Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Recreation director salary
Average recreation director salary
$48,525
Average Recreation Director Salary
The salary of a Recreation Director averages around $48,525 annually in the U.S. This figure can vary depending on factors such as state, years of experience, and industry type. For instance, Recreation Directors in states like California and New York often earn higher wages compared to those in other regions. Typically, the role involves overseeing recreational programs, managing staff, and ensuring community engagement.
Factors Influencing Salary
Experience plays a crucial role in determining salary levels. Entry-level Recreation Directors may earn less, while those with extensive experience or in managerial positions can command significantly higher salaries. Additionally, industries such as hospitality and healthcare often offer more competitive compensation packages.
Job Opportunities
Exploring job listings and networking within your local community can uncover opportunities that align with your skills and salary expectations. Utilize platforms like Zippia to find job openings tailored to your qualifications in recreation management.
Let Zippia find your next recreation director job
Let Zippia find your next recreation director job
Where can a Recreation Director earn more?
Recreation director salary estimates from across the web
Average recreation director salary by state
The highest-paying states for recreation directors are California, Mississippi, and Oregon. The lowest average recreation director salary states are Kansas, Kentucky, and Georgia.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for recreation directors
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mississippi | $64,195 | $30.86 |
| 2 | California | $68,888 | $33.12 |
| 3 | New York | $58,328 | $28.04 |
| 4 | District of Columbia | $60,996 | $29.32 |
| 5 | Arizona | $58,906 | $28.32 |
| 6 | Wyoming | $51,821 | $24.91 |
| 7 | Oregon | $59,402 | $28.56 |
| 8 | Nevada | $49,486 | $23.79 |
| 9 | Alaska | $49,290 | $23.70 |
| 10 | North Carolina | $49,020 | $23.57 |
| 11 | Alabama | $45,783 | $22.01 |
| 12 | Connecticut | $51,266 | $24.65 |
| 13 | Washington | $51,724 | $24.87 |
| 14 | Massachusetts | $49,182 | $23.65 |
| 15 | West Virginia | $55,974 | $26.91 |
| 16 | Delaware | $53,789 | $25.86 |
| 17 | Rhode Island | $50,532 | $24.29 |
| 18 | Idaho | $51,019 | $24.53 |
| 19 | New Jersey | $46,257 | $22.24 |
| 20 | Hawaii | $48,375 | $23.26 |
| 21 | Colorado | $43,931 | $21.12 |
| 22 | Nebraska | $41,573 | $19.99 |
| 23 | Pennsylvania | $45,105 | $21.69 |
| 24 | New Mexico | $45,559 | $21.90 |
| 25 | Texas | $42,348 | $20.36 |
| 26 | Oklahoma | $39,086 | $18.79 |
| 27 | South Carolina | $41,469 | $19.94 |
| 28 | Maryland | $47,671 | $22.92 |
| 29 | Utah | $40,902 | $19.66 |
| 30 | North Dakota | $39,094 | $18.80 |
| 31 | Montana | $41,738 | $20.07 |
| 32 | South Dakota | $41,927 | $20.16 |
| 33 | Maine | $43,546 | $20.94 |
| 34 | Florida | $43,166 | $20.75 |
| 35 | Illinois | $41,096 | $19.76 |
| 36 | New Hampshire | $43,127 | $20.73 |
| 37 | Vermont | $41,208 | $19.81 |
| 38 | Virginia | $42,944 | $20.65 |
| 39 | Michigan | $39,066 | $18.78 |
| 40 | Ohio | $38,600 | $18.56 |
| 41 | Louisiana | $33,751 | $16.23 |
| 42 | Minnesota | $37,998 | $18.27 |
| 43 | Wisconsin | $37,175 | $17.87 |
| 44 | Arkansas | $35,808 | $17.22 |
| 45 | Kentucky | $35,347 | $16.99 |
| 46 | Georgia | $34,899 | $16.78 |
| 47 | Tennessee | $36,315 | $17.46 |
| 48 | Kansas | $35,395 | $17.02 |
| 49 | Missouri | $35,536 | $17.08 |
| 50 | Iowa | $34,292 | $16.49 |
| 51 | Indiana | $33,097 | $15.91 |
Highest paying cities for recreation directors
The highest-paying cities for recreation directors are Milpitas, CA, Corvallis, OR, and New York, NY.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Milpitas, CA | $72,885 | $35.04 |
| 2 | Corvallis, OR | $60,306 | $28.99 |
| 3 | New York, NY | $59,023 | $28.38 |
| 4 | Seattle, WA | $52,500 | $25.24 |
| 5 | Coventry, RI | $51,043 | $24.54 |
| 6 | Holyoke, MA | $50,880 | $24.46 |
| 7 | Las Vegas, NV | $49,167 | $23.64 |
| 8 | High Point, NC | $48,894 | $23.51 |
| 9 | Kailua, HI | $48,393 | $23.27 |
| 10 | Cherry Hill, NJ | $46,422 | $22.32 |
| 11 | Albuquerque, NM | $45,590 | $21.92 |
| 12 | Reading, PA | $45,486 | $21.87 |
| 13 | Thornton, CO | $43,532 | $20.93 |
| 14 | Fredericksburg, VA | $43,223 | $20.78 |
| 15 | Kissimmee, FL | $43,211 | $20.77 |
| 16 | Concord, NH | $42,170 | $20.27 |
| 17 | Dallas, TX | $42,039 | $20.21 |
