Salary AI Book a Demo

Play Therapist Salary in the United States

How much does a Play Therapist make in the United States?

As of October 01, 2026, the average salary for a Play Therapist in the United States is $67,400 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $32.

However, a Play Therapist's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $79,167
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $58,749 to $73,559
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $50,873
Salary Factors Salary-Boosting Skills Salary by Experience Related Job Salaries Top Paying Cities Explore Related Jobs

Key Factors That Influence Play Therapist Salaries

A Play Therapist's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Play Therapist Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Play Therapist's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

  • Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $65,958
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $66,558
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $69,379
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $71,870
  • Expert (over 8 years): $72,314
Levels Salary
Entry Level Play Therapist$65,958
Intermediate Level Play Therapist$66,558
Senior Level Play Therapist$69,379
Specialist Level Play Therapist$71,870
Expert Level Play Therapist$72,314
View as Graph

How Do Play Therapist Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Play Therapists. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
  • District of Columbia: $74,625.
  • California: $74,342.
  • Massachusetts: $73,351.

Top Paying Cities for Play Therapists

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

  • San Jose: $85,011
  • San Francisco: $84,080
  • Oakland: $82,308

What Skills Can Increase a Play Therapist's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Planning (Mentioned in 10.3% Job Postings): An act or process of making or carrying out plans. Establishment of goals, policies, and procedures for a social or economic unit city planning business planning.
  • First Aid (Mentioned in 2.94% Job Postings): First aid refers to medical attention that is usually administered immediately after the injury occurs and at the location where it occurred.
  • Discharge Planning (Mentioned in 1.57% Job Postings): Developing a personalized plan to ensure the smooth transition of a patient from a health organization to the patient's home or residential care.
Skills Demand Percentage
Planning 10.3%
First Aid 2.94%
Discharge Planning 1.57%
See More Skills

What skills can make your compensation higher?

Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Play Therapist's salary.

  • Dialysis: Can increase your salary by up to 6%.
  • Flexibility: Can increase your salary by up to 5%.
  • Group Therapy: Can increase your salary by up to 4%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Dialysis $71,443
6%
Flexibility $70,769
5%
Group Therapy $70,095
4%
Get Latest Data

Play Therapist Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Play Therapist roles, the industry you choose can impact your earning potential by as much as 30% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the highest-paying industry, Healthcare, offers compensation 15% above the average. Conversely, Play Therapist positions in Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit typically offer lower base pay, as this sector often view Play Therapist as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industry for a Play Therapist

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Healthcare$77,509$37.015%

How Education impacts a Play Therapist's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Play Therapists enter the field with a Bachelor's Degree degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for a Play Therapist with a Bachelor's Degree is between $61,034 and $64,817).

Play Therapist Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Play Therapist
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 6.0%
High School 6.0%
Associates 3.7%
Bachelors 69.8%
Masters 19.5%
Doctorate 0.9%
View as Graph

Play Therapist Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Play Therapist's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on October 01, 2026
$58,749
Average $67,400/year
$73,559
$4,896
Average $5,617/month
$6,130
$1,130
Average $1,296/week
$1,415
$28
Average $32/hour
$35
Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage
75th Percentile $73,559 $6,130 $1,415 $35
Average $67,400 $5,617 $1,296 $32
25th Percentile $58,749 $4,896 $1,130 $28

Most common benefits for Play Therapist

  • Social Security
  • 401 (k)
  • Disability
  • Healthcare
  • Pension
  • Time Off (days)

Common company salaries for Play Therapist

Here are companies hiring for Play Therapist and their salaries, click below for more details.

Find Your Next Play Therapist Job

Ready to take the next step in your career? Browse thousands of current Play Therapist job openings on our job board. Use the search bar below to find your perfect match.

For Employees

Analyze the market and your qualifications to negotiate your salary with confidence.

Get a Salary Increase

Search thousands of open positions to find your next opportunity.

Search Job Openings

For Employers

Individualize employee pay based on unique job requirements and personal qualifications.

Adjust Employee Salary

Get the latest market price for benchmark jobs and jobs in your industry.

Price My Industry Jobs

FAQ about Play Therapist

1. What industry pays the highest salary for Play Therapist?

The Healthcare industry offers the highest average compensation for Play Therapist roles, with salaries approximately 15% above the market median.

Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

With the most extensive online, real-time compensation data available, Salary.com helps you pinpoint your exact pay target.

Are you an HR manager or compensation specialist?

Salary.com's CompAnalyst platform offers:

  • Detailed skills and competency reports for specific positions
  • Job and employee pricing reports
  • Compensation data tools, salary structures, surveys and benchmarks.
Learn about CompAnalyst