What are the main factors that influence a Play Therapist's salary?

The primary factors are: 1) Experience Level, 2) Geographic Location, 3) Education/Skills, 4) Company Size & Industry

How does experience change a Play Therapist's salary?

A Play Therapist's salary grows with experience: starting around $66,011 for beginners, reaching about $69,437 at mid-level, and approach $72,367 for experts.

What are the highest paying states for a Play Therapist?

Play Therapist salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Play Therapist roles are District of Columbia $74,686, California $74,403, Massachusetts $73,411. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Play Therapist roles make?

Salaries for Play Therapist level roles vary by specialization: Occupational Therapist: $107,707; Speech Therapist: $97,293; Vision Therapist: $92,402; Recreational Therapist: $67,955; Play Therapists: $64,897.

How do different companies affect a Play Therapist's salary?

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for Play Therapist roles. Large, established industry leaders like New York Police Department ($97,099) and State of New York - Metropolitan Transportation Authority ($95,962) offer base salaries 35-40% above the national average. In contrast, smaller firms or startups may offer closer to $75,106.

Play Therapist Salary in the United States

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

As of January 01, 2026, the average salary for a Play Therapist in the United States is $67,455 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): $79,213
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $58,793 to $73,610
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $50,906

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Play Therapist Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$73,610	$6,134	$1,416	$35
Average	$67,455	$5,621	$1,297	$32
25th Percentile	$58,793	$4,899	$1,131	$28

You may get higher pay by adjusting the following factors:

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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): $66,011
Early Career (1-2 years): $66,613
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $69,437
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $71,923
Expert (over 8 years): $72,367

Levels	Salary
Entry Level Play Therapist	$66,011
Intermediate Level Play Therapist	$66,613
Senior Level Play Therapist	$69,437
Specialist Level Play Therapist	$71,923
Expert Level Play Therapist	$72,367

View as Graph

What Am I Worth?

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: $74,686.
California: $74,403.
Massachusetts: $73,411.

District of Columbia $74,686 California $74,403 Massachusetts $73,411 Washington $73,142 New Jersey $73,115 Alaska $73,020 Connecticut $72,089 New York $71,712

Hawaii $70,504 Rhode Island $69,937 Maryland $69,553 Minnesota $69,027 Colorado $68,824 Illinois $68,757 Oregon $68,501 Delaware $68,312

New Hampshire $68,193 Virginia $67,927 Pennsylvania $67,152 Nevada $66,760 North Dakota $66,632 Michigan $66,430 Wisconsin $66,356 Vermont $66,207

Texas $65,796 Maine $65,769 Arizona $65,728 Ohio $65,681 Georgia $65,060 Indiana $64,750 Wyoming $64,689 Utah $64,595

Iowa $64,555 Kansas $64,231 Louisiana $64,136 North Carolina $64,103 Missouri $64,089 Florida $63,826 Montana $63,684 Nebraska $63,549

Kentucky $63,475 South Carolina $63,205 Tennessee $63,037 Idaho $62,969 New Mexico $62,477 Oklahoma $62,369 Alabama $61,971 South Dakota $61,303

Arkansas $60,939 West Virginia $60,743 Mississippi $60,156

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: $85,081
San Francisco: $84,245
Oakland: $82,376

