How to Become a Recreational Therapist
Use arts, sport, games and outings as treatment to help people recover, cope and stay well. It typically requires a bachelor's degree, with a median salary of $61,960 per year and about average projected job growth.
Median pay
$61,960/yr
Middle half
$50,240 to $79,930
Job growth
About average
Openings / yr
1,300
Majors that lead here
Key skills
- Treatment Planning
- Empathy
- Activity Design
- Assessment
Related careers
- Psychiatrist$281,870 median
- Physician (Family Medicine)$244,180 median
- Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA)$236,590 median
- Dentist$170,950 median
- Pharmacist$140,910 median
- Optometrist$136,570 median
Frequently asked questions
How much does a Recreational Therapist make?
The median pay for a Recreational Therapist is $61,960 a year, and the middle half of workers earn between $50,240 and $79,930 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025). That covers everyone in the job, not only people starting out, so newer workers sit toward the lower end.
What degree do you need to become a Recreational Therapist?
The usual entry point is a bachelor's degree. Common majors are Athletic Training, Kinesiology, Human Services, and Psychology.
Is Recreational Therapist a growing field?
Projected job growth for this role from 2024 to 2034 is about average (BLS projections via O*NET), with roughly 1,300 U.S. openings a year.
What skills does a Recreational Therapist use most?
Common skills for this role are Treatment Planning, Empathy, Activity Design, and Assessment.
Planning to become a Recreational Therapist?
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Take the major quizWhere these pay figures come from
Career pay is the annual wage of everyone working in that occupation, not only recent graduates, so it includes people who have done the job for decades. The middle half is the 25th to the 75th percentile. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET OnLine (median and percentile annual wages May 2025; employment projections 2024-2034).
All figures are national. What you earn depends on where you work, who you work for, and how far you take the degree.
Job-growth figures: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET OnLine (median and percentile annual wages May 2025; employment projections 2024-2034).