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Recreation program coordinator salary

Quoted expert
Ariel Rodríguez Ph.D., CPRP

Average recreation program coordinator salary

$41,569

$19.99 hourly rate

Entry-level recreation program coordinator salary
$30,000 yearly salary
Updated January 8, 2025

Average Recreation Program Coordinator Salary

The Recreation Program Coordinator plays a vital role in developing and managing recreational programs that enhance community engagement and well-being. As of October 2025, the average salary for this position is $41,569 per year or about $20 per hour. This figure can vary significantly based on geographic location, with some states offering higher salaries due to demand and cost of living.

Where Can You Earn More?

States such as California, New York, and Texas are known for providing competitive compensation for Recreation Program Coordinators. Additionally, positions in urban areas often command higher salaries compared to rural locations.

Job Opportunities

In this field, opportunities exist in various sectors, including local government, non-profit organizations, and educational institutions. Those with advanced qualifications or specialized skills may find higher-paying roles, particularly in management or specialized program development.

To maximize earning potential, it's beneficial to remain informed about industry trends and seek continuous professional development.

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Where can a Recreation Program Coordinator earn more?

Compare salary by location
Vs
86k
66k
46k
26k
6k
Columbus, OH$60,784
Lenexa, KS$35,673
Compare salary by company
Vs
71k
51k
31k
11k
University of Nevada, Reno$50,301
City of Wentzville$41,262

Recreation program coordinator salary estimates from across the web

Based on the latest salary information compiled by Zippia, Salary.com, Glassdoor, Ziprecruiter and Payscale, the average salary for a recreation program coordinator typically falls between $37,835 and $59,000.
zippia
$41,569yearly
glassdoor[1]
$55,165yearly
Salary.com[2]
$42,341yearly
ZipRecruiter[3]
$59,000yearly
payscale[4]
$37,835yearly

Average recreation program coordinator salary by state

The highest-paying states for recreation program coordinators are Alaska, Mississippi, and California. The lowest average recreation program coordinator salary states are Kansas, Tennessee, and Kentucky.

  • State view
  • County view
Average salary:

Highest paying states for recreation program coordinators

RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
1Mississippi$59,245$28.48
2Idaho$49,375$23.74
3Minnesota$54,573$26.24
4West Virginia$53,790$25.86
5South Dakota$46,647$22.43
6Delaware$46,165$22.19
7North Dakota$44,351$21.32
8Montana$46,503$22.36
9Colorado$49,953$24.02
10Alaska$61,447$29.54
11Wyoming$55,525$26.69
12California$58,503$28.13
13Rhode Island$45,244$21.75
14Illinois$47,699$22.93
15Alabama$43,144$20.74
16Washington$52,504$25.24
17Oregon$44,742$21.51
18Connecticut$44,939$21.61
19District of Columbia$53,741$25.84
20Maine$44,695$21.49
21New Jersey$46,164$22.19
22Wisconsin$43,726$21.02
23Hawaii$47,439$22.81
24New Hampshire$41,513$19.96
25Massachusetts$45,968$22.10
26North Carolina$41,754$20.07
27Nebraska$40,371$19.41
28New Mexico$39,405$18.94
29Arizona$40,643$19.54
30Pennsylvania$41,415$19.91
31New York$40,492$19.47
32Georgia$40,731$19.58
33Texas$39,430$18.96
34Vermont$42,217$20.30
35Nevada$38,914$18.71
36Oklahoma$37,061$17.82
37Virginia$42,646$20.50
38Michigan$37,780$18.16
39Kansas$35,640$17.13
40Utah$36,870$17.73
41Iowa$38,708$18.61
42South Carolina$39,046$18.77
43Arkansas$34,267$16.47
44Indiana$37,818$18.18
45Florida$38,182$18.36
46Tennessee$35,101$16.88
47Kentucky$35,031$16.84
48Missouri$35,991$17.30
49Maryland$36,572$17.58
50Ohio$32,652$15.70
51Louisiana$30,088$14.47
Top recreation program coordinator jobs near you

Highest paying cities for recreation program coordinators

The highest-paying cities for recreation program coordinators are San Francisco, CA, Eagan, MN, and Denver, CO.

RankCityAvg. salaryHourly rate
1San Francisco, CA$60,784$29.22
2Eagan, MN$54,707$26.30
3Denver, CO$49,951$24.01
4Downers Grove, IL$47,824$22.99
5Freehold, NJ$46,253$22.24
6Eugene, OR$45,313$21.79
7Bridgeport, CT$45,269$21.76
8Leesburg, VA$43,658$20.99
9La Crosse, WI$43,551$20.94
10Raleigh, NC$42,014$20.20
11Yuma, AZ$41,388$19.90
12New York, NY$40,744$19.59
13Carson City, NV$40,059$19.26
14Dallas, TX$38,936$18.72
15Cedar Falls, IA$38,858$18.68
16Oklahoma City, OK$37,112$17.84
17Draper, UT$36,843$17.71
18Wentzville, MO$35,985$17.30
19Lenexa, KS$35,673$17.15

Recreation program coordinator salary details

A recreation program coordinator's salary ranges from $30,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $56,000 at the 90th percentile.

