Occupation salary profile

Recreational Therapists

SOC 29-1125 BLS OEWS May 2025 H-1B LCAs, last 12 months

Plan, direct, or coordinate medically-approved recreation programs for patients in hospitals, nursing homes, or other institutions. Activities include sports, trips, dramatics, social activities, and crafts. May assess a patient condition and recommend appropriate recreational activity. Excludes “Recreation Workers” (39-9032).

National median · BLS
$61,960
▲ +2.79% YoY
H-1B sponsor median
$56,816
▼ -31.13% YoY · 12 LCAs
Average salary · BLS
$67,630
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
14,930
Jobs (BLS)
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Enter your pay and a location to see where you stand against BLS and H-1B pay, your estimated take-home pay, and your purchasing power.

Pay range for Recreational Therapists

Annual base pay at each percentile. BLS covers all U.S. workers in this occupation; H-1B covers 12 certified Labor Condition Applications filed by sponsoring employers in the last 12 months.

Percentile All U.S. workers (BLS) H-1B sponsored
10th — entry pay$40,990$37,960
25th$50,240$42,640
Median (50th)$61,960$56,816
75th$79,930$61,392
90th — top pay$100,420$69,257
H-1B sponsors pay a median of $56,816 for Recreational Therapists — 8.3% below the BLS national median of $61,960.

Hourly ⇄ annual pay

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Based on hrs/week × weeks/year = 2,080 hrs
Projections 2025–2035

Job outlook for Recreational Therapists

BLS projects employment of recreational therapists to grow 4.8% from 2025 to 2035, faster than the 3.5% average for all occupations. About 1,400 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.

Jobs 2025 → 2035
15,600 → 16,300
+800 jobs
Projected change
+4.8%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
1,400
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
Bachelor's degree
No related experience required
Preparation needed (O*NET Job Zone 4)
Considerable Preparation Needed. Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Fastest-growing jobs → Best-paying jobs that need a bachelor's degree →

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035 · BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook →

H-1B sponsored pay

Pay by H-1B wage level

Employers assign every H-1B filing a Department of Labor prevailing-wage level, from Level I (entry) to Level IV (fully competent). Pay rises steeply with level.

H-1B median $56,816
Change vs prior year -31.13%
After inflation (CPI-U) -33.22%
Skills & tools

Skills needed for Recreational Therapists

How important each skill and knowledge area is for this job, rated by O*NET on a 1–5 scale from surveys of workers and occupational analysts.

Top skills
  • Service Orientation4.1
  • Active Listening4.0
  • Coordination4.0
  • Social Perceptiveness4.0
  • Speaking4.0
  • Critical Thinking3.9
  • Instructing3.9
  • Reading Comprehension3.9
  • Writing3.9
  • Complex Problem Solving3.5
Top knowledge areas
  • Psychology4.5
  • Therapy and Counseling4.5
  • Customer and Personal Service4.4
  • Education and Training4.2
  • English Language4.1
  • Sociology and Anthropology3.5
  • Administration and Management3.4
  • Medicine and Dentistry3.2
Software and technology used
Microsoft Office softwareMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft PowerPointMicrosoft WordAvid Technology SibeliusEmail softwareHyperscoreMakeMusic FinaleMusical instrument digital interface MIDI softwarePatient electronic medical record EMR softwareSpeech recognition softwareSteinberg Cubase ProWeb browser software

Highlighted = in demand: frequently listed in employer job postings for this occupation (O*NET).

Source: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

About the job

What recreational therapists do

  • Instruct patient in activities and techniques, such as sports, dance, music, art, or relaxation techniques, designed to meet their specific physical or psychological needs.
  • Conduct therapy sessions to improve patients' mental and physical well-being.
  • Plan, organize, direct, and participate in treatment programs and activities to facilitate patients' rehabilitation, help them integrate into the community, and prevent further medical problems.
  • Observe, analyze, and record patients' participation, reactions, and progress during treatment sessions, modifying treatment programs as needed.
  • Develop treatment plan to meet needs of patient, based on needs assessment, patient interests, and objectives of therapy.
  • Obtain information from medical records, medical staff, family members and the patients, themselves, to assess patients' capabilities, needs and interests.
  • Confer with members of treatment team to plan and evaluate therapy programs.
  • Counsel and encourage patients to develop leisure activities.
Also called
Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS)Recreation TherapistRecreational TherapistRehabilitation TherapistActivities CoordinatorGeneral Activities TherapistRecreational Therapy Program CoordinatorTherapeutic Recreation SpecialistTherapeutic SpecialistTherapist
More job titles for this occupation (15)
Activities TherapistActivity TherapistAdventure TherapistCertified Recreational TherapistCreative Arts TherapistDance TherapistDrama TherapistEcotherapistHorticultural TherapistLife Enrichment Coordinator (LEC)Lifestyle DirectorMusic Rehabilitation TherapistRecreational Therapy TechnicianTherapeutic MentorTherapeutic Riding Instructor

Source: O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0). These are general job titles, not H-1B filings; for titles employers actually filed, see “Job titles” above.