Recreational Therapists pay in the U.S.
$67,630avg. a year
$32.52 an hour · 14,930 employed
Recreational Therapists in the U.S. earn an average of $67,630 a year and a median of $61,960. Pay is highest in California ($95,420) and lowest in Kansas ($43,550).
$61,960Median pay
$32.52Average hourly
+32%Avg. pay since 2020
14,930Jobs in the U.S.
Top-paying states for recreational therapists
Average pay by state. Swipe to see the top 10.
11,920 jobs
California
$95,420
$45.88 an hour
2800 jobs
Texas
$90,570
$43.55 an hour
350 jobs
District of Columbia
$88,060
$42.34 an hour
4240 jobs
Washington
$81,020
$38.95 an hour
570 jobs
New Hampshire
$78,410
$37.70 an hour
6250 jobs
Minnesota
$75,120
$36.12 an hour
740 jobs
Hawaii
$71,690
$34.47 an hour
8400 jobs
Nevada
$71,530
$34.39 an hour
91,230 jobs
New York
$68,960
$33.15 an hour
10380 jobs
Connecticut
$68,280
$32.83 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Recreational Therapists pay, charted
Pay over time
United States, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where the jobs are
Employment by state, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · tap a state
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Under $57k$57k–$61k$61k–$68k$68k+
Top-paying metro areas
Average pay, May 2025 (areas with 100+ jobs)
| Metro area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Napa, CA | $109,290 | $52.54 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $103,380 | $49.70 |
| Fresno, CA | $97,480 | $46.87 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $89,800 | $43.17 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $85,280 | $41.00 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $84,610 | $40.68 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $75,000 | $36.06 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $72,990 | $35.09 |
Related jobs
- Registered Nurses$101,420
- Physicians, All Other$262,040
- Nurse Practitioners$137,300
- Pharmacists$140,920
- Physical Therapists$105,280
- Dental Hygienists$98,990
Average U.S. pay, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Recreational Therapists pay in every state
States without a figure had too few jobs or too little survey data for BLS to publish.
| State | Avg. pay | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $60,460 | $57,360 | 160 |
| Arizona | $67,490 | $62,610 | 170 |
| Arkansas | $47,890 | $42,670 | 70 |
| California | $95,420 | $98,170 | 1,920 |
| Colorado | $67,540 | $66,580 | 200 |
| Connecticut | $68,280 | $63,240 | 380 |
| Delaware | $54,860 | $51,110 | 70 |
| District of Columbia | $88,060 | $95,640 | 50 |
| Florida | $60,090 | $57,980 | 640 |
| Georgia | $58,080 | $52,010 | 530 |
| Hawaii | $71,690 | $64,500 | 40 |
| Idaho | $54,920 | $49,720 | 90 |
| Illinois | $59,160 | $54,910 | 440 |
| Indiana | $55,700 | $53,770 | 190 |
| Iowa | $59,030 | $56,140 | 230 |
| Kansas | $43,550 | $40,010 | 710 |
| Kentucky | $58,460 | $59,240 | 100 |
| Louisiana | $53,360 | $51,150 | 190 |
| Maine | $60,050 | $57,560 | 40 |
| Maryland | $63,340 | $64,300 | 290 |
| Massachusetts | $66,680 | $62,820 | 210 |
| Michigan | $60,860 | $61,700 | 590 |
| Minnesota | $75,120 | $76,360 | 250 |
| Mississippi | $45,200 | $39,560 | 140 |
| Missouri | $62,160 | $58,620 | 140 |
| Montana | $57,730 | $51,110 | 40 |
| Nebraska | $60,600 | $62,980 | 150 |
| Nevada | $71,530 | $78,730 | 400 |
| New Hampshire | $78,410 | $82,280 | 70 |
| New Jersey | $65,780 | $60,400 | 430 |
| New Mexico | $61,680 | $49,210 | 100 |
| New York | $68,960 | $65,520 | 1,230 |
| North Carolina | $55,950 | $51,030 | 440 |
| North Dakota | $56,980 | $58,370 | 80 |
| Ohio | $62,290 | $60,770 | 310 |
| Oklahoma | $52,540 | $50,480 | 120 |
| Oregon | $67,670 | $66,530 | 250 |
| Pennsylvania | $59,450 | $58,940 | 720 |
| South Carolina | $51,870 | $48,880 | 190 |
| South Dakota | $53,620 | $46,850 | 40 |
| Tennessee | $55,030 | $51,910 | 150 |
| Texas | $90,570 | $62,490 | 800 |
| Utah | $58,520 | $56,640 | 210 |
| Vermont | $65,160 | $63,380 | 40 |
| Virginia | $66,490 | $61,270 | 570 |
| Washington | $81,020 | $77,860 | 240 |
| West Virginia | $59,120 | $49,010 | 130 |
| Wisconsin | $62,180 | $59,350 | 350 |
Metro areas with the most jobs
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
$70,030
1,090 jobsLos Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
$89,800
380 jobsWashington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
$72,990
380 jobsPhiladelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD
$61,520
360 jobsChicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
$58,800
340 jobsLas Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV
$72,330
340 jobsRiverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA
$84,610
340 jobsAtlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA
$64,930
260 jobsQuestions and answers
How much do recreational therapists make?
The average is $67,630 a year across the U.S. Half earn more than $61,960 and half earn less (the median).
What is the hourly pay?
The average hourly wage is $32.52, and the median is $29.79 an hour.
Which state pays recreational therapists the most?
California, with an average of $95,420 a year. The best-paying metro area is Napa, CA at $109,290.
What is the pay range?
The lowest-paid 10% earn under $40,990 a year, and the top 10% earn over $100,420.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 29-1125. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.