Healthcare · Career brief

Recreational Therapists

Is it a good career to pursue?

The 30-second read

Recreational Therapists at a glance

Six signals to look at before you spend time on the full guide.

1Pay

$61,960

Middle-of-the-pack pay

2025 national median. Near the middle of ChooseField careers for pay.

2Demand

4.8%

Steady projected growth

Projected employment growth for 2025–2035. Above the middle of ChooseField careers for growth.

3Openings

1,400

Relatively fewer openings

Average openings per year in 2025–2035, including replacement hiring. Below the middle of ChooseField careers for openings.

4Route in

Bachelor's degree

A bachelor's degree is typically expected

Bachelor's degree. Prior related work is not typically required.

5The work

People-centered

Helping, teaching, or working directly with people matters

Instruct patient in activities and techniques, such as sports, dance, music, art, or relaxation techniques, designed to meet their specific physical or psychological needs.

6The catch

Know this first

What could make this a poor fit

This is a small national occupation (15,600 jobs in 2025), so location and employer concentration can matter more than the national median suggests.

ChooseField take

The national benchmarks are mixed, so the work itself and the route in matter more than any standout pay or demand signal. It makes the most sense if people-centered work appeals to you and you are comfortable with a bachelor's-degree path. Main tradeoff: This is a small national occupation (15,600 jobs in 2025), so location and employer concentration can matter more than the national median…

Before choosing, compare:Dietitians and Nutritionists Registered Nurse Exercise Physiologists

National labor-market measures: BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. Work-profile signals: O*NET. See sources and caveats.

Compare Recreational Therapists with another field Explore rankings in Healthcare Open shareable infographic

Want the evidence behind the snapshot?

Market and path

Pay, outlook, and the route in

National median pay (2025)

$61,960

A midpoint for workers nationwide, not a starting salary.

2025–2035 outlook

4.8%employment growth1,400openings per year

Openings include replacement hiring, not only newly created jobs.

Typical entry route

Bachelor's degree

BLS reports the usual education, related experience, and on-the-job training, not a guaranteed minimum for every employer.

2025 employment

15,600

A small national occupation; local availability may be uneven.

Source: BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 occupational projections ↗ · Recreational therapists (29-1125).

Actual responsibilities

What you would be trusted to own

Selected O*NET task statements, not a list of traits that applies to almost every career.

Instruct patient in activities and techniques, such as sports, dance, music, art, or relaxation techniques, designed to meet their specific physical or psychological needs.
Conduct therapy sessions to improve patients' mental and physical well-being.
Observe, analyze, and record patients' participation, reactions, and progress during treatment sessions, modifying treatment programs as needed.
Obtain information from medical records, medical staff, family members and the patients, themselves, to assess patients' capabilities, needs and interests.

Decision-changing realities

What could make this a poor fit

This is a small national occupation (15,600 jobs in 2025), so location and employer concentration can matter more than the national median suggests.
The work routinely happens in close physical proximity to other people; personal space is limited.
The helping mission includes documentation, direct care, and safety-critical routines where a missed detail can affect a patient.

Work profile

What the work emphasizes

O*NET importance scores. Bars are relative to the highest score shown within this chart.

Assisting and Caring for Others4.9
Thinking Creatively4.5
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships4.5
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates4.4
Documenting/Recording Information4.3

Interest profile

Career interests

O*NET interest scores describe work someone may enjoy, not personality requirements. Bars are relative to the highest score shown within this chart.

Relative mix of the interest scores below, not percentages of your workday.

Social6.8
Investigative4.3
Realistic3.7
Artistic2.9
Conventional2.7
Enterprising2.5

Preparation

What the training must make you competent at

Subject matter

Psychology Therapy and Counseling Sociology and Anthropology Medicine and Dentistry

Before choosing the major or training

Run a cheaper test first

Try an approved first-aid, CPR, patient-care, or health-science workshop. Use supervised training or simulation only.
Ask an early-career worker which beginner task consumes the most time, what makes new hires quit, and what school or training failed to simulate.

The fuller career guide

How the evidence fits together

Pay and demand: reading the benchmark

The pay and outlook figures describe Recreational therapists nationally. They do not establish the salary or number of vacancies available in your area.

Median pay is the middle wage across workers, not a starting offer. Projected openings include replacements as well as growth; neither measure predicts an individual worker's job security.

Before choosing a program

O*NET lists Active Listening, Speaking, Critical Thinking among this occupation's skills. Ask a program to show the assignments, supervised practice, and assessment that develop these skills. Compare those examples with local job descriptions.

Common questions

Questions people ask about this career

Can I enter this occupation without related work experience?

BLS does not assign a related-experience requirement to the occupation. Employers may still ask for placements, supervised practice, a portfolio, or experience with particular tools. Check entry-level vacancies separately from experienced roles.

What should I check before paying for training?

Get the full prerequisite and completion timeline, total cost, placement arrangements, and any licensing eligibility in writing. Ask local employers whether they hire graduates from the route you are considering and whether paid training is available.

Adjacent options