How to hire a recreation program coordinator

How to hire a recreation program coordinator, step by step

Here's a step-by-step recreation program coordinator hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a recreation program coordinator job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new recreation program coordinator
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The recreation program coordinator hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A recreation program coordinator's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, recreation program coordinators from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   Here's a comparison of recreation program coordinator salaries for various roles:

   Type of Recreation Program Coordinator	Description	Hourly rate
   Recreation Program Coordinator	Recreation workers design and lead recreational and leisure activities for groups in volunteer agencies or recreation facilities, such as playgrounds, parks, camps, aquatic centers, and senior centers. They may lead activities such as arts and crafts, dance, sports, adventure programs, music, and camping.	$14-26
   Group Leader	A group leader is responsible for overseeing and distributing fair tasks to the members, ensuring clear instructions and procedures. Group leaders are mainly the ones leading the team towards their success... Show more	$27-83
   Activities Director	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... Show more	$12-35

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • CPR
   • Recreation Programs
   • Flyers
   • Program Budget
   • Community Outreach
   • Community Events
   • Sports Programs
   • Sports Leagues
   • Front Desk
   • Promotional Materials
   • Summer Camps
   • Community Programs
   • Press Releases
   • Community Organizations

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage funds and resources to include developing the annual NAF budget, which include submission and prioritization of program component requirements.
   • Incorporate knowledge of therapeutic concepts and methods for determining appropriate recreation therapy services for psychiatric, and chemically dependent, patients.
   • Maintain written and personal communication with general public and local community through ongoing PowerPoint presentations, weekly newsletters and monthly newspaper.

   More recreation program coordinator duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your recreation program coordinator job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A recreation program coordinator salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, recreation program coordinators' average salary in louisiana is 51% less than in alaska.
   • Seniority. Entry-level recreation program coordinators earn 46% less than senior-level recreation program coordinators.
   • Certifications. A recreation program coordinator with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a recreation program coordinator's salary.

   Average recreation program coordinator salary

   $41,569yearly

   $19.99 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level recreation program coordinator salary

   $30,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 31, 2026

   Average recreation program coordinator salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$60,784	$29
   2	Minnesota	$54,707	$26
   3	Colorado	$49,951	$24
   4	Illinois	$47,824	$23
   5	New Jersey	$46,253	$22
   6	Oregon	$45,313	$22
   7	Connecticut	$45,269	$22
   8	Virginia	$43,658	$21
   9	Wisconsin	$43,551	$21
   10	North Carolina	$42,014	$20
   11	Arizona	$41,388	$20
   12	New York	$40,744	$20
   13	Nevada	$40,059	$19
   14	Texas	$38,936	$19
   15	Iowa	$38,858	$19
   16	Oklahoma	$37,112	$18
   17	Utah	$36,843	$18
   18	Missouri	$35,985	$17
   19	Kansas	$35,673	$17

   Average recreation program coordinator salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	University of Nevada, Reno	$50,301	$24.18	20
   2	Salt Lake County	$45,883	$22.06	63
   3	Howard County Government	$45,651	$21.95
   4	University of Iowa Center for Advancement	$45,498	$21.87	3
   5	Loudoun County Social Svc	$44,334	$21.31
   6	Southest Association For Special Parks	$44,290	$21.29	1
   7	City of Redding	$43,389	$20.86	3
   8	City of Plymouth, MN	$42,882	$20.62	3
   9	Port of Long Beach	$42,667	$20.51
   10	Danville, VA - Government	$42,439	$20.40	1
   11	Americorps	$42,286	$20.33	56
   12	City of Union City	$42,165	$20.27	2
   13	City of Dallas Employees	$41,994	$20.19	5
   14	Minnesota Limited	$41,987	$20.19	3
   15	City of Eugene	$41,908	$20.15	4
   16	City & County Of San Francisco - Police Department (sfpd)	$41,744	$20.07	14
   17	City of Portland	$41,589	$19.99	8
   18	Girl Scouts of Nassau County	$41,560	$19.98
   19	WarnerMedia	$41,446	$19.93
   20	City of Wentzville	$41,262	$19.84	6

4. Writing a recreation program coordinator job description

   A good recreation program coordinator job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a recreation program coordinator job description:

   Recreation program coordinator job description example

   AmeriCorps members serve directly with youth to provide a safe, responsible, well-supervised afterschool program. Members will prepare materials and supplies, and plan/implement activities, workshops, clinics, events, and family-focused parent/family opportunities. Members are responsible for a S.A.F.E. (Sequenced, Active, Focused, Explicit) learning environment and establishing a positive rapport with parents, collaborators, school management, and community partners. Members are responsible for understanding and abiding by school district rules and requirements. Members serve as positive adult role model for children in the program through appropriate dress, speech, attitude, and courtesy. Members maintain cleanliness in all program areas; assist with the setup and breakdown during the program day in an effort to keep the site(s) clean and orderly. Members may be assigned additional duties, including helping school district classrooms and clubs, partner organization events or RYC. AmeriCorps Members must be capable of sitting and standing for long periods, walking distances and running, lifting 50lbs. Basic competence with Microsoft word, emails, and web-based forms is a requirement. All applicants must pass a criminal background check. Further help on this page can be found by clicking here.
   
   Member Duties : There are 3,174 named mountains; 57.5 million acres of designated wilderness; over 12,000 rivers and 3 million lakes in Alaska. Alaska means Adventure! Our outdoor Adventure Program is just in its beginning stages so we're very excited to be offering this position! The ideal candidate will have experience in planning and leading youth groups on day/multi-day trips into the back country. This position focuses on assisting on backpacking trips, campground trips and hiking trips into our region's wilderness fringes and depths. You will assist in planning and organizing resources, briefing/debriefing participants, meal planning, packing/shake-down, group management, orienteering, overnight/multi-day trips, and First Aid Training. You will be responsible for developing project ideas, writing lesson plans, identifying and meeting logistical challenges.
   Program Benefits : Education award upon successful completion of service , Stipend , Training .
   
   Terms :
   
   None
   
   Service Areas :
   
   Children/Youth .
   
   Skills :
   
   Writing/Editing , Leadership , General Skills , First Aid .

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right recreation program coordinator for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with recreation program coordinators they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit recreation program coordinators who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your recreation program coordinator job on Zippia to find and recruit recreation program coordinator candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with recreation program coordinator candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new recreation program coordinator

   Once you have selected a candidate for the recreation program coordinator position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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