Summer camp director vs day camp counselor

The differences between summer camp directors and day camp counselors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a summer camp director and a day camp counselor. Additionally, a summer camp director has an average salary of $36,909, which is higher than the $29,384 average annual salary of a day camp counselor.

The top three skills for a summer camp director include CPR, kids and role model. The most important skills for a day camp counselor are CPR, kids, and cleanliness.

Summer camp director vs day camp counselor overview

	Summer Camp Director	Day Camp Counselor
Yearly salary	$36,909	$29,384
Hourly rate	$17.74	$14.13
Growth rate	10%	10%
Number of jobs	12,855	32,895
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 70%	Bachelor's Degree, 66%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	4	4

Summer camp director vs day camp counselor salary

Summer camp directors and day camp counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Summer Camp Director	Day Camp Counselor
Average salary	$36,909	$29,384
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $54,000	Between $19,000 And $44,000
Highest paying City	Seattle, WA	Seattle, WA
Highest paying state	Alaska	Hawaii
Best paying company	Union University	City of Portland
Best paying industry	Education	Education

Differences between summer camp director and day camp counselor education

There are a few differences between a summer camp director and a day camp counselor in terms of educational background:

	Summer Camp Director	Day Camp Counselor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 70%	Bachelor's Degree, 66%
Most common major	Elementary Education	Psychology
Most common college	Northwestern University	Duke University

Summer camp director vs day camp counselor demographics

Here are the differences between summer camp directors' and day camp counselors' demographics:

	Summer Camp Director	Day Camp Counselor
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 38.3% Female, 61.7%	Male, 33.4% Female, 66.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 13.6% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 5.0% White, 60.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 12.9% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 14.4% Asian, 5.0% White, 61.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	8%	8%

Differences between summer camp director and day camp counselor duties and responsibilities

Summer camp director example responsibilities.

Manage and supervise the development and execution of program, including fiscal oversight, funding initiatives, and new partnerships.
Administer CPR and first aid when need.
Assist in creating an environment that protects the children, particularly with food allergies
Work within any classroom, infant through school-age kids that need an assistant teacher to meet DPW ratio.
Serve as a camp counselor with proper supervision over the kids and also make sure they get the proper help.
Train and supervise camp counselors, with training activities extending to CPR, sexual abuse awareness, and regional training requirements.

Day camp counselor example responsibilities.

Lead a successful group of kids by ensuring safety and behavioral expectations are met and providing structure and organize educational activities.
Administer medication and assist with ADL skills.
Transport patients to outside appointments and AA meetings.
Train in CPR, first-aid, and universal precautions.
Receive first aid, CPR, and emergency response training.
Conduct STI (sexually transmit infection) prevention and awareness campaigns.

Summer camp director vs day camp counselor skills

Common summer camp director skills

CPR, 23%
Kids, 11%
Role Model, 11%
Safety Procedures, 10%
Conflict Resolution, 6%
Program Curriculum, 5%

Common day camp counselor skills

CPR, 20%
Kids, 15%
Cleanliness, 7%
PET, 6%
Leadership, 5%
Direct Supervision, 4%

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Summer Camp Director vs Day Camp Counselor

Updated January 8, 2025

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