Recreational therapists

Detailed Occupation

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2021 Workforce

15.9k

Average Age

41.5

Estimated Job Growth

8.54%

10-year projection

Average Salary

$44,841

Average Male Salary

$44,776

Average Female Salary

$44,858

About

Recreational therapists are most often employed by the General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals industry. The average yearly wage for Recreational therapists was $44,841 in 2021.

The locations that employ the most Recreational therapists are Spanish Fork, Springville, Lehi (Northeast) & Highland Cities PUMA, UT. The locations with a relatively high concentration of Recreational therapists are Spanish Fork, Springville, Lehi (Northeast) & Highland Cities PUMA, UT.

Photo by Robert Bejil

Management, business, science, & arts occupations Healthcare practitioners & technical occupations

Employment and salary information for the Recreational therapists workforce. Recreational therapists workforce in 2021 was 15,935 people, of which 79.2% were women and 20.8% were men. Recreational therapists are paid most in Spanish Fork, Springville, Lehi (Northeast) & Highland Cities PUMA, UT but are relatively concentrated in Spanish Fork, Springville, Lehi (Northeast) & Highland Cities PUMA, UT.

Employment Over Time

Metric

Grouping

3,309

Male Workforce

± 1.41k

12,626

Female Workforce

± 2.76k

The Recreational therapists workforce in 2021 was 15,935 people (79.2% women and 20.8% men). This implies an average annual growth of 39.6% between 2014 (11,411) and 2021 (15,935).

Employment by Location

Level

Metric

This map shows the states in the United States shaded by average wage for Recreational therapists.

During 2021, the states that concentrated the best average annual wage were Indiana ($165,234), Washington ($103,598), and California ($59,016).

Yearly Wage Ranking

$44,841

AVERAGE WAGE

#338 in the ranking (2021)

$59,596

NATIONAL AVERAGE WAGE

For all occupations across the US

In 2021, Recreational therapists earned an average of $44,841, $14,754 less than the average national salary of $59,596

The graph shows the ranking of Recreational therapists in relation to all Detailed Occupation in 2021.

Wage Distribution

Gender

0.312

WAGE GINI

In 2021, Recreational therapists had a wage GINI coefficient of 0.312, which is lower than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly for Recreational therapists (shown in red) than for the overall labor force (shown in gray).

The graphic shows the distribution of average salaries by buckets for Recreational therapists compared to the entire workforce in the country.

Industry

Information on the industries that employ Recreational therapists and on wages for those in the field. General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals is the industry that employs the most Recreational therapists, both by share and by number, though the highest paid industry for Recreational therapists, by average wage, is Offices of other health practitioners ($102,741).

Occupations by Industries

Metric

Value

15.9k

2021 Workforce

± 3,099

10.4%

1 YEAR GROWTH

± 25.6%

This graphic shows the share of Recreational therapists employed by various industries. General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals employs the largest share of Recreational therapists at 38.9%, followed by Nursing Care Facilities with 34.8% and Residential care facilities, except skilled nursing facilities with 26.3%.

Diversity

Demographic information on Recreational therapists in the US. The workforce of Recreational therapists in 2021 was 15,935 people, with 79.2% woman, and 20.8% men. The average age of male Recreational therapists in the workforce is 41.2 and of female Recreational therapists is 41.6, and the most common race/ethnicity for Recreational therapists is White.

Gender and Age

Metric

The workforce of Recreational therapists in 2021 was 15,935 people, with 79.2% woman, and 20.8% men.

The age ranges that concentrated the largest workforce were 25 to 29 years (2,531 people), 21 to 24 years (1,952 people), and 30 to 34 years (1,887 people). Among them they concentrated 41% of the total workforce.

Ethnicity

Gender

In 2021, 7.65% of Recreational therapists workers were Hispanic and 92.4% non-Hispanic.

The treemap shows the distribution of Hispanic workers according to their origin, highlighting Mexican (78.7%) and Puerto Rican (21.3)%

You can review this information by gender using the selectors above.

Races

In 2021, 74% of the Recreational therapists workforce were White, of which 78.9% were women and 21.1% men. Other races that concentrated a significant number of workers were Black (13.5%) and Asian (5.08%).

Education & Skills

Data on higher education choices for Recreational therapists from The Department of Education and Census Bureau. The most common major for Recreational therapists is Health but the most specialized major according to RCA in 2021 were Parks, Recreation, & Leisure.

Among the necessary skills for Recreational therapists, Social Perceptiveness stands, but the revealed comparative advantage (RCA) shows that Recreational therapists need more than the average amount of Operations Analysis.

Majors

ACS PUMS data only shows the major for bachelor's degrees. However, we can filter the data based on highest degree obtained.

Type of Majors

Degree

The most common majors achieved by Recreational therapists in 2021 (counting all academic degrees) were Health (5,321 people), Parks, Recreation, & Leisure (1,173 people), and Education (773 people).

You can review this information for different academic grades by modifying the option selected in the selector above.

Education Levels

Metric

The main educational levels achieved by the Recreational therapists workers were Bachelors Degree (9,157 people), Graduate Degree (2,460 people), and High School or Equivalent (1,631 people).

The graphic shows the Recreational therapists workforce by gender and educational level.

Skills

Chart

Value

Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for Recreational therapists from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Recreational therapists need many skills, but most especially Social Perceptiveness, Active Listening, Service Orientation.

Projections

Projections on job growth for Recreational Therapists from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The 10-year national workforce is projected to grow 3.71%, but Recreational Therapists are expected to see a growth of 8.54% over the same period. This occupation is expected to grow more than the national average.

Job Growth

8.54%

Estimated Job Growth

10-year Projection

3.71%

National Growth

10-year Projection

This line chart shows the projected 10-year growth in the number of jobs for Recreational therapists. This profession is expected to grow more than than 3.71%, the average rate of national job growth.