous employer match, tuition reimbursement, generous paid time off and TransitCheck commuter benefit.

   TO APPLY

   To apply please click on the blue button above or below. A complete application will include a resume, cover letter and salary expectations.

   VACCINATION POLICY
   In an effort to protect our fellow employees, their families and our residents, The Actors Fund Home requires ALL applicants and employees to be up to date with their COVID-19 Vaccination subject to accommodations required by law.

   ABOUT THE ACTORS FUND

   The Actors Fund is a national human services organization that fosters stability and resiliency, and provides a safety net for performing arts and entertainment professionals over their lifespan. Through offices in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago, The Fund serves everyone in film, theatre, television, music, opera, radio and dance with programs including social services and emergency financial assistance, health care and insurance counseling, housing, and secondary employment and training services.

   For more about Actors Fund Home, please visit: actorsfundhome.org.

   For more about Actors Fund, please visit: actorsfund.org.

   Actors Fund is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer.

   Built into the value statement of Actors Fund is a commitment to embrace diversity and seek equity, inclusion and dignity for all.

   We celebrate our differences and strive to cultivate an environment of mutual respect.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right recreation director for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with recreation directors they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit recreation directors who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your recreation director job on Zippia to find and recruit recreation director candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with recreation director candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new recreation director

   Once you've found the recreation director candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   To prepare for the new recreation director first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire a recreation director?