Recreation Therapy Assistant Salary in the United States
How much does a Recreation Therapy Assistant make in the United States?
As of July 01, 2026, the average salary for a Recreation Therapy Assistant in the United States is $65,698 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $32.
However, a Recreation Therapy Assistant's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:
Top Earners (90th percentile): $77,162
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $57,263 to $71,699
Key Factors That Influence Recreation Therapy Assistant Salaries
A Recreation Therapy Assistant'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 Recreation Therapy Assistant Salaries?
Experience is a primary driver of a Recreation Therapy Assistant'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): $64,292
Early Career (1-2 years): $64,878
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $67,628
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $70,053
Expert (over 8 years): $70,486
Levels
Salary
Entry Level Recreation Therapy Assistant
$64,292
Intermediate Level Recreation Therapy Assistant
$64,878
Senior Level Recreation Therapy Assistant
$67,628
Specialist Level Recreation Therapy Assistant
$70,053
Expert Level Recreation Therapy Assistant
$70,486
$64,2920 yr
$64,878< 2 yrs
$67,6282-4 yrs
$70,0535-8 yrs
$70,486> 8 yrs
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What Am I Worth?
How Do Recreation Therapy Assistant 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 Recreation Therapy Assistants.
For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
District of Columbia: $72,741.
California: $72,465.
Massachusetts: $71,499.
District of Columbia$72,741
California$72,465
Massachusetts$71,499
Washington$71,236
New Jersey$71,210
Alaska$71,118
Connecticut$70,211
New York$69,843
Hawaii$68,667
Rhode Island$68,116
Maryland$67,741
Minnesota$67,229
Colorado$67,032
Illinois$66,966
Oregon$66,716
Delaware$66,532
New Hampshire$66,417
Virginia$66,158
Pennsylvania$65,402
Nevada$65,021
North Dakota$64,896
Michigan$64,699
Wisconsin$64,627
Vermont$64,482
Texas$64,082
Maine$64,055
Arizona$64,016
Ohio$63,970
Georgia$63,366
Indiana$63,063
Wyoming$63,004
Utah$62,912
Iowa$62,873
Kansas$62,558
Louisiana$62,466
North Carolina$62,433
Missouri$62,420
Florida$62,163
Montana$62,025
Nebraska$61,894
Kentucky$61,822
South Carolina$61,559
Tennessee$61,395
Idaho$61,329
New Mexico$60,849
Oklahoma$60,744
Alabama$60,357
South Dakota$59,706
Arkansas$59,351
West Virginia$59,161
Mississippi$58,589
Top Paying Cities for Recreation Therapy Assistants
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: $82,865
San Francisco: $81,957
Oakland: $80,230
San Jose, CA$82,865
San Francisco, CA$81,957
Oakland, CA$80,230
New York, NY$75,644
Paramus, NJ$74,724
Queens Village, NY$74,721
Passaic, NJ$74,658
Bergenfield, NJ$74,653
Stamford, CT$74,508
Huntington, NY$74,481
Newark, NJ$73,996
Bridgeport, CT$73,857
Vallejo, CA$73,726
New Brunswick, NJ$73,700
Petaluma, CA$73,660
Middlesex, NJ$73,536
Somerset, NJ$73,490
Santa Cruz, CA$73,404
Boston, MA$73,004
Monterey, CA$72,773
Seattle, WA$72,622
Santa Rosa, CA$72,609
Los Angeles, CA$72,590
Juneau, AK$72,419
Washington, DC$72,347
Orange, CA$72,113
Santa Ana, CA$71,939
Long Beach, CA$71,874
Anaheim, CA$71,860
Anchorage, AK$71,828
Santa Maria, CA$71,630
Everett, WA$71,617
Danbury, CT$71,386
Bremerton, WA$71,295
Tacoma, WA$71,059
