Recreation manager vs activities director

The differences between recreation managers and activities directors 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 manager and an activities director. Additionally, a recreation manager has an average salary of $47,007, which is higher than the $44,982 average annual salary of an activities director.

The top three skills for a recreation manager include CPR, cleanliness and safety procedures. The most important skills for an activities director are patients, rehabilitation, and resident care.

Recreation manager vs activities director overview

	Recreation Manager	Activities Director
Yearly salary	$47,007	$44,982
Hourly rate	$22.60	$21.63
Growth rate	10%	10%
Number of jobs	3,137	6,845
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 73%	Bachelor's Degree, 57%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	4	4

What does a recreation manager do?

Recreation managers create programs at a recreation center for specific people such as the elderly, children, and disabled people. These managers keep communities informed regarding the different excursions, programs, and exhibitions. They advise counselors and administrators on recreation and parks and ways to obtain sponsors. They coordinate and keep records of all activities and events. Their job also includes dealing with issues like being understaffed. They must work with different kinds of people, must have management and organizational abilities, and be physically fit.

What does an activities director do?

An activities director is responsible for planning engaging events for the participants, considering individual interests and the safety of procedures and resources. Activities directors guide the activity staff on assisting the participants, ensuring that they are comfortable with joining the activities. Since most activities directors work at a healthcare facility or elderly institution, they must also monitor the health of the participants by conducting therapeutic activities and evaluate the participants' progress for every program. The activities director must be a critical-thinker, as well as have excellent communication skills to coordinate with facilities personnel for successful activity completion.

Recreation manager vs activities director salary

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

	Recreation Manager	Activities Director
Average salary	$47,007	$44,982
Salary range	Between $31,000 And $70,000	Between $27,000 And $74,000
Highest paying City	Olympia, WA	Huntington, NY
Highest paying state	Mississippi	Mississippi
Best paying company	St. John's Episcopal Hospital	Microsoft
Best paying industry	Hospitality	Health Care

Differences between recreation manager and activities director education

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

	Recreation Manager	Activities Director
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 73%	Bachelor's Degree, 57%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	California State University - Long Beach	University of Pennsylvania

Recreation manager vs activities director demographics

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

	Recreation Manager	Activities Director
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 55.0% Female, 45.0%	Male, 20.4% Female, 79.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 12.2% Unknown, 6.0% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 5.1% White, 60.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 11.9% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 15.5% Asian, 5.1% White, 61.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	8%	8%

Differences between recreation manager and activities director duties and responsibilities

Recreation manager example responsibilities.

Manage activity and progress reports including statistical data require by regulators, initial assessments, MDS and IDC documentation.
Examine injure persons and administer first aid or cardiopulmonary resuscitation, if necessary, using training and medical supplies and equipment.
Attend and present at borough staff and safety meetings.
Participate in QA and QIS survey at a facility and corporate level.

Activities director example responsibilities.

Manage updated JCC social media, including Facebook.
Manage pet therapy/pat visitation protocol.
Attend interdisciplinary care plan meetings and document in MDS and resident medical records as appropriate.
Plan, organize, and run the afterschool
Create reports, handouts, and PowerPoint presentations.
Assist teachers with reading and mathematics lessons and activities.

Recreation manager vs activities director skills

Common recreation manager skills

CPR, 22%
Cleanliness, 20%
Safety Procedures, 12%
Guest Satisfaction, 7%
Recreation Facilities, 6%
Aquatics, 4%

Common activities director skills

Patients, 15%
Rehabilitation, 10%
Resident Care, 8%
Customer Service, 7%
Home Health, 7%
MDS, 6%

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Recreation Manager vs Activities Director

Updated January 8, 2025

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