The median Recreational Therapist salary is $30.00 per hour, or $62,400 per year, based on 170 job postings across 44 states. Compare pay by location, employer, shift, and contract type.
$30.00
Median hourly
$62,400
Annual salary
$24-$50
Pay range
44
States tracked
Salary guide
A typical Recreational Therapist earns $30.00/hr, with most posted roles landing between $25.50 and $41.25/hr.
Recent posted pay is up, with the last 30 days showing +6.9% movement versus the prior period.
Compare locations before accepting an offer, especially when travel stipends or weekend differentials are included.
30-day market pulse
Compare the most recent 30 days of job postings against the previous 30 days. Use this as a quick read on whether pay and hiring volume are moving together.
Posted pay
+6.9%
Current median: $31.00/hr
Prior period: $29.00/hr
Job openings
+29.1%
71 recent postings
Previous period: 55 postings
Daily pay signal
$45.00/hr latest
Year-over-year
Building
We are collecting enough historical Recreational Therapist postings to show a reliable year-over-year pay comparison.
Pay is moving up even though posting volume changed. Recent listings are showing a median of $31.00/hr, up from $29.00/hr.
Pay range
The middle band is usually the most useful offer benchmark. The 10th and 90th percentiles show the broader market floor and ceiling.
Entry / low
$23.50
$48,880/yr
Median
$30.00
$62,400/yr
Top earners
$50.00
$104,000/yr
MARKET TRENDS
Month-over-month median hourly pay and posting volume.
| Month | Median Hourly | Postings |
|---|---|---|
Apr 2026Current | $30.50/hr | 70 |
Mar 2026 | $29.00/hr | 56 |
Feb 2026 | $28.50/hr | 22 |
Jan 2026 | $33.50/hr | 13 |
Dec 2025 | $30.00/hr | 4 |
Nov 2025 | $27.00/hr | 5 |
BY LOCATION
See how pay varies across the country. Ranked by job volume.
Estimated from national data
~$28.62
—
Estimated from national data
~$29.65
—
9 postings · 3 companies
$28.50
$29-$29
Estimated from national data
~$30.43
—
33 postings · 23 companies
$34.00
$30-$45
5 postings · 4 companies
$31.50
$29-$32
5 postings · 3 companies
$25.50
$26-$27
Estimated from national data
~$29.59
—
Estimated from national data
~$26.75
—
Estimated from national data
~$26.61
—
Estimated from national data
~$32.37
—
Estimated from national data
~$29.94
—
Estimated from national data
~$28.02
—
6 postings · 5 companies
$25.75
$25-$28
Estimated from national data
~$30.54
—
Estimated from national data
~$32.36
—
Estimated from national data
~$31.67
—
Estimated from national data
~$30.59
—
Estimated from national data
~$30.67
—
Estimated from national data
~$32.00
—
Estimated from national data
~$26.98
—
Estimated from national data
~$26.76
—
6 postings · 5 companies
$33.75
$30-$35
Estimated from national data
~$30.61
—
Estimated from national data
~$34.34
—
Estimated from national data
~$26.33
—
Estimated from national data
~$34.02
—
Estimated from national data
~$34.07
—
Estimated from national data
~$26.34
—
Estimated from national data
~$33.13
—
Estimated from national data
~$28.91
—
Estimated from national data
~$32.72
—
11 postings · 10 companies
$24.00
$22-$26
7 postings · 2 companies
$24.50
$25-$25
Estimated from national data
~$30.43
—
Estimated from national data
~$28.71
—
Estimated from national data
~$34.38
—
Estimated from national data
~$33.55
—
Estimated from national data
~$29.81
—
Estimated from national data
~$28.07
—
Estimated from national data
~$34.33
—
Estimated from national data
~$28.52
—
Estimated from national data
~$33.69
—
12 postings · 6 companies
$50.00
$47-$53
Estimated from national data
~$29.09
—
Estimated from national data
~$32.35
—
Estimated from national data
~$26.69
—
Estimated from national data
~$32.70
—
Estimated from national data
~$32.20
—
Estimated from national data
~$26.76
—
Estimated from national data
~$28.41
—
Est.Estimated values are based on national averages.
BY EMPLOYER
See which companies pay the most and least for Recreational Therapist positions.
Community Health And Wellness, Llc
7 postings
$52.50/hr
Collage Rehabilitation Partners
6 postings
$45.00/hr
Crestwood Behavioral Health
5 postings
$42.50/hr
Unknown
7 postings
$30.00/hr
Banner Health
7 postings
$28.50/hr
Unc Health
6 postings
$24.50/hr
Banner Health
7 postings
$28.50/hr
Unknown
7 postings
$30.00/hr
Crestwood Behavioral Health
5 postings
$42.50/hr
Collage Rehabilitation Partners
6 postings
$45.00/hr
RELATED POSITIONS
| Job Title | Postings | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Recreational Therapist | 21 | $32.00/hr |
| Recreation Therapist | 20 | $34.50/hr |
| Recreational Therapist (ctrs)-neuro-prn | 6 | $45.00/hr |
| Therapeutic Recreation Specialist | 5 | $25.50/hr |
| Certified Recreational Therapist | 5 | $35.00/hr |
| Therapeutic Recreational Therapist Behavioral Health | 4 | $28.50/hr |
| Director Of Recreation | Recreation Therapist | 3 | $37.50/hr |
| Recreational Therapist Ii | 3 | $26.00/hr |
| Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist | 3 | $20.00/hr |
| Recreational Therapist Behavioral Health | 3 | $28.50/hr |
PAY FACTORS
How shift type, contract length, and employment type impact Recreational Therapist salaries.
FAQ
The median Recreational Therapist salary is $30.00 per hour, or $62,400 annually. Pay ranges from $23.50/hr (10th percentile) to $50.00/hr (90th percentile) depending on location, experience, and employer.
Based on 170 job postings, the highest paying states for Recreational Therapists include Texas, California, Michigan. Pay rates vary based on cost of living, demand, and state regulations.
There are currently 170 Recreational Therapist job postings across 44 states, from 106 different healthcare employers.
Recreational Therapist pay varies based on geographic location, years of experience, certifications, shift differentials (nights/weekends), employment type (travel vs. staff), facility type, and specialized skills. Travel contracts typically pay higher hourly rates.
Recreational Therapist pay is currently trending upward. Over the past 30 days, median hourly rates increased 6.9%.
Recreational Therapist pay varies by specialty and setting. Travel positions typically pay $11.25 to $20.00 more per hour than staff positions. Night shifts and weekend differentials also increase earnings.
Recreational Therapist pay varies by location based on cost of living, local demand, and facility type. Urban areas typically pay more but have higher living costs.
Entry-level Recreational Therapists typically earn around $23.50 to $25.50 per hour ($48,880 to $53,040 annually). With experience, pay increases toward the median of $30.00/hr.
DATA METHOD
Source
Based on 170 active postings with listed compensation for Recreational Therapist. We prioritize postings with explicit hourly or annual pay and exclude rows without usable compensation signals from salary percentiles.
Range
Percentiles show the spread of posted pay, not a guaranteed offer or take-home pay after taxes. State and city views use available market observations and label estimated values when direct samples are limited.
Freshness
Current dataset window: 2025-11-01 to 2026-04-30. Recent trend cards compare the latest posting window with the prior period so short-term pay movement is separated from the full historical median.
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