CompSignalCompSignal

Recreational Therapists Salary - BLS OEWS Wage Benchmarks

SOC 29-1125 · National · May 2025 OEWS Data

Median Annual Salary
$61,963
$29.79/hr
Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated May 18, 2026

Is this a competitive Recreational Therapists salary in 2026?

Based on BLS OEWS wage percentiles, JOLTS June 2026 demand signals, and ECI Q2 2026 wage growth.

$Competitive · ~P50
P10$41K
P25$50K
P50$62K
P75$80K
P90$100K
Drag the dot or type an amount above.
🔥
Demand: HOT. Demand is hot -- health care job openings are running at 5.3% (JOLTS, June 2026), a tight market. Candidates have leverage, so a competitive offer sits at or above the median; below-median offers often will not close.
📈
Merit budget: Wages in health care are rising about 3.6% a year (BLS ECI, Q2 2026). Budget a 3.2-3.7% merit increase to hold this role at market.
Our read
For a competitive 2026 offer, target $61,963 to $79,934 (market median to the 75th percentile). Lean toward the top of the range for senior or hard-to-fill roles.
Figures are market benchmarks from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; apply professional judgment before making pay decisions.

How Recreational Therapists pay is moving in 2026

Trend, demand, and spread context from BLS OEWS, JOLTS, and ECI

Pay trend

Median pay for this role rose 2.8% between the May 2024 and May 2025 BLS surveys, trailing the 3.6% wage growth of Health Care & Social Assistance (BLS ECI).

Hiring demand · HOT

Health Care & Social Assistance is running a 5.3% job-openings rate with quits at 1.9% (BLS JOLTS). Demand has cooled for 2 straight months (6.1% down to 5.3%).

Pay spread

Top earners (P90) make about 2.4 times what entry-level (P10) workers make in this role. That spread is in the typical range for U.S. occupations; standard 80% to 120% pay bands around the median work well.

What changed recently
  • Aug 4, 2026JOLTS June 2026: sector openings fell from 5.9% to 5.3% (down 147K), the sharpest monthly cooling this year, though still the second-tightest market.
  • Jul 31, 2026ECI Q2 2026: sector wages growing 3.6% per year, the fastest of any major sector. Health benefit costs rose 6.0% nationally.

Commentary is generated from published BLS figures (OEWS May 2025 vs May 2024, JOLTS June 2026, ECI Q2 2026) and refreshed each release. It is interpretation, not a BLS product.

Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026
Next refresh: May 2027
Get notified when this number updates
Personal or work email, both work. No account needed. Unsubscribe anytime.

The national median salary for Recreational Therapists is $61,963 per year ($29.79/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $50,253 and $79,934 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $100,422 per year. There are approximately 14,930 recreational therapists employed in the United States.

About This Role

BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018

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.

Career Outlook

BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+3.3%
About as fast as average
Annual openings
1K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
16K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
4% from new growth96% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
Bachelor's degree
Experience
None
On-the-job training
None

Industry Wage Breakdown

Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
IndustryWorkforce Median Pay
Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals
NAICS 622200
3K$63,780
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
NAICS 622100
2K$63,930
State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999200
2K$66,620
Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities)
NAICS 623100
1K$51,870
Continuing Care Retirement Communities and Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly
NAICS 623300
1K$47,470
Wage range across top 5 industries: $47,470 to $66,620 (40% spread)

Wage Percentiles

Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
PercentileHourly RateAnnual Salary
P10$19.71$40,997
P25$24.16$50,253
P50MEDIAN$29.79$61,963
P75$38.43$79,934
P90$48.28$100,422

Market Context Signal

JOLTS · health sector
Hot
Openings Rate
5.3%
Quits Rate
1.9%

Health Care & Social Assistance openings fell 147K to 1.35M in June, rate down from 5.9% to 5.3% -- the sector's biggest monthly cooling this year, though it remains the second-tightest market. Quits edged up to 1.9%; compensation pressure persists for clinical roles.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average recreational therapists salary?

The national median salary for Recreational Therapists is $61,963 per year ($29.79/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $50,253 and $79,934 annually.

How much do top-earning recreational therapists make?

The 90th percentile salary for Recreational Therapists is $100,422 per year ($48.28/hr). The 75th percentile is $79,934 per year.

What is the entry-level salary for recreational therapists?

Entry-level Recreational Therapists (10th percentile) earn approximately $40,997 per year ($19.71/hr). The 25th percentile is $50,253 per year.

Related Salary Data

Compare with other occupations
Registered Nurses29-1141$98K/yrLicensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses29-2061$64K/yrPharmacy Technicians29-2052$46K/yrPhysicians, All Other29-1229$266K/yrClinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians29-2010$63K/yrBrowse all 770+ occupations →

Recreational Therapists Salary by State

Top 5 states by employment
California1,920 workersNew York1,230 workersTexas800 workersPennsylvania720 workersKansas710 workers

About This Data

Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.

P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.

Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.

Next OEWS release: May 2027Verify on BLS.gov →

About CompSignal

CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.

Built and maintained by Falcon Incentives, a compensation strategy and incentive design consultancy.

Open the full app →About Falcon Incentives →Privacy Policy
Explore more occupations on CompSignal →

Free BLS wage benchmarks, JOLTS talent signals, and AI analyst briefs

CompSignal by Falcon Incentives · BLS data, made usable · Verify on BLS.gov