Recreational Therapists
Recreational Therapists earn an average annual salary of $95,805, making it one of the higher-paying occupations. Professionals in this field are primarily employed in industries such as Cross-industry and Hospitals. The field combines competitive compensation with strong employment opportunities, making it an attractive career path.
Key Statistics
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Recreational Therapists workforce.
Employment Over Time
1,780 Workforce in 2023
The Recreational Therapists workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Recreational Therapists.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$95,805 Average Wage
In 2023, Recreational Therapists earned an average of $95,805.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Recreational Therapists.
Salary distribution for Recreational Therapists.
Employment Growth Projections
2.3% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
6,979 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 11.9%
7,807 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 25.1%
This occupation is projected to grow at 2.3% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Recreational Therapists.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Recreational Therapists and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Recreational Therapists employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Recreational Therapists.
Wage Trends by Industry
6.9% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Recreational Therapists.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Recreational Therapists.
Metropolitan employment on this page is from the California OEWS extract. Area names omit state codes; all listed metros are in California, so the state chart shows California totals (not a multi-state ranking).
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 1,340 employees, $93,717 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Recreational Therapists.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 320 employees, $91,787 avg wage
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: 310 employees, $88,122 avg wage
- Fresno MSA: 140 employees, $94,613 avg wage
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA: 90 employees, $91,378 avg wage
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA: 90 employees, $92,764 avg wage
- Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: 70 employees, $112,321 avg wage
- San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD: 70 employees, $101,055 avg wage
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA: 60 employees, $103,673 avg wage
- Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD: 60 employees, $79,795 avg wage
- Stockton-Lodi MSA: 40 employees, $104,135 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Recreational Therapists.
Diversity
Demographic information on Recreational Therapists in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Recreational Therapists in 2023 was 1,780 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Recreational Therapists.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Recreational Therapists.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Recreational Therapists.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Recreational Therapists in 2023 were Business Administration, Health Sciences, Biology.
Common majors for Recreational Therapists.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Recreational Therapists workers.
Education level distribution for Recreational Therapists.
Skills
Recreational Therapists need many skills, but most especially Service Orientation, Coordination, Speaking, Social Perceptiveness, Active Listening.
Required skills for Recreational Therapists.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Recreational Therapists.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Recreational Therapists include Psychology, Therapy and Counseling, Customer and Personal Service, Education and Training, English Language.
Knowledge areas required for Recreational Therapists.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Recreational Therapists include Oral Comprehension, Speech Clarity, Oral Expression, Written Expression, Written Comprehension.
Required abilities for Recreational Therapists.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Recreational Therapists.
Daily Activities
Recreational Therapists spend their time on activities such as Assisting and Caring for Others, Thinking Creatively, Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Documenting/Recording Information.
Most important work activities for Recreational Therapists.
About
Recreational Therapists
The average yearly wage for Recreational Therapists was $95,805 in 2023.
SOC Code
29-1125 - Recreational Therapists
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Recreational Therapists reports an average salary of $95,805.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 1,780 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 2.3%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.