San Jose, CA $85,081

San Francisco, CA $84,245

Oakland, CA $82,376

New York, NY $78,174

Queens Village, NY $77,668

Paramus, NJ $77,128

Passaic, NJ $77,061

Bergenfield, NJ $76,993

Stamford, CT $76,892

Huntington, NY $76,825

Newark, NJ $76,386

Bridgeport, CT $76,251

New Brunswick, NJ $76,029

Vallejo, CA $75,887

Middlesex, NJ $75,847

Somerset, NJ $75,786

Petaluma, CA $75,631

Santa Cruz, CA $75,368

Boston, MA $75,233

Monterey, CA $74,895

Fairbanks, AK $74,848

Los Angeles, CA $74,720

Washington, DC $74,686

Seattle, WA $74,565

Santa Rosa, CA $74,551

Juneau, AK $74,356

Orange, CA $74,133

Anchorage, AK $74,012

Anaheim, CA $73,965

Santa Ana, CA $73,863

Nassau, NY $73,823

Long Beach, CA $73,796

Danbury, CT $73,776

Santa Maria, CA $73,546

Everett, WA $73,533

Bremerton, WA $73,202

Trenton, NJ $73,074

Sacramento, CA $73,047

San Diego, CA $73,013

Brockton, MA $72,986

Tacoma, WA $72,959

Santa Barbara, CA $72,865

Lowell, MA $72,595

New Suffolk, NY $72,568

Nashua, NH $72,487

Lompoc, CA $72,379

Ventura, CA $72,312

Stockton, CA $72,292

New Haven, CT $72,157

Atlantic City, NJ $71,981

Hartford, CT $71,833

Modesto, CA $71,799

Poughkeepsie, NY $71,651

New Britain, CT $71,617

Olympia, WA $71,523

Kennewick, WA $71,523

New London, CT $71,509

Norwich, CT $71,489

Lawrence, MA $71,455

Bakersfield, CA $71,266

Riverside, CA $71,172

New Bedford, MA $71,172

Richland, WA $71,104

Portsmouth, NH $71,050

Vineland, NJ $71,037

San Bernardino, CA $70,983

Boulder, CO $70,794

Worcester, MA $70,740

Portland, OR $70,679

Saint Paul, MN $70,599

Minneapolis, MN $70,599

Philadelphia, PA $70,504

Honolulu, HI $70,147

Springfield, MA $69,910

Providence, RI $69,904

Chicago, IL $69,708

Bellingham, WA $69,627

Baltimore, MD $69,553

Chico, CA $69,384

Wilmington, DE $69,270

Pittsfield, MA $69,202

Manchester, NH $69,074

Spokane, WA $68,777

Denver, CO $68,770

Albany, NY $68,453

Troy, NY $68,426

Schenectady, NY $68,285

Burlington, VT $68,136

Portland, ME $67,900

Salem, OR $67,846

Yakima, WA $67,833

Ann Arbor, MI $67,813

Rochester, MN $67,624

Fresno, CA $67,590

Reno, NV $67,590

Milwaukee, WI $67,529

Detroit, MI $67,462

Allentown, PA $67,442

Carson City, NV $67,435

Houston, TX $67,334

Colorado Springs, CO $67,327

Syracuse, NY $67,293

Eugene, OR $67,165

Bismarck, ND $67,084

Gary, IN $67,084

Galveston, TX $67,084

Springfield, OR $67,030

Medford, OR $66,868

Fort Collins, CO $66,841

Austin, TX $66,787

Mesa, AZ $66,646

Phoenix, AZ $66,632

Dallas, TX $66,612

Reading, PA $66,571

Saint Cloud, MN $66,544

Concord, NH $66,484

Madison, WI $66,457

Utica, NY $66,275

Raleigh, NC $66,221

Las Vegas, NV $66,214

Rochester, NY $66,167

Des Moines, IA $66,160

Atlanta, GA $66,052

Battle Creek, MI $66,032

Salt Lake City, UT $66,012

Lancaster, PA $65,910

Champaign, IL $65,897

Harrisburg, PA $65,816

Durham, NC $65,755

Kansas City, MO $65,748

Kansas City, KS $65,735

Fort Worth, TX $65,728

Boca Raton, FL $65,701

Cleveland, OH $65,695

Columbus, OH $65,681

Pittsburgh, PA $65,674

Richmond, VA $65,647

Indianapolis, IN $65,634

Cincinnati, OH $65,546

Petersburg, VA $65,445

Billings, MT $65,297

Lansing, MI $65,297

Huntsville, AL $65,297

Lebanon, PA $65,290

Dayton, OH $65,283

Pueblo, CO $65,283

Appleton, WI $65,263

Buffalo, NY $65,236

Racine, WI $65,202

Charlotte, NC $65,195

Saint Louis, MO $65,175

Springfield, IL $65,148

Elkhart, IN $65,135

York, PA $65,135

Gastonia, NC $65,128

Benton Harbor, MI $65,128

Beaumont, TX $65,087

Lorain, OH $65,074

Toledo, OH $65,047

Binghamton, NY $65,013

Rock Hill, SC $65,006

Rockford, IL $64,973

Fargo, ND $64,939

Elyria, OH $64,939

Flagstaff, AZ $64,892

Fort Lauderdale, FL $64,851

Miami, FL $64,811

Duluth, MN $64,703

Bangor, ME $64,615

Cedar Rapids, IA $64,541

Louisville, KY $64,507

Grand Rapids, MI $64,494

Hialeah, FL $64,487

Casper, WY $64,393

Scranton, PA $64,312

New Orleans, LA $64,291

Virginia Beach, VA $64,285

Akron, OH $64,251

Peoria, IL $64,163

Sarasota, FL $64,150

Green Bay, WI $64,103

Baton Rouge, LA $64,069

Charleston, SC $64,055

Nashville, TN $64,035

Jamestown, NY $64,022

Davenport, IA $64,022

Tucson, AZ $63,988

Cheyenne, WY $63,968

Saint Petersburg, FL $63,947

Tampa, FL $63,934

Omaha, NE $63,920

Port Arthur, TX $63,893

Evansville, IN $63,893

Bradenton, FL $63,866

Santa Fe, NM $63,745

Orlando, FL $63,678

Clearwater, FL $63,603

Canton, OH $63,462

La Crosse, WI $63,462

Grand Forks, ND $63,442

