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The differences between recreation leaders 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 leader and an activities leader. Additionally, an activities leader has an average salary of $30,329, which is higher than the $30,040 average annual salary of a recreation leader.
The top three skills for a recreation leader include CPR, customer service and recreation programs. The most important skills for an activities leader are CPR, direct supervision, and homework assistance.
| Recreation Leader | Activities Leader | |
| Yearly salary | $30,040 | $30,329 |
| Hourly rate | $14.44 | $14.58 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 35,684 | 35,544 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 57% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
The primary role of recreation leaders is to encourage recreational and sporting activities in various settings such as schools, parks, and youth centers. Their job requires them to motivate others to work as a team member while also promoting good morals and sportsmanship. They develop recreational and sports programs best suited for their company's client base. Other duties also include advertising the availability of recreational activities, securing funding for special events and projects, and adhering to safety practices.
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 leaders and activities leaders have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Recreation Leader | Activities Leader | |
| Average salary | $30,040 | $30,329 |
| Salary range | Between $23,000 And $37,000 | Between $20,000 And $45,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | Boston, MA |
| Highest paying state | Nebraska | Mississippi |
| Best paying company | University of California, Berkeley | Bayer |
| Best paying industry | Government | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a recreation leader and an activities leader in terms of educational background:
| Recreation Leader | Activities Leader | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 57% |
| Most common major | Business | Psychology |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between recreation leaders' and activities leaders' demographics:
| Recreation Leader | Activities Leader | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 43.8% Female, 56.2% | Male, 32.9% Female, 67.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.1% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 15.5% Asian, 5.1% White, 62.4% 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% |