Unit counselor vs recreation leader

The differences between unit counselors and recreation 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 unit counselor and a recreation leader. Additionally, a unit counselor has an average salary of $36,585, which is higher than the $30,040 average annual salary of a recreation leader.

The top three skills for a unit counselor include incident reports, mental health and substance abuse. The most important skills for a recreation leader are CPR, customer service, and recreation programs.

Unit counselor vs recreation leader overview

	Unit Counselor	Recreation Leader
Yearly salary	$36,585	$30,040
Hourly rate	$17.59	$14.44
Growth rate	10%	10%
Number of jobs	45,693	35,684
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 59%	Bachelor's Degree, 53%
Average age	41	42
Years of experience	4	4

Unit counselor vs recreation leader salary

Unit counselors and recreation leaders have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Unit Counselor	Recreation Leader
Average salary	$36,585	$30,040
Salary range	Between $18,000 And $71,000	Between $23,000 And $37,000
Highest paying City	-	New York, NY
Highest paying state	-	Nebraska
Best paying company	-	University of California, Berkeley
Best paying industry	-	Government

Differences between unit counselor and recreation leader education

There are a few differences between a unit counselor and a recreation leader in terms of educational background:

	Unit Counselor	Recreation Leader
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 59%	Bachelor's Degree, 53%
Most common major	Psychology	Business
Most common college	Duke University	Northwestern University

Unit counselor vs recreation leader demographics

Here are the differences between unit counselors' and recreation leaders' demographics:

	Unit Counselor	Recreation Leader
Average age	41	42
Gender ratio	Male, 31.9% Female, 68.1%	Male, 43.8% Female, 56.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.3% Unknown, 5.9% Hispanic or Latino, 12.2% Asian, 3.2% White, 67.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%	Black or African American, 10.1% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 15.5% Asian, 5.1% White, 62.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	15%	8%

Differences between unit counselor and recreation leader duties and responsibilities

Unit counselor example responsibilities.

Lead a successful group of kids by ensuring safety and behavioral expectations are met and providing structure and organize educational activities.
Work towards empowering juveniles and their families to support a positive lifestyle by providing strength base intensive intervention and rehabilitation services.
Maintain therapeutic relationships with youth through effective teaching and coaching techniques to provide leadership and foster relationship building skills.

Recreation leader example responsibilities.

Manage funds and resources to include developing the annual NAF budget, which include submission and prioritization of program component requirements.
Receive training in problem solving, peer mediation and first aid & CPR.
Train in CPR, food handlers, and videos of other health relate issues.
Include the use of PowerPoint, book references, and hands-on demonstration to verify attention to all learning styles.
Utilize clinical assessment, MDS documentation, and collaboration with interdisciplinary team and families.
Supervise and provide leadership for children participating in summer programs to ensure a safe and caring environment.

Unit counselor vs recreation leader skills

Common unit counselor skills

Incident Reports, 19%
Mental Health, 12%
Substance Abuse, 12%
Conduct Orientation, 11%
CPI, 6%
Crisis Situations, 4%

Common recreation leader skills

CPR, 25%
Customer Service, 21%
Recreation Programs, 7%
Recreational Facilities, 5%
Role Model, 4%
Youth Sports, 4%