Average recreation program coordinator salary graph
Average recreation program coordinator salary graph, trends, and summary

What is a recreation program coordinator's salary?

PercentileAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rate
90th Percentile$56,000$4,667$27
75th Percentile$48,000$4,000$23
Average$41,569$3,464$20
25th Percentile$35,000$2,917$17
10th Percentile$30,000$2,500$14

Highest paying recreation program coordinator jobs

The highest paying types of recreation program coordinators are senior counselor, program lead, and group leader.

Job titleAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rateJob openings
Group Leader$100,480$8,373$48.3156,173
Activities Director$44,982$3,748$21.636,845
Camp Counselor$24,340$2,028$11.7028,182
Orientation Leader$33,848$2,821$16.2732,073
Summer Camp Counselor$25,618$2,135$12.3231,954
Program Lead$100,727$8,394$48.4361,632

How would you rate the starting salaries for recreation program coordinators, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?

Ariel Rodríguez Ph.D., CPRP

Associate Professor, Recreation Management Program Director, Springfield College

It depends on the recreation specialization and where they intend to live, but in general, salaries are competitive once a graduate gets into the recreation coordinator/programmer/specialist and higher positions. Research by the National Recreation and Park Association (2019) on annual professional salaries showed that median salaries for a recreation program coordinator in the United States in 2019 were $48,141, and for recreation program coordinator positions and above, most saw an increase of approximately 3% between 2018-2019; this suggests salaries are keeping up with inflation.

Source

Which companies pay recreation program coordinators the most?

Recreation program coordinator salaries at University of Nevada, Reno and Salt Lake County are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average recreation program coordinator salary at companies like Howard County Government and University of Iowa Center for Advancement are highly competitive.

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

Wage gap by gender, race and education

$44,000$43,600$43,200$42,800$42,400$42,000
MaleFemale

Recreation Program Coordinator salary by industry

The average recreation program coordinator salary varies across industries:

  • The average recreation program coordinator salary in the government industry is $40,537, the highest of any industry.
  • The average recreation program coordinator salary in the finance industry is $40,300.
  • Recreation program coordinators in the health care industry earn an average salary of $33,574, the lowest of any industry.

Highest paying industries for recreation program coordinators

RankIndustryAverage salaryHourly rate
1Government$40,537$19.49
2Hospitality$40,300$19.38
3Education$39,113$18.80
4Health Care$33,574$16.14

High paying recreation program coordinator jobs

Recreation program coordinator salary trends

The average recreation program coordinator salary has risen by $9,223 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average recreation program coordinator earned $32,346 annually, but today, they earn $41,569 a year. That works out to a 19% change in pay for recreation program coordinators over the last decade.

Compare recreation program coordinator salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.

Average recreation program coordinator salary over time

Compare recreation program coordinator salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.

Recreation program coordinator salary by year

YearAvg. salaryHourly rate% Change
2025$41,600$19.98+7.3%
2024$38,500$18.52+4.9%
2023$36,600$17.61+2.1%
2022$35,900$17.24+2.7%
2021$34,900$16.77+2.3%

Recently added recreation program coordinator salaries

CompanyJobLocationDate addedSalary
Lakewood CompaniesRecreation Coordinator-Fitness ProgramsLakewood, CO06/30/2025$65,323
City of Pittsburg, PaRecreation Program CoordinatorPittsburgh, PA06/23/2025$54,080
Newport News City, VaRecreation Program Coordinator-Community FacilitiesNewport News, VA06/22/2025$53,913
Kent School DistrictRecreation Staff (Lifeguard & Swim Instructor) 2025 ContinuousEllensburg, WA06/21/2025$42,241
Cobb County, GaRecreation Program Coordinator I-Venue Management-Mable House AmphitheatreMarietta, GA06/19/2025$50,965
City of Carlsbad (CaRecreation Programs/Services CoordinatorCarlsbad, CA06/15/2025$45,622
City of Fort Lauderdale, FlRecreation Program Coordinator (Aquatics)Fort Lauderdale, FL06/12/2025$44,474
City of OrlandoRecreation Program CoordinatorOrlando, FL06/12/2025$51,925
Town of ScarboroughRecreation Program CoordinatorHope, ME05/24/2025$51,376
City of Gallatin, TnLifeguard-Parks & Recreation Department/Civic Center (Seasonal Position)Gallatin, TN05/23/2025$27,131

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