Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between recreation specialists 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 specialist and an activities director. Additionally, an activities director has an average salary of $44,982, which is higher than the $39,186 average annual salary of a recreation specialist.
The top three skills for a recreation specialist include CPR, customer service and recreation programs. The most important skills for an activities director are patients, rehabilitation, and resident care.
| Recreation Specialist | Activities Director | |
| Yearly salary | $39,186 | $44,982 |
| Hourly rate | $18.84 | $21.63 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 3,288 | 6,845 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 57% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A recreation specialist is responsible for planning and organizing engaging activities according to the event's purpose and community theme. Recreation specialists handle the event's outline from conceptualization to the actual execution, including the location, resources, participants, and budget limitations. They consider the needs of the participants and develop strategic plans that would cater to their lifestyle, growth, and development. A recreation specialist may also conduct outreach operations to gain sponsors and fundraising to enhance community events.
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 specialists and activities directors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Recreation Specialist | Activities Director | |
| Average salary | $39,186 | $44,982 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $53,000 | Between $27,000 And $74,000 |
| Highest paying City | Loveland, CO | Huntington, NY |
| Highest paying state | Mississippi | Mississippi |
| Best paying company | Harlem Children's Zone | Microsoft |
| Best paying industry | Hospitality | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a recreation specialist and an activities director in terms of educational background:
| Recreation Specialist | Activities Director | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 57% |
| Most common major | Kinesiology | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between recreation specialists' and activities directors' demographics:
| Recreation Specialist | Activities Director | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 48.7% Female, 51.3% | Male, 20.4% Female, 79.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 12.6% Unknown, 5.9% Hispanic or Latino, 15.3% Asian, 5.1% White, 60.3% 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% |