29
Recreational Therapists is a notable career in the 29 category. This page provides verified data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0 (2024), helping you compare Recreational Therapists against similar careers and make data-driven decisions.
Education Administrators, All Other
11
Personal Service Managers, All Other
11
Managers, All Other
11
Buyers and Purchasing Agents
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Business Operations Specialists, All Other
13
| soc | 29-1125 |
| title | Recreational Therapists |
| onet code | 29-1125.00 |
| description | Plan, direct, or coordinate medically-approved recreation programs for patients in hospitals, nursing homes, or other institutions. Activities include sports, trips, dramatics, social activities, and crafts. May assess a patient condition and recommend appropriate recreational activity. |
| job zone | 4 |
| major group | 29 |
| tot emp | 15,060 |
| a mean | 65,350 |
| a median | 60,280 |
| a pct10 | 39,520 |
| a pct25 | 48,230 |
| a pct75 | 77,680 |
| a pct90 | 96,600 |
| h mean | 31 |
| h median | 28 |
The day-to-day work of a recreational therapists typically centers on instruct patient in activities and techniques, such as sports, dance, music, art, or relaxation techniques, designed to meet their specific physical or psychological needs. Every task listed below is classified as Core in O*NET — they collectively define the role. Task descriptions below are quoted from the U.S. Department of Labor's O*NET 29.0 occupation profile.
Workers in this occupation rely most on Service Orientation, Social Perceptiveness, and Active Listening. Across the top 10 skills, the average O*NET importance score is 3.91 out of 5 — highly rated for this role. Importance reflects how essential each skill is for adequate job performance.
Among working recreational therapists, the most common entry qualification is a Bachelor's Degree (91.9%). Bachelor's-degree-or-higher credentials are reported by 100% of incumbents. This is a degree-heavy profession — most incumbents hold a four-year degree or beyond.
Median annual pay is highest in California at $96,530 and lowest in Mississippi at $38,170 — a 2.5× spread. The top five states (California, District of Columbia, Washington, Nevada, New Hampshire) average $83,878. Figures reflect BLS OEWS May 2024 state-level wage estimates; percentiles shown are for full-time wage-earners in each state.
| State | Median | Mean | 10th % | 90th % | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | $96,530 | $93,270 | $61,270 | $112,550 | 1,780 |
| District of Columbia | $92,010 | $88,810 | $58,940 | $114,190 | 60 |
| Washington | $78,620 | $79,420 | $60,920 | $104,070 | 200 |
| Nevada | $77,450 | $75,310 | $50,290 | $97,700 | 410 |
| New Hampshire | $74,780 | $70,860 | $41,900 | $92,250 | 130 |
| Minnesota | $67,300 | $67,870 | $45,000 | $86,860 | 240 |
| New Jersey | $64,880 | $68,570 | $48,550 | $97,540 | 360 |
| Oregon | $64,000 | $64,210 | $45,300 | $81,140 | 250 |
| Illinois | $63,610 | $67,720 | $47,150 | $94,470 | 290 |
| New York | $63,520 | $66,270 | $48,140 | $85,890 | 1,310 |
| Michigan | $63,200 | $61,970 | $48,540 | $73,330 | 450 |
| Colorado | $62,630 | $62,040 | $42,840 | $85,110 | — |
| Arizona | $61,110 | $66,150 | $49,710 | $88,400 | 150 |
| Wyoming | $61,080 | $61,270 | $51,540 | $74,960 | 30 |
| Connecticut | $61,030 | $66,960 | $46,520 | $99,230 | 340 |
| Ohio | $60,210 | $61,250 | $44,940 | $80,180 | 310 |
| Maryland | $58,390 | $59,600 | $40,210 | $82,490 | 340 |
| North Dakota | $57,960 | $56,770 | $36,210 | $73,580 | 50 |
| Massachusetts | $57,540 | $62,380 | $42,200 | $92,870 | 260 |
| Virginia | $57,330 | $61,630 | $42,170 | $88,320 | 560 |
| Pennsylvania | $56,690 | $56,600 | $36,230 | $77,010 | 750 |
| Florida | $56,220 | $60,580 | $40,070 | $88,360 | 560 |
| Nebraska | $55,910 | $56,650 | $38,830 | $75,670 | 190 |
| Wisconsin | $55,010 | $58,580 | $46,840 | $78,370 | 430 |
| Maine | $54,500 | $56,010 | $37,480 | $72,930 | 50 |
| Texas | $54,190 | $81,870 | $33,540 | $203,440 | 1,030 |
| Kentucky | $54,030 | $53,200 | $34,090 | $73,740 | 170 |
| Missouri | $53,620 | $58,900 | $36,980 | $84,640 | 230 |
| Alabama | $52,050 | $56,460 | $41,630 | $80,540 | 200 |
| Indiana | $51,930 | $55,350 | $44,340 | $72,040 | 220 |
| Montana | $51,490 | $58,130 | $38,650 | $89,860 | 40 |
| Utah | $51,490 | $56,740 | $41,370 | $81,150 | 260 |
| Idaho | $50,960 | $54,390 | $43,710 | $72,300 | 90 |
| Iowa | $50,520 | $55,430 | $41,400 | $81,880 | 270 |
| Tennessee | $50,510 | $53,300 | $35,780 | $79,790 | 130 |
| Georgia | $50,010 | $51,290 | $28,590 | $72,830 | 410 |
| South Carolina | $49,170 | $50,570 | $30,310 | $74,960 | 140 |
| North Carolina | $48,590 | $53,680 | $39,770 | $78,230 | 480 |
| New Mexico | $47,880 | $62,190 | $41,830 | $120,160 | 90 |
| Louisiana | $47,350 | $48,730 | $32,540 | $65,000 | 170 |
| Oklahoma | $46,920 | $50,950 | $34,290 | $75,180 | 90 |
| Arkansas | $45,060 | $48,650 | $27,390 | $88,460 | 80 |
| West Virginia | $44,900 | $50,640 | $33,930 | $84,640 | 90 |
| Delaware | $42,310 | $50,940 | $40,320 | $68,540 | 70 |
| Kansas | $39,690 | $42,440 | $31,130 | $57,590 | 710 |
| Mississippi | $38,170 | $44,790 | $29,950 | $67,670 | 150 |
Recruiters and job boards use several alternate titles for recreational therapists. Knowing these variants widens your job search — listings for Activities Coordinator or Activities Therapist frequently describe the same role. The list below is a sample of the most common industry variants.
This data helps you understand how Recreational Therapists compares to others in the 29 category. Use it to make informed decisions based on verified data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0.
careers with the closest data values to Recreational Therapists
The CertifyWize editorial team aggregates and verifies careers data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0. Every statistic on this site is cross-referenced against the official source before publication, with quarterly re-verification cycles.
Read our full methodology or contact us with corrections.