| 18 | Columbia, SC | $41,525 | $19.96 |
| 19 | Rockford, IL | $40,657 | $19.55 |
| 20 | Chattanooga, TN | $36,398 | $17.50 |
Recreation director salary details
A recreation director's salary ranges from $30,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $77,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a recreation director's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $77,000 | $6,417 | $37 |
| 75th Percentile | $62,000 | $5,167 | $30 |
| Average | $48,525 | $4,044 | $23 |
| 25th Percentile | $37,000 | $3,083 | $18 |
| 10th Percentile | $30,000 | $2,500 | $14 |
Highest paying recreation director jobs
The highest paying types of recreation directors are senior counselor, director, and program lead.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day Camp Counselor | $29,384 | $2,449 | $14.13 | 32,895 |
| Camp Counselor | $24,340 | $2,028 | $11.70 | 28,182 |
| Program Lead | $100,727 | $8,394 | $48.43 | 61,632 |
| Activities Leader | $30,329 | $2,527 | $14.58 | 35,544 |
| Summer Camp Counselor | $25,618 | $2,135 | $12.32 | 31,954 |
| Group Leader | $100,480 | $8,373 | $48.31 | 56,173 |
Top companies hiring recreation directors now:
Which companies pay recreation directors the most?
Recreation director salaries at Downtown United Soccer Club and Oregon State University are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average recreation director salary at companies like Parker University and PruittHealth are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 5 | Lago Mar Country Club | $45,549 | $21.90 |
| 6 | NHC | $43,964 | $21.14 |
| 7 | PlayCore | $43,906 | $21.11 |
| 8 | Daemen College | $43,075 | $20.71 |
| 9 | CareOne | $42,732 | $20.54 |
| 10 | MJHS Health System | $42,656 | $20.51 |
| 11 | Avalon Health Care Group | $42,474 | $20.42 |
| 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 |
| 20 | The Good Samaritan Society | $36,510 | $17.55 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Recreation Director salary by industry
The average recreation director salary varies across industries:
- The average recreation director salary in the education industry is $45,167, the highest of any industry.
- The average recreation director salary in the finance industry is $43,785.
- Recreation directors in the non profits industry earn an average salary of $33,800, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for recreation directors
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Education | $45,167 | $21.71 |
| 2 | Government | $43,785 | $21.05 |
| 3 | Hospitality | $39,809 | $19.14 |
| 4 | Health Care | $38,729 | $18.62 |
| 5 | Non Profits | $33,800 | $16.25 |
High paying recreation director jobs
Recreation director salary trends
The average recreation director salary has risen by $10,766 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average recreation director earned $37,759 annually, but today, they earn $48,525 a year. That works out to a 19% change in pay for recreation directors over the last decade.
Compare recreation director salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average recreation director salary over time
Compare recreation director salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Recreation director salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $48,500 | $23.33 | +7.3% |
| 2024 | $45,000 | $21.62 | +4.9% |
| 2023 | $42,800 | $20.56 | +2.1% |
| 2022 | $41,900 | $20.13 | +2.7% |
| 2021 | $40,700 | $19.58 | +2.3% |
Recently added recreation director salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avalon Health Care Group | Recreation Director | Columbia, SC | 06/28/2025 | $41,740 |
| Avalon Health Care Group | Recreation Director | Pasco, WA | 06/26/2025 | $50,088 |
| Genesis Healthcare LLC | Recreation Director | Waldorf, MD | 06/25/2025 | $50,088 |
| Genesis Healthcare LLC | Recreation Director | Waterville, ME | 06/24/2025 | $48,001 |
| Arkansas Tech University | Director of Campus Recreation | Russellville, AR | 06/24/2025 | $60,000 |
| University of Hartford | Director of Recreation and Club Sports | West Hartford, CT | 06/24/2025 | $58,024 |
| Genesis Healthcare LLC | Recreation Director | Cedar Grove, NJ | 06/21/2025 | $58,436 |
| The Grand Healthcare System | Director of Recreation (Activities) | New York, NY | 06/21/2025 | $58,436 |
| Genesis Healthcare | Recreation Director | Claremont, NH | 06/18/2025 | $45,914 |
| Genesis Healthcare LLC | Recreation Director | Lebanon, PA | 06/14/2025 | $50,088 |
Recreation director salary FAQs
Search for recreation director jobs