New Suffolk, NY$71,058
Sacramento, CA$71,039
Santa Barbara, CA$70,967
Trenton, NJ$70,895
San Diego, CA$70,895
Brockton, MA$70,822
Fairbanks, AK$70,661
Lompoc, CA$70,494
Lowell, MA$70,441
Ventura, CA$70,428
Nashua, NH$70,415
Stockton, CA$70,408
Modesto, CA$69,929
Poughkeepsie, NY$69,784
Olympia, WA$69,659
Kennewick, WA$69,659
New Haven, CT$69,633
Lawrence, MA$69,397
Hartford, CT$69,331
Riverside, CA$69,318
New Bedford, MA$69,252
Richland, WA$69,252
Bakersfield, CA$69,160
San Bernardino, CA$69,134
New Britain, CT$69,127
Atlantic City, NJ$69,127
New London, CT$69,101
Norwich, CT$69,081
Portsmouth, NH$69,068
Boulder, CO$68,929
Portland, OR$68,838
Worcester, MA$68,832
Minneapolis, MN$68,628
Philadelphia, PA$68,536
Honolulu, HI$68,319
Saint Paul, MN$68,288
Vineland, NJ$68,273
Providence, RI$68,083
Chicago, IL$67,892
Bellingham, WA$67,813
Springfield, MA$67,761
Baltimore, MD$67,741
Chico, CA$67,577
Pittsfield, MA$67,399
Manchester, NH$67,275
Spokane, WA$66,986
Denver, CO$66,979
Albany, NY$66,670
Troy, NY$66,644
Nassau, NY$66,574
Schenectady, NY$66,506
Wilmington, DE$66,453
Burlington, VT$66,361
Salem, OR$66,335
Portland, ME$66,132
Yakima, WA$66,066
Rochester, MN$65,862
Reno, NV$65,829
Fresno, CA$65,829
Milwaukee, WI$65,770
Detroit, MI$65,704
Ann Arbor, MI$65,693
Allentown, PA$65,685
Colorado Springs, CO$65,573
Syracuse, NY$65,540
Carson City, NV$65,540
Houston, TX$65,448
Eugene, OR$65,415
Gary, IN$65,337
Springfield, OR$65,284
Bismarck, ND$65,271
Galveston, TX$65,225
Medford, OR$65,126
Fort Collins, CO$65,100
Concord, NH$65,067
Austin, TX$65,047
Mesa, AZ$64,910
Reading, PA$64,903
Phoenix, AZ$64,896
Dallas, TX$64,877
Saint Cloud, MN$64,814
Madison, WI$64,726
Utica, NY$64,548
Rochester, NY$64,443
Des Moines, IA$64,437
Raleigh, NC$64,430
Atlanta, GA$64,331
Battle Creek, MI$64,312
Salt Lake City, UT$64,292
Lancaster, PA$64,193
Harrisburg, PA$64,101
Kansas City, MO$64,036
Champaign, IL$64,023
Kansas City, KS$64,023
Fort Worth, TX$64,016
Columbus, OH$64,005
Boca Raton, FL$63,990
Pittsburgh, PA$63,963
Richmond, VA$63,937
Indianapolis, IN$63,924
Cleveland, OH$63,917
Las Vegas, NV$63,839
Cincinnati, OH$63,839
Petersburg, VA$63,740
Huntsville, AL$63,642
Lansing, MI$63,598
Lebanon, PA$63,589
Pueblo, CO$63,582
Appleton, WI$63,563
Buffalo, NY$63,536
Dayton, OH$63,517
Racine, WI$63,504
Charlotte, NC$63,497
Saint Louis, MO$63,477
York, PA$63,438
Elkhart, IN$63,438
Gastonia, NC$63,425
Billings, MT$63,410
Beaumont, TX$63,392
Lorain, OH$63,379
Benton Harbor, MI$63,366
Toledo, OH$63,352
Binghamton, NY$63,320
Rock Hill, SC$63,313
Rockford, IL$63,280
Springfield, IL$63,254
Elyria, OH$63,247
Fargo, ND$63,247
Flagstaff, AZ$63,201
Fort Lauderdale, FL$63,162
Duluth, MN$63,123
Miami, FL$63,123
Cheyenne, WY$63,077
Grand Forks, ND$63,077
Bangor, ME$62,932
Cedar Rapids, IA$62,860
Durham, NC$62,832
Louisville, KY$62,827
Grand Rapids, MI$62,814
Hialeah, FL$62,807
Casper, WY$62,715
Scranton, PA$62,636
New Orleans, LA$62,617
Virginia Beach, VA$62,610
Akron, OH$62,577
Peoria, IL$62,492
Sarasota, FL$62,479
Nashville, TN$62,433
Omaha, NE$62,433
Green Bay, WI$62,433
Baton Rouge, LA$62,400
Charleston, SC$62,387
Jamestown, NY$62,354
Davenport, IA$62,354
Tucson, AZ$62,321
Saint Petersburg, FL$62,282
Tampa, FL$62,268
Evansville, IN$62,229
Port Arthur, TX$62,229
Bradenton, FL$62,203
Santa Fe, NM$62,085
Orlando, FL$61,966
Clearwater, FL$61,947
Canton, OH$61,809
La Crosse, WI$61,809
Albuquerque, NM$61,769
