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The differences between recreation specialists and group 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 specialist and a group leader. Additionally, a group leader has an average salary of $100,480, 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 a group leader are customer service, OSHA, and center management.
| Recreation Specialist | Group Leader | |
| Yearly salary | $39,186 | $100,480 |
| Hourly rate | $18.84 | $48.31 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 3,288 | 56,173 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 56% |
| 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.
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. Duties of a group leader also include setting the team's expectations, providing necessary resources to make the task successful, and sharing regular updates on the team's performance. A group leader requires to have strong leadership and problem-solving skills to manage team concerns and resolve complaints quickly and efficiently.
Recreation specialists and group leaders have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Recreation Specialist | Group Leader | |
| Average salary | $39,186 | $100,480 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $53,000 | Between $57,000 And $174,000 |
| Highest paying City | Loveland, CO | Madison, MS |
| Highest paying state | Mississippi | Mississippi |
| Best paying company | Harlem Children's Zone | Federal Reserve Bank |
| Best paying industry | Hospitality | - |
There are a few differences between a recreation specialist and a group leader in terms of educational background:
| Recreation Specialist | Group Leader | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 56% |
| Most common major | Kinesiology | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between recreation specialists' and group leaders' demographics:
| Recreation Specialist | Group Leader | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 48.7% Female, 51.3% | Male, 51.6% Female, 48.4% |
| 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, 11.3% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 15.8% Asian, 5.2% White, 61.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |