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Aquatic director salary
Average aquatic director salary
$39,785
Average Salary Overview for Aquatic Directors
An Aquatic Director plays a crucial role in overseeing the operations of swimming facilities, ensuring safety, and developing programs. As of October 2025, the average salary for this position is approximately $39,785 per year, which translates to about $19 per hour.
Factors such as geographic location, years of experience, and the type of facility significantly influence salary ranges. For instance, aquatic directors in metropolitan areas tend to earn more due to higher living costs and increased demand for recreational services.
In addition to base salary, many aquatic directors receive benefits such as health insurance, retirement plans, and opportunities for professional development. Cities like San Francisco and New York are among the highest-paying locations, often offering salaries that exceed the national average.
Job seekers interested in this field should consider obtaining certifications in lifeguarding and aquatic management to enhance their qualifications and marketability. Understanding these dynamics can help aspiring aquatic directors navigate their career paths more effectively.
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Where can an Aquatic Director earn more?
Average aquatic director salary by state
The average aquatic director salary in New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average aquatic director salary states are Oklahoma, Colorado, and Georgia.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for aquatic directors
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Jersey | $48,392 | $23.27 |
| 2 | New York | $48,182 | $23.16 |
| 3 | Connecticut | $47,261 | $22.72 |
| 4 | Rhode Island | $46,877 | $22.54 |
| 5 | Alaska | $43,381 | $20.86 |
| 6 | District of Columbia | $45,827 | $22.03 |
| 7 | Iowa | $37,326 | $17.95 |
| 8 | Delaware | $43,943 | $21.13 |
| 9 | Massachusetts | $42,057 | $20.22 |
| 10 | Pennsylvania | $39,930 | $19.20 |
| 11 | Illinois | $38,110 | $18.32 |
| 12 | Montana | $38,338 | $18.43 |
| 13 | Maryland | $44,529 | $21.41 |
| 14 | South Dakota | $34,044 | $16.37 |
| 15 | California | $40,868 | $19.65 |
| 16 | Wisconsin | $34,099 | $16.39 |
| 17 | West Virginia | $33,400 | $16.06 |
| 18 | Minnesota | $34,509 | $16.59 |
| 19 | Michigan | $35,761 | $17.19 |
| 20 | Virginia | $35,523 | $17.08 |
| 21 | New Hampshire | $35,935 | $17.28 |
| 22 | Vermont | $31,690 | $15.24 |
| 23 | Washington | $35,428 | $17.03 |
| 24 | Ohio | $33,172 | $15.95 |
| 25 | North Dakota | $31,575 | $15.18 |
| 26 | Kansas | $32,067 | $15.42 |
| 27 | Texas | $30,533 | $14.68 |
| 28 | Arkansas | $27,839 | $13.38 |
| 29 | Wyoming | $29,649 | $14.25 |
| 30 | Louisiana | $28,225 | $13.57 |
| 31 | Oregon | $30,513 | $14.67 |
| 32 | Hawaii | $31,747 | $15.26 |
| 33 | Alabama | $27,713 | $13.32 |
| 34 | Indiana | $31,289 | $15.04 |
| 35 | Maine | $30,969 | $14.89 |
| 36 | Mississippi | $26,980 | $12.97 |
| 37 | Nebraska | $29,927 | $14.39 |
| 38 | Arizona | $29,441 | $14.15 |
| 39 | Florida | $30,846 | $14.83 |
| 40 | Oklahoma | $26,830 | $12.90 |
| 41 | Nevada | $29,005 | $13.94 |
| 42 | Tennessee | $28,880 | $13.88 |
| 43 | Kentucky | $29,032 | $13.96 |
| 44 | Missouri | $29,128 | $14.00 |
| 45 | North Carolina | $26,542 | $12.76 |
| 46 | Idaho | $29,331 | $14.10 |
| 47 | Georgia | $26,561 | $12.77 |
| 48 | New Mexico | $28,208 | $13.56 |
| 49 | Colorado | $26,807 | $12.89 |
| 50 | Utah | $25,631 | $12.32 |
| 51 | South Carolina | $24,767 | $11.91 |
Highest paying cities for aquatic directors
The highest-paying cities for aquatic directors are New York, NY, Newark, NJ, and Newark, DE.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York, NY | $48,438 | $23.29 |
| 2 | Newark, NJ | $48,351 | $23.25 |
| 3 | Newark, DE | $43,886 | $21.10 |
| 4 | Needham, MA | $42,118 | $20.25 |
| 5 | San Francisco, CA | $40,773 | $19.60 |
| 6 | Saint Charles, IL | $38,313 | $18.42 |
| 7 | Des Moines, IA | $36,874 | $17.73 |
| 8 | Seattle, WA | $35,399 | $17.02 |
| 9 | Grand Rapids, MI | $35,368 | $17.00 |
| 10 | Green Bay, WI | $35,299 | $16.97 |
| 11 | Cleveland, OH | $34,851 | $16.76 |
| 12 | Charlottesville, VA | $34,209 | $16.45 |
| 13 | Fort Wayne, IN | $32,743 | $15.74 |
| 14 | Austin, TX | $31,240 | $15.02 |
| 15 | Portland, ME | $31,159 | $14.98 |
| 16 | Bradenton, FL | $31,033 | $14.92 |
| 17 | Fountain Hills, AZ | $29,253 | $14.06 |
| 18 | Albuquerque, NM | $27,708 | $13.32 |
| 19 | Birmingham, AL | $27,646 | $13.29 |
| 20 | Asheville, NC | $25,376 | $12.20 |
Aquatic director salary details
An aquatic director's salary ranges from $23,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $65,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is an aquatic director's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $65,000 | $5,417 | $31 |
| 75th Percentile | $51,000 | $4,250 | $25 |
| Average | $39,785 | $3,315 | $19 |
| 25th Percentile | $30,000 | $2,500 | $14 |
| 10th Percentile | $23,000 | $1,917 | $11 |
Highest paying aquatic director jobs
The highest paying types of aquatic directors are director, special projects, director of project management, and associate director.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pool Manager | $35,205 | $2,934 | $16.93 | 87,939 |
| Product Management Internship | $35,073 | $2,923 | $16.86 | 160,403 |
| Program Manager | $96,084 | $8,007 | $46.19 | 197,556 |
| Call Center Manager | $37,614 | $3,134 | $18.08 | 123,791 |
| Program/Project Manager | $101,850 | $8,488 | $48.97 | 243,017 |
| Project Manager | $91,578 | $7,632 | $44.03 | 167,116 |
Top companies hiring aquatic directors now:
Which companies pay aquatic directors the most?
Aquatic director salaries at The Medical Center Inc and Approved Cash are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average aquatic director salary at companies like Ymca and Young Men's Christian are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Medical Center Inc | $55,676 | $26.77 |
| 2 | Approved Cash | $39,712 | $19.09 |
| 3 | YMCA | $39,076 | $18.79 |
| 4 | Young Men's Christian | $39,038 | $18.77 |
| 5 | YMCA of Metro Knoxville | $38,833 | $18.67 |
| 6 | Arlington-Mansfield Area YMCA | $38,444 | $18.48 |
| 7 | Ymca Of Metropolitan Atlanta | $38,417 | $18.47 |
| 8 | Genesis Health Clubs | $38,037 | $18.29 |
| 9 | Asheville School | $37,384 | $17.97 |
| 10 | Hillcrest Family Services | $37,249 | $17.91 |
| 11 | Central Missouri Community Action | $37,154 | $17.86 |
| 12 | Jewish Community Center of San Francisco | $36,790 | $17.69 |
| 13 | The Great Lakes Group | $36,771 | $17.68 |
| 14 | Great Wolf Resorts | $36,478 | $17.54 |
| 15 | Sumter YMCA | $36,245 | $17.43 |
| 16 | Good Shepherd Services | $34,607 | $16.64 |
| 17 | Livunltd | $33,618 | $16.16 |
| 18 | Western State College of Law | $33,303 | $16.01 |
| 19 | Troon | $32,927 | $15.83 |
| 20 | Parkview Health | $32,515 | $15.63 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Aquatic director salary trends
The average aquatic director salary has risen by $4,898 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average aquatic director earned $34,887 annually, but today, they earn $39,785 a year. That works out to a 8% change in pay for aquatic directors over the last decade.
Compare aquatic director salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average aquatic director salary over time
Compare aquatic director salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Aquatic director salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $39,800 | $19.13 | +4.1% |
| 2025 | $38,200 | $18.35 | +1.3% |
| 2024 | $37,700 | $18.11 | +1.7% |
| 2023 | $37,000 | $17.80 | +0.6% |
| 2022 | $36,800 | $17.69 | +0.1% |
Recently added aquatic director salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Great Miami Valley YMCA | Operations and Aquatic Director | Fairfield, OH | 06/24/2025 | $50,000 |
| YMCA of Greater Waukesha County | Aquatics Director | Waukesha, WI | 06/21/2025 | $47,500 |
| Young Mens Christian Association of South Hampton | Aquatics Director | Norfolk, VA | 06/21/2025 | $45,000 |
| Us Swim School Association | Aquatics Director | OFallon, MO | 06/21/2025 | $47,000 |
| Queen City Gymnastics | Aquatics Director | Cincinnati, OH | 06/16/2025 | $48,000 |
| Ymca of The Inland Northwest | Aquatics Director | Spokane, WA | 06/16/2025 | $45,914 |
| Ymcaspokane | Aquatics Director | Spokane, WA | 06/16/2025 | $45,914 |
| Kidsfirstmilford | Aquatics Director | Cincinnati, OH | 06/16/2025 | $48,000 |
| Ymca of Greater Indianapolis | Aquatics-Associate Director of Aquatics | Indianapolis, IN | 06/11/2025 | $44,883 |
| Ymca of Metropolitan Huntsville | Aquatics Director-Hogan Family Ymca | Madison, AL | 06/11/2025 | $40,000 |
Aquatic director salary FAQs
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