Albuquerque, NM $63,421

Tulsa, OK $63,421

Newport News, VA $63,415

High Point, NC $63,394

Ogden, UT $63,367

Corpus Christi, TX $63,313

Laramie, WY $63,273

Norfolk, VA $63,273

Rock Island, IL $63,232

Saginaw, MI $63,219

Jacksonville, FL $63,212

Salisbury, NC $63,199

Memphis, TN $63,185

Moline, IL $63,151

Fort Myers, FL $63,131

Waterloo, IA $63,044

Spartanburg, SC $62,976

Lincoln, NE $62,942

Fort Wayne, IN $62,929

Birmingham, AL $62,855

Cedar Falls, IA $62,841

Provo, UT $62,834

Springfield, OH $62,828

San Antonio, TX $62,814

Greensboro, NC $62,787

South Bend, IN $62,780

Winston Salem, NC $62,774

Boise, ID $62,753

Savannah, GA $62,706

Muskegon, MI $62,585

Lima, OH $62,504

Lake Charles, LA $62,477

Anderson, IN $62,463

Lexington, KY $62,443

Augusta, GA $62,423

Greenville, SC $62,423

Wichita, KS $62,362

Tuscaloosa, AL $62,362

Columbia, SC $62,302

Bloomington, IN $62,133

Roanoke, VA $62,092

Asheville, NC $62,005

Knoxville, TN $61,890

Shreveport, LA $61,883

Wilmington, NC $61,796

Frankfort, KY $61,667

Oklahoma City, OK $61,620

Chillicothe, OH $61,593

Longview, TX $61,587

Topeka, KS $61,566

Mobile, AL $61,465

Terre Haute, IN $61,438

Erie, PA $61,431

Altoona, PA $61,398

Melbourne, FL $61,377

Amarillo, TX $61,350

Killeen, TX $61,330

Fayetteville, AR $61,276

Sioux Falls, SD $61,229

Chattanooga, TN $61,189

Idaho Falls, ID $61,182

Gainesville, FL $61,040

Portsmouth, OH $61,006

Little Rock, AR $60,993

Lynchburg, VA $60,993

Lafayette, LA $60,966

Youngstown, OH $60,966

Temple, TX $60,939

Daytona Beach, FL $60,925

Clarksville, TN $60,919

Pensacola, FL $60,912

Hopkinsville, KY $60,710

Charleston, WV $60,703

Florence, SC $60,669

Sioux City, IA $60,629

Macon, GA $60,433

Tallahassee, FL $60,426

Fayetteville, NC $60,413

Waco, TX $60,399

Wichita Falls, TX $60,399

Pine Bluff, AR $60,372

Vincennes, IN $60,244

Lubbock, TX $60,217

Great Falls, MT $60,177

Alamogordo, NM $60,170

Abilene, TX $60,116

Rapid City, SD $60,028

Monroe, LA $60,028

Albany, GA $59,988

Huntington, WV $59,981

Jackson, MS $59,974

Greenville, MS $59,968

Parkersburg, WV $59,900

Montgomery, AL $59,887

Johnstown, PA $59,873

Springfield, MO $59,819

Biloxi, MS $59,785

Sumter, SC $59,644

Columbus, GA $59,637

Twin Falls, ID $59,597

Pascagoula, MS $59,509

Kingsport, TN $59,334

Gulfport, MS $59,313

Alexandria, LA $59,091

Fort Smith, AR $58,922

El Paso, TX $58,740

Helena, MT $58,652

Las Cruces, NM $58,436

Harlingen, TX $58,247

Pocatello, ID $58,187

Florence, AL $58,167

Brownsville, TX $58,153

Dothan, AL $58,045

Mcallen, TX $58,011

Columbus, MS $57,512

Altus, OK $57,202

Lawton, OK $57,074

Pierre, SD $56,831

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.

See More Skills

Skills	Demand Percentage
Planning	10.3%
First Aid	2.94%
Discharge Planning	1.57%

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	$71,502	6%
Flexibility	$70,828	5%
Group Therapy	$70,153	4%
Collaboration	$70,153	4%
Commitment	$70,153	4%
Coordination	$70,153	4%

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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

No Diploma 6.0%

High School 6.0%

Associates 3.7%

Bachelors 69.8%

Masters 19.5%

Doctorate 0.9%

view as table

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 January 01, 2026

$58,793

Average $67,455/year

$73,610

$4,899

Average $5,621/month

$6,134

$1,131

Average $1,297/week

$1,416

$28

Average $32/hour

$35

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$73,610	$6,134	$1,416	$35
Average	$67,455	$5,621	$1,297	$32
25th Percentile	$58,793	$4,899	$1,131	$28

Salaries of jobs related to Play Therapist

Salary Trends for Play Therapist

Salaries for a Play Therapist can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $114,415 in 2023 to around $113,975 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Play Therapist salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Play Therapist Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$114,415

2024

$115,800

2025

$113,975

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$114,415
2024	$115,800
2025	$113,975
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Play Therapist

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401(k)

Disability

Healthcare

Pension

Time Off (days)

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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.

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