What Does a Program Coordinator Do?
As long as universities run workshops, summer camps, community classes and training courses, someone will be needed to plan them, fill them and report on them. Program coordinators do that work, usually in outreach, continuing education or student services offices. Their week might involve booking rooms and speakers, handling registrations, managing a small budget or writing a report for a funder.
Also known as: Senior Program Coordinator, Program Specialist
Program Coordinator Duties and Responsibilities
The primary responsibilities of a program coordinator include:
- Plan program calendars, booking rooms, speakers, catering and transport for each event.
- Build registration forms, process payments and answer participant questions by email and phone.
- Recruit participants through schools, community groups, email lists and social media posts.
- Track the program budget, process invoices and reconcile spending against grant or fee income.
- Prepare course materials, name badges and certificates, and set up rooms on event days.
- Collect evaluations and attendance data, and summarize results for program managers and funders.
- Hire, train and schedule student workers or seasonal counselors for camps and events.
- Follow youth protection, accessibility and safety rules for programs serving minors.
- Update program web pages and brochures with dates, fees and application steps.
- Serve as the first contact for instructors, partners and participants during programs.
Required Skills and Qualifications
To succeed as a program coordinator, you will need the following skills and qualifications:
- Event and logistics planning
- Registration systems such as Cvent or Eventbrite
- Budget tracking in Excel
- Clear writing for emails, flyers and reports
- Friendly service for participants and parents
- Juggling several programs at once
- Speaking comfortably to groups
- Calm problem solving on event days
Education and Training
Student jobs in outreach are a common way in. Most program coordinators hold a bachelor's degree in education, communications, business or a subject tied to the program. With experience, you could progress from coordinator to program specialist, senior coordinator or program manager.
Salary and Job Outlook
Typical pay: varies widely for this role, and BLS does not publish pay for it separately. In the wider BLS group it belongs to (Business Operations Specialists, All Other), the middle half of earners made $62,640 to $114,010 a year, and the median was $83,050.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Business Operations Specialists, All Other.
BLS counts program coordinators among business operations specialists not listed elsewhere, a broad group projected to grow about 4 percent from 2025 to 2035. That adds up to about 98,700 openings a year across many fields. Outreach budgets often are tied to grants and enrollment, but coordinators always will be needed as universities run camps and as adults return for short courses.
Outlook source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, Business operations specialists, all other.