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Recreation director vs site leader

The differences between recreation directors and site 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 a site leader. Additionally, a site leader has an average salary of $64,886, which is higher than the $48,525 average annual salary of a recreation director.

The top three skills for a recreation director include community resources, therapeutic recreation and nursing home. The most important skills for a site leader are customer service, project management, and logistics.

Recreation director vs site leader overview

Recreation DirectorSite Leader
Yearly salary$48,525$64,886
Hourly rate$23.33$31.20
Growth rate10%10%
Number of jobs8,47956,932
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 71%Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Average age4242
Years of experience44

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 a site leader do?

A site leader is responsible for managing the staff's performance, ensuring the smooth delivery of daily operations, and guiding the successful project completion by maximizing the staff's productivity within the specified timeframe and budget goals. Site leaders work closely with the clients, together with the site manager, to identify their specifications and requirements, as well as providing progress updates and suggesting design adjustments as needed. A site leader also performs safety inspections, making sure that all the staff follows the required operational procedures and regulations to prevent hazards and delays in project deliverables.

Recreation director vs site leader salary

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

Recreation DirectorSite Leader
Average salary$48,525$64,886
Salary rangeBetween $30,000 And $77,000Between $31,000 And $134,000
Highest paying CityMilpitas, CANew York, NY
Highest paying stateCaliforniaMississippi
Best paying companyDowntown United Soccer ClubBP America Inc
Best paying industryEducation-

Differences between recreation director and site leader education

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

Recreation DirectorSite Leader
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 71%Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Most common majorRecreation ManagementBusiness
Most common collegeNorthwestern UniversityStanford University

Recreation director vs site leader demographics

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

Recreation DirectorSite Leader
Average age4242
Gender ratioMale, 48.0% Female, 52.0%Male, 65.6% Female, 34.4%
Race ratioBlack 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, 12.1% Unknown, 5.8% Hispanic or Latino, 15.3% Asian, 5.1% White, 60.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage8%8%

Differences between recreation director and site 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.
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Site leader example responsibilities.

  • Lead ISO 13485 and CE regulatory submission efforts for Europe, Canada, and Australia.
  • Manage necessary inventory reporting activities, including month to month variance, require KPI, age inventory action plans.
  • Manage logistics requirements for assign installations to include facility access, classroom materials, office supplies/equipment and computers.
  • Develop multiple in-store processes to manage payroll and successfully increase financial numbers through decreasing operational expense and increasing operational income.
  • Hold a CPR certification along with first aid.
  • Participate in all regulatory audits (FDA, ISO, and internal).
  • Show more

Recreation director vs site 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 site leader skills
  • Customer Service, 11%
  • Project Management, 8%
  • Logistics, 7%
  • Patients, 6%
  • Continuous Improvement, 5%
  • CPR, 4%

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