How much do recreational therapists make?
What recreational therapists earn across the U.S., in every state and in the top-paying metro areas (May 2025 BLS data).
Pay in your state
Median pay in the U.S.
$61,960
a year, or $29.79 an hour, for recreational therapists nationally. The average (mean) is $67,630 ($32.52 an hour).
The middle half earn $50,240 to $79,930. Median means half earn more and half earn less.
Pay range, U.S.
- Bottom 10% earn under
- $40,990
- 25th percentile
- $50,240
- Median
- $61,960
- 75th percentile
- $79,930
- Top 10% earn over
- $100,420
Jobs nationally
14,930
Recreational Therapists employed across the U.S.. Most work in California, New York, Texas.
Highest-paying state
California
$98,170 a year. Lowest: Mississippi at $39,560.
Recreational Therapist pay by state
Darker states pay more. Select a state for its cities and how it compares.
Recreational Therapists pay by state (median a year, May 2025)
AK–
ME$58k
VT$63k
NH$82k
WA$78k
ID$50k
MT$51k
ND$58k
MN$76k
IL$55k
WI$59k
MI$62k
NY$66k
RI–
MA$63k
OR$67k
NV$79k
WY–
SD$47k
IA$56k
IN$54k
OH$61k
PA$59k
NJ$60k
CT$63k
CA$98k
UT$57k
CO$67k
NE$63k
MO$59k
KY$59k
WV$49k
VA$61k
MD$64k
DE$51k
AZ$63k
NM$49k
KS$40k
AR$43k
TN$52k
NC$51k
SC$49k
OK$50k
LA$51k
MS$40k
AL$57k
GA$52k
HI$64k
TX$62k
FL$58k
Recreational Therapist salary in every state
Pay a year is the median, or the average where BLS publishes no median (marked "(avg)"). Click a column to sort.
| State | Pay a year | Hourly | Jobs | Per 1,000 jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $27.58 | 160 | 0.07 | |
| Arizona | $30.10 | 170 | 0.05 | |
| Arkansas | $20.52 | 70 | 0.06 | |
| California | $47.20 | 1,920 | 0.11 | |
| Colorado | $32.01 | 200 | 0.07 | |
| Connecticut | $30.40 | 380 | 0.22 | |
| Delaware | $24.57 | 70 | 0.16 | |
| Florida | $27.87 | 640 | 0.06 | |
| Georgia | $25.00 | 530 | 0.11 | |
| Hawaii | $31.01 | 40 | 0.06 | |
| Idaho | $23.90 | 90 | 0.11 | |
| Illinois | $26.40 | 440 | 0.07 | |
| Indiana | $25.85 | 190 | 0.06 | |
| Iowa | $26.99 | 230 | 0.15 | |
| Kansas | $19.24 | 710 | 0.49 | |
| Kentucky | $28.48 | 100 | 0.05 | |
| Louisiana | $24.59 | 190 | 0.1 | |
| Maine | $27.67 | 40 | 0.06 | |
| Maryland | $30.91 | 290 | 0.11 | |
| Massachusetts | $30.20 | 210 | 0.06 | |
| Michigan | $29.66 | 590 | 0.13 | |
| Minnesota | $36.71 | 250 | 0.09 | |
| Mississippi | $19.02 | 140 | 0.12 | |
| Missouri | $28.18 | 140 | 0.05 | |
| Montana | $24.57 | 40 | 0.07 | |
| Nebraska | $30.28 | 150 | 0.15 | |
| Nevada | $37.85 | 400 | 0.26 | |
| New Hampshire | $39.56 | 70 | 0.11 | |
| New Jersey | $29.04 | 430 | 0.1 | |
| New Mexico | $23.66 | 100 | 0.11 | |
| New York | $31.50 | 1,230 | 0.13 | |
| North Carolina | $24.53 | 440 | 0.09 | |
| North Dakota | $28.06 | 80 | 0.18 | |
| Ohio | $29.22 | 310 | 0.06 | |
| Oklahoma | $24.27 | 120 | 0.07 | |
| Oregon | $31.99 | 250 | 0.13 | |
| Pennsylvania | $28.34 | 720 | 0.12 | |
| South Carolina | $23.50 | 190 | 0.08 | |
| South Dakota | $22.53 | 40 | 0.1 | |
| Tennessee | $24.96 | 150 | 0.05 | |
| Texas | $30.04 | 800 | 0.06 | |
| Utah | $27.23 | 210 | 0.12 | |
| Vermont | $30.47 | 40 | 0.12 | |
| Virginia | $29.46 | 570 | 0.14 | |
| Washington | $37.44 | 240 | 0.07 | |
| West Virginia | $23.56 | 130 | 0.19 | |
| Wisconsin | $28.54 | 350 | 0.12 |
Top-paying metro areas for recreational therapists
Metro areas with at least 50 recreational therapists, by pay a year. Rural (nonmetropolitan) areas are not included.
| Metro area | Pay a year | Hourly | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | $55.45 | 50 | |
| Vallejo, CA | $55.45 | 50 | |
| Napa, CA | $51.83 | 150 | |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $49.24 | 190 | |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $48.88 | 60 | |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $47.37 | 90 | |
| Fresno, CA | $47.19 | 150 | |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $47.17 | 340 | |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $44.13 | 90 | |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $44.11 | 380 | |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $39.74 | 140 | |
| Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | $37.85 | 340 | |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $35.57 | 150 | |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $34.80 | 60 | |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $34.16 | 380 |
Metro areas with the most recreational therapists
| Metro area | Jobs | Pay a year |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $66,050 | |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $91,740 | |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $71,050 | |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $58,970 | |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $54,460 | |
| Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | $78,730 | |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $98,120 | |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $60,640 | |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $62,600 | |
| Kansas City, MO-KS | $45,270 | |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $58,110 | |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $102,420 | |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $63,390 | |
| Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | $63,950 | |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $64,700 |
Related jobs
Other jobs in therapists, with national pay a year.
Physical Therapists
$102,760
median a year · 267,330 jobs
Speech-Language Pathologists
$97,870
median a year · 183,390 jobs
Occupational Therapists
$100,330
median a year · 162,450 jobs
Respiratory Therapists
$82,280
median a year · 139,790 jobs
Physical Therapist Assistants
$68,380
median a year · 112,430 jobs
Massage Therapists
$58,450
median a year · 98,790 jobs
Occupational Therapy Assistants
$72,300
median a year · 51,290 jobs
Physical Therapist Aides
$35,240
median a year · 48,150 jobs
Questions about recreational therapist pay
How much does a recreational therapist make?
The median pay for recreational therapists in the U.S. was $61,960 a year ($29.79 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $50,240 and $79,930.
Which states pay recreational therapists the most?
The highest pay was in California ($98,170), New Hampshire ($82,280), Nevada ($78,730), Washington ($77,860), Minnesota ($76,360). The lowest was in Mississippi ($39,560), Kansas ($40,010), Arkansas ($42,670).
How much do the highest-paid recreational therapists make?
The best-paid 10% of recreational therapists earned more than $100,420 a year, while the lowest-paid 10% earned less than $40,990. Pay usually rises with experience, specialty, shift and location.
Which city pays recreational therapists the most?
Among metro areas with at least 50 recreational therapists, Stockton-Lodi, CA pays the most, with median pay of $115,330 a year (May 2025).
How many recreational therapists are there in the U.S.?
About 14,930 people were employed as recreational therapists in May 2025.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, all industries. Median pay is the middle wage; where BLS publishes no median, the average (mean) is shown, marked "(avg)". BLS doesn't publish exact figures above its reporting limit; those are shown with a "+". Metro areas with fewer than 50 jobs in this occupation are left out. Pay doesn't reflect cost of living, overtime or shift differentials.