Outdoor Program Director

Also called: Outdoor Adventure Coordinator

Runs outdoor adventure programs for universities, cities, or nonprofits: trips, climbing walls, and gear rental.

A day in the life

They plan backpacking and kayaking trips, train student trip leaders, manage the climbing wall, and handle safety and risk management.

Pay over a career

Starting
$40k
Typical
$58k
High
$85k

Estimate.

Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.

Training

Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. Bachelor's in outdoor recreation or recreation management; Wilderness First Responder.

Ways in: 4-year college, Certification. Training cost: $15k – $60k.

Majors to look at: Outdoor Recreation, Recreation Management.

Outlook

Growing about average. Steady.

Will it last? Our AI estimate

Low risk for 10 years. AI helps with booking and gear inventory; leading trips and staff stays human.

Start now, in high school

Classes: Physical education, Business, Environmental science.

Official data: O*NET occupation 11-9072.

More Outdoor Recreation & Adventure careers

Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.