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Recreation Therapist Salary in the United States

How much does a Recreation Therapist make in the United States? The salary range for a Recreation Therapist job is from $55,514 to $69,610 per year in the United States. Click on the filter to check out Recreation Therapist job salaries by hourly, weekly, biweekly, semimonthly, monthly, and yearly.

Average base salary
updated at April 01, 2025
$62,864
Per Year
The average salary for a Recreation Therapist is $62,864
per Year in the United States.
Individually reported data submitted by users of our website

HOW SHOULD YOU USE THIS DATA?

Employees: Use this as a guide for salary expectations, but be aware that responsibilities can change across companies for the same job title, so there may be differences between this data, other free site and our subscription products bought by employers.

Employers: This data could be used as reference point in your market pricing, but not the only source, due to differences across jobs locations, and sizes of companies.Consider additional sources like our Employer reported data.

Base Salary
$55,514
$62,864
Medium
$69,610

Highest Paying Cities for Recreation Therapist in the United States

Recreation Therapist salaries in the United States will pay differently by cities. Below following are the eight cities with the highest income for Recreation Therapist jobs in the United States. The city with the highest salary is San Jose. Click on the Recreation Therapist salary in cities you are interested in to view detailed job salary information.

States with Higher Salaries for Recreation Therapist

The five states where Recreation Therapist jobs get higher salaries in the United States are: District of Columbia, California, Massachusetts, Washington, and New Jersey. Compared with the average salary of a Recreation Therapist in the United States, the state of District of Columbia with the highest job income for this job. The second and third states are California and Massachusetts respectively. The high or low salary paid to Recreation Therapist by the US has a greater relationship with the demand for jobs and the cost of living.

How Much Do Similar Professions Get Paid in the United States?

There are some different titles for Recreation Therapist jobs, and the job title of Recreation Therapist will vary in different companies. The job title has a lot to do with the department and responsibilities, and the same job title will vary in different departments. The following list is the salary of jobs similar to Recreation Therapist, start to view Recreation Therapist-related jobs you are interested in.
Licensed Recreation Therapist
Average salary
United States
$64,400
per Year
Recreation Therapist Assistant
Average salary
United States
$104,621
per Year
Therapist
Average salary
United States
$63,426
per Year
Recreation Leader
Average salary
United States
$64,113
per Year
Recreation Assistant
Average salary
United States
$57,635
per Year
Recreation Specialist
Average salary
United States
$58,231
per Year

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What Does a Recreation Therapist Do?

All of our recreation therapists also have a national board certification, which is a Certified Recreation Therapeutic Specialist (CTRS).

December 02, 2021

Recreational therapists work in a variety of settings, including hospitals, nursing homes, and government parks and recreation departments.

November 11, 2021

Recreation therapists watch and record a patient’s progress throughout the treatment process and adjust any areas that are needed to move the patient forward in their healing both mentally and physically.

November 09, 2021

The recreation therapist has a unique perspective regarding the social, cognitive, physical, and leisure needs of the Veteran.

November 08, 2021

Recreational therapists plan, direct, and coordinate recreation-based treatment programs for people with disabilities, injuries, or illnesses.

October 06, 2021

Most Common Benefits for Recreation Therapist

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

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about salaries for a Recreation Therapist
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All of our recreation therapists also have a national board certification, which is a Certified Recreation Therapeutic Specialist (CTRS).
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Explore our personal salary report to know the Recreation Therapist market value in the United States. And find out if any places are having a higher Recreation Therapist salary.
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The highest Recreation Therapist salary is $69,610, while the lowest is $55,514 in the United States.
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