Newport News, VA$61,763
High Point, NC$61,743
Ogden, UT$61,717
Corpus Christi, TX$61,664
Norfolk, VA$61,625
Laramie, WY$61,625
Rock Island, IL$61,585
Saginaw, MI$61,572
Jacksonville, FL$61,566
Salisbury, NC$61,552
Boise, ID$61,539
Moline, IL$61,506
Fort Myers, FL$61,487
Memphis, TN$61,474
Tulsa, OK$61,441
Waterloo, IA$61,401
Spartanburg, SC$61,336
Lincoln, NE$61,303
Fort Wayne, IN$61,290
Provo, UT$61,283
Cedar Falls, IA$61,204
San Antonio, TX$61,178
Greensboro, NC$61,152
South Bend, IN$61,145
Savannah, GA$61,073
Muskegon, MI$61,046
Birmingham, AL$61,040
Winston Salem, NC$61,008
Lake Charles, LA$60,849
Anderson, IN$60,836
Lexington, KY$60,817
Augusta, GA$60,797
Greenville, SC$60,797
Lima, OH$60,744
Wichita, KS$60,738
Tuscaloosa, AL$60,738
Columbia, SC$60,679
Springfield, OH$60,665
Asheville, NC$60,560
Bloomington, IN$60,514
Knoxville, TN$60,278
Shreveport, LA$60,271
Wilmington, NC$60,186
Roanoke, VA$60,186
Topeka, KS$60,068
Frankfort, KY$60,060
Oklahoma City, OK$60,015
Chillicothe, OH$59,989
Longview, TX$59,982
Melbourne, FL$59,976
Sioux Falls, SD$59,870
Mobile, AL$59,864
Terre Haute, IN$59,838
Altoona, PA$59,798
Amarillo, TX$59,752
Killeen, TX$59,733
Fayetteville, AR$59,680
Chattanooga, TN$59,660
Sioux City, IA$59,601
Idaho Falls, ID$59,588
Lynchburg, VA$59,535
Gainesville, FL$59,450
Portsmouth, OH$59,417
Little Rock, AR$59,404
Lafayette, LA$59,378
Youngstown, OH$59,378
Daytona Beach, FL$59,338
Clarksville, TN$59,332
Pensacola, FL$59,325
Temple, TX$59,321
Hopkinsville, KY$59,128
Erie, PA$59,115
Florence, SC$59,089
Charleston, WV$58,984
Great Falls, MT$58,951
Macon, GA$58,859
Tallahassee, FL$58,852
Fayetteville, NC$58,839
Waco, TX$58,826
Helena, MT$58,780
Pine Bluff, AR$58,755
Vincennes, IN$58,675
Lubbock, TX$58,649
Alamogordo, NM$58,609
Twin Falls, ID$58,550
Rapid City, SD$58,530
Jackson, MS$58,412
Huntington, WV$58,407
Greenville, MS$58,405
Parkersburg, WV$58,338
Montgomery, AL$58,327
Wichita Falls, TX$58,261
Springfield, MO$58,261
Biloxi, MS$58,228
Monroe, LA$58,162
Johnstown, PA$58,116
Sumter, SC$58,090
Columbus, GA$58,084
Pascagoula, MS$57,959
Abilene, TX$57,959
Kingsport, TN$57,788
Albany, GA$57,788
Gulfport, MS$57,768
Alexandria, LA$57,551
Fort Smith, AR$57,387
El Paso, TX$57,210
Las Cruces, NM$56,914
Harlingen, TX$56,747
Pocatello, ID$56,737
Florence, AL$56,651
Brownsville, TX$56,638
Mcallen, TX$56,500
Dothan, AL$56,408
Columbus, MS$56,018
Altus, OK$55,712
Lawton, OK$55,587
Pierre, SD$55,350
What Skills Can Increase a Recreation Therapy Assistant'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 Recreation Therapy Assistant'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
$69,640
6%
Flexibility
$68,983
5%
Group Therapy
$68,326
4%
Collaboration
$68,326
4%
Commitment
$68,326
4%
Coordination
$68,326
4%
Get Latest Data
Recreation Therapy Assistant Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For Recreation Therapy Assistant 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,
Recreation Therapy Assistant positions in Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit typically offer lower base pay,
as this sector often view Recreation Therapy Assistant as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industry for a Recreation Therapy Assistant
Industry Sector
Average Annual Salary
Average Hourly Rate
Pay vs.Avg
Healthcare
$75,553
$36.0
15%
How Education impacts a Recreation Therapy Assistant's Salary?
Your level of education can impact your salary potential.
While many Recreation Therapy Assistants 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 Recreation Therapy Assistant with a Bachelor's Degree is between
$61,034
and $64,817).
Recreation Therapy Assistant Salaries by Degree Level
Typical Education for Recreation Therapy Assistant
Understanding how a Recreation Therapy Assistant'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.
Hourly
Monthly
Weekly
Yearly
Table View
Last Updated on July 01, 2026
$57,263
Average$65,698/year
$71,699
$4,772
Average$5,475/month
$5,975
$1,101
Average$1,263/week
$1,379
$28
Average$32/hour
$34
Annual Salary
Monthly Pay
Weekly Pay
Hourly Wage
75th Percentile
$71,699
$5,975
$1,379
$34
Average
$65,698
$5,475
$1,263
$32
25th Percentile
$57,263
$4,772
$1,101
$28
Salaries of jobs related to Recreation Therapy Assistant
Salaries for a Recreation Therapy Assistant can change over time,
reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy.
The median salary decreased from $111,497 in 2023
to around $111,067 in 2025,
reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy.
For a detailed analysis of Recreation Therapy Assistant salary trends,
.
Average Annual Salary of Recreation Therapy Assistant Over Time
2022
$???
2023
$111,497
2024
$112,846
2025
$111,067
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year
Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023
$111,497
2024
$112,846
2025
$111,067
2026
View More
2027
View More
Most common benefits for Recreation Therapy Assistant
Social Security
401(k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
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Common company salaries for Recreation Therapy Assistant
Here are companies hiring for Recreation Therapy Assistant and their salaries, click below for more details.
N
$97,099/per year
New York Police Department
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
S
$95,962/per year
State of New York - Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
U
$94,615/per year
US Department of Transportation
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
U
$93,141/per year
US General Services Administration
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
L
$92,342/per year
Los Angeles County
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
D
$92,011/per year
Department of Justice - Federal Bureau of Prisons
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
U
$91,967/per year
US Department of Commerce
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
U
$91,755/per year
US Department of Energy
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
F
$91,673/per year
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
N
$90,276/per year
Naval Sea Systems Command
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
T
$88,975/per year
The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
S
$88,721/per year
San Diego County
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
T
$88,664/per year
The TTB
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
L
$87,569/per year
Lutheran Services
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
M
$85,066/per year
Maryland Inc
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
S
$83,780/per year
State University of New York
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
N
$82,969/per year
New York State
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
P
$82,703/per year
Puerto Rico Department of Education
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
U
$80,526/per year
US Central Command
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
H
$80,286/per year
Health and Safety Executive Northern Ireland
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
A
$79,270/per year
Air Force Reserve
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
A
$78,505/per year
American Automobile Association (AAA)
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
S
$76,678/per year
State of Florida - Department of Health
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
N
$75,183/per year
New York State Department
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
S
$75,106/per year
State University System of Florida
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
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