Recreation director vs activities leader

The differences between recreation directors and activities leaders 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 director and an activities leader. Additionally, a recreation director has an average salary of $48,525, which is higher than the $30,329 average annual salary of an activities leader.

The top three skills for a recreation director include community resources, therapeutic recreation and nursing home. The most important skills for an activities leader are CPR, direct supervision, and homework assistance.

Recreation director vs activities leader overview

	Recreation Director	Activities Leader
Yearly salary	$48,525	$30,329
Hourly rate	$23.33	$14.58
Growth rate	10%	10%
Number of jobs	8,479	35,544
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 71%	Bachelor's Degree, 57%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	4	4

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.

What does an activities leader do?

An activity leader's main duty is to offer sports programs and exercises that are riveting in a positive manner. The activities typically assigned to leaders are the ones they understand for the smooth promotion and planning of events. Usually, hotel resorts and summer camps seasonally employ activity leaders to make time for different exercises throughout the year. Working as an activities leader can also be viewed as a way to practically enhance a person's teaching or coaching skills, leadership and communication skills, and marketing skills when it comes to publicizing upcoming events.

Recreation director vs activities leader salary

Recreation directors and activities leaders have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Recreation Director	Activities Leader
Average salary	$48,525	$30,329
Salary range	Between $30,000 And $77,000	Between $20,000 And $45,000
Highest paying City	Milpitas, CA	Boston, MA
Highest paying state	California	Mississippi
Best paying company	Downtown United Soccer Club	Bayer
Best paying industry	Education	Health Care

Differences between recreation director and activities leader education

There are a few differences between a recreation director and an activities leader in terms of educational background:

	Recreation Director	Activities Leader
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 71%	Bachelor's Degree, 57%
Most common major	Recreation Management	Psychology
Most common college	Northwestern University	Northwestern University

Recreation director vs activities leader demographics

Here are the differences between recreation directors' and activities leaders' demographics:

	Recreation Director	Activities Leader
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 48.0% Female, 52.0%	Male, 32.9% Female, 67.1%
Race ratio	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%	Black or African American, 11.6% Unknown, 5.9% Hispanic or Latino, 15.5% Asian, 5.1% White, 61.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	8%	8%

Differences between recreation director and activities leader duties and responsibilities

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.

Activities leader example responsibilities.

Manage security and access policies base upon operational need-to-know and DOD regulations and requirements
Train and certify in CPR prior to each summer.
Uphold company standard of inventory management and WCM manufacturing principles.
Conduct and supervise appropriate programs and activities in a leadership capacity or direct by site supervisor.
Develop leadership skills while coordinating and instructing after school educational activities for students of diverse socioeconomic backgrounds.
Provide functional subject matter expertise daily technical operational and guidance on DOD and DA standard logistical systems.

Recreation director vs activities leader skills

Common recreation director skills

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

Common activities leader skills

CPR, 24%
Direct Supervision, 16%
Homework Assistance, 8%
Role Model, 7%
Physical Stamina, 7%
Safety Procedures, 6%

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Recreation Director vs Activities Leader

Updated January 8, 2025

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