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The differences between recreation specialists and program leads 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 program lead. Additionally, a program lead has an average salary of $100,727, 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 program lead are project management, HR, and work ethic.
| Recreation Specialist | Program Lead | |
| Yearly salary | $39,186 | $100,727 |
| Hourly rate | $18.84 | $48.43 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 3,288 | 61,632 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| 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 program lead is responsible for managing a business program's operation from its conceptualization to implementation. Program leads must have excellent communication and researching skills to monitor current industry trends, adjusting program techniques and strategies to meet society's demands. They have a clear understanding of the organization's long-term goals and outline plans to define those objectives, bringing new programs to light following clients' specifications that would help the business grow revenues, maintain customer satisfaction, and keep its good reputation, and achieve profitability goals.
Recreation specialists and program leads have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Recreation Specialist | Program Lead | |
| Average salary | $39,186 | $100,727 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $53,000 | Between $59,000 And $171,000 |
| Highest paying City | Loveland, CO | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Mississippi | New York |
| Best paying company | Harlem Children's Zone | Netflix |
| Best paying industry | Hospitality | - |
There are a few differences between a recreation specialist and a program lead in terms of educational background:
| Recreation Specialist | Program Lead | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Most common major | Kinesiology | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between recreation specialists' and program leads' demographics:
| Recreation Specialist | Program Lead | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 48.7% Female, 51.3% | Male, 40.9% Female, 59.1% |
| 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, 10.0% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 15.5% Asian, 5.1% White, 62.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |