Activities director jobs: nursing homes and assisted living

An activities director plans and runs the social, creative and physical programs that fill residents' days in a nursing home or senior living community. For nursing homes that take part in Medicare or Medicaid, federal rules say who is qualified to direct the program. For assisted living, you will need to check your state.

BLS has no occupation called activities director. The closest are recreation workers, who organize and run group activities, and recreational therapists, who run treatment programs. This page covers both so you can see where the job fits.

What an activities director does

The federal rule for nursing homes, 42 CFR 483.24, says the facility must provide, based on each resident's comprehensive assessment and care plan and their preferences, an ongoing program to support residents in their choice of activities. The program includes:

• facility-sponsored group and individual activities;
• independent activities;
• activities designed to meet each resident's interests and support their physical, mental and psychosocial well-being;
• encouraging both independence and interaction in the community.

BLS describes recreation workers as people who organize, conduct and promote group activities for leisure and other purposes. They explain activity rules, modify activities for participants such as seniors, explain safety procedures and give basic first aid. BLS says recreation workers may coordinate activities at a residential care facility and expects more demand for recreation workers to work with older clients, especially in continuing care retirement communities and assisted living facilities.

Who can direct a nursing home activities program

Under 42 CFR 483.24(c)(2), the program must be directed by a qualified professional who is a qualified therapeutic recreation specialist or an activities professional. That person must be licensed or registered, if applicable, by the state in which practicing, and meet at least one of these:

• be eligible for certification as a therapeutic recreation specialist or an activities professional by a recognized accrediting body on or after October 1, 1990;
• have 2 years of experience in a social or recreational program within the last 5 years, one of which was full time in a therapeutic activities program;
• be a qualified occupational therapist or occupational therapy assistant;
• have completed a training course approved by the state.

That rule applies to nursing facilities. Carevo did not find a federal activities standard for assisted living in the sources it read, so ask your state's licensing agency and each employer what they require.

Where activities directors work

BLS lists nursing and residential care facilities at 19% of recreation worker jobs, behind local government at 32%. For recreational therapists, it lists nursing and residential care facilities at 20%, behind hospitals at 42%. Browse nursing homes, assisted living and memory care communities in your state to see who operates near you.

Training and certification

BLS says recreation workers typically need at least a high school diploma or the equivalent, and some jobs require a month or less of training after hiring. For positions such as coordinating activities at a residential care facility, employers may prefer a bachelor's degree in recreation and fitness or a related field. Some employers ask for CPR or first aid certification, a valid driver's license and a background check. Optional professional certifications exist and depend on education and experience.

For recreational therapists, BLS says most need a bachelor's degree in a healthcare field, such as recreational therapy, or in recreation and fitness, with an internship, and that a small number of states require licensure or certification.

States add their own rules. Carevo does not summarize state requirements. Ask your state's licensing agency and each employer which credentials they accept.

Activities director pay

BLS publishes national wage estimates for recreation workers (SOC 39-9032) and recreational therapists from its Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, with a May 2025 reference period. Carevo does not type the figures here so they cannot go out of date. See the BLS pages for recreation workers and recreational therapists. Neither is specific to activities directors, so pay in your setting and state can be higher or lower.

How to find activities director jobs

Nursing homes, assisted living and memory care communities hire activities staff. Contact the ones near you and ask which credential they require for the director role, how large the resident group is and what budget the program has. If you hold an occupational therapy license, see home health occupational therapist.

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