Average Recreational Therapists Salary in the United States
The national median salary for Recreational Therapists is $61,960 per year. The middle 50% earn between $50,240 and $79,930, with 14,930 workers employed nationally.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2025 estimates . Data covers 48 states and 85 metro areas.
Pay distribution
Here is how Recreational Therapists pay is distributed across workers nationally. The 10th percentile typically reflects entry-level or early-career pay, the median is the midpoint, and the 90th percentile represents the top earners in the field.
- 10th
- $40,990
- 25th
- $50,240
- Median
- $61,960
- 75th
- $79,930
- 90th
- $100,420
All values are percentiles of annual wages.
Recreational Therapists earn close to the national median for all US workers. Solidly middle-income.
The spread between entry-level and top-end pay is typical for US occupations. Experience and specialization matter, but the range is not unusually wide.
Job outlook
BLS projects employment for recreational therapists from 2024 to 2034. Growth is roughly in line with the US average of about 4% across all occupations.
- Projected growth
- +3.3%
- 500 net jobs over the projection period.
- Annual openings
- 1,300
- Includes growth plus replacements for workers who leave. Annual openings reflect typical replacement demand alongside any growth.
- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is the typical entry requirement for recreational therapists.
Where Recreational Therapists earn the most
Location matters a lot. The gap between top-paying and bottom-paying states is large, so where recreational therapists work can reshape their total compensation. Right now, the top-paying state is California at $98,170, about 58.4% above the national median. At the metro level, Stockton-Lodi, CA leads with a median of $115,330.
Top-paying states
| State | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| California | $98,170 | 1,920 |
| District of Columbia | $95,640 | 50 |
| New Hampshire | $82,280 | 70 |
| Nevada | $78,730 | 400 |
| Washington | $77,860 | 240 |
| Minnesota | $76,360 | 250 |
| Colorado | $66,580 | 200 |
| Oregon | $66,530 | 250 |
Top-paying metros
| Metro area | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | $115,330 | 50 |
| Vallejo, CA | $115,330 | 50 |
| Napa, CA | $107,810 | 150 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $102,420 | 190 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $101,670 | 60 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $98,530 | 90 |
| Fresno, CA | $98,160 | 150 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $98,120 | 340 |
Compare two locations side by side
Pick two states or metros to see recreational therapists pay in each, along with a cost-of-living adjusted view.
Salary trend and related occupations
Between 2019 and 2025, the national median salary for Recreational Therapists rose from $48,220 to $61,960, a gain of +28.5% in nominal dollars.
Over the same period, US consumer prices rose by +25.9%. Just to keep pace with inflation, the 2019 median of $48,220 would need to be worth $60,722 in 2025 dollars.
The actual 2025 median of $61,960 is $1,238 above that inflation-adjusted benchmark, a real change of +2.0% in purchasing power.
Wages have roughly kept pace with inflation. Nominal pay rose by 28.5%, but inflation absorbed most of it.
- Nominal change
- +28.5%
- 2019–2025
- Cumulative inflation
- +25.9%
- US CPI, 2019–2025
- Real change
- +2.0%
- After adjusting for inflation
Median salary over time
Recreational Therapists median pay by year, going back through the available BLS releases.
- 2025
- $61,960
- 2024
- $60,280
- 2023
- $57,120
- 2022
- $51,330
- 2021
- $47,940
- 2020
- $47,710
- 2019
- $48,220
BLS did not publish a median for 2000–2018, so those years are omitted.
Related occupations
Other occupations in the same field, with median pay for comparison.
- Exercise Physiologists
- $59,460
- Therapists, All Other
- $77,930
- Respiratory Therapists
- $82,280
- Audiologists
- $95,780
- Registered Nurses
- $97,550
- Speech-Language Pathologists
- $97,870
- Occupational Therapists
- $100,330
- Physical Therapists
- $102,760
Common salary questions for Recreational Therapists
What does the median salary mean? +
The median is the midpoint of all wages. Half of Recreational Therapists workers earn more and half earn less. It is a better measure of typical pay than the average, which can be skewed by very high or very low earners.
Why does pay vary so much by location? +
Local labor markets, cost of living, industry concentration, and employer competition all affect wages. High-cost metros like San Francisco and New York often pay more in nominal terms, though some of that premium is offset by higher living costs.
How current is this salary data? +
This page uses the May 2025 BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics release. BLS publishes OEWS data once per year, typically in the spring for the previous May reference period.
What do the percentile ranges tell me? +
The 10th and 90th percentiles show the full pay band. The 25th to 75th percentile range, the middle 50%, is where most workers fall. A wide spread usually means experience, specialization, or location matter a lot for this occupation.