Recreational therapists

Detailed Occupation

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2020 Workforce

14.4k

Average Age

41.5

Estimated Job Growth

8.54%

10-year projection

Average Salary

$40,805

Average Male Salary

$42,241

Average Female Salary

$40,421

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 $40,805 in 2016. The top 3 most similar occupations to Recreational therapists by wage are Interpreters and translators, Licensed practical & licensed vocational nurses, and Photographers.

Recreational therapists are part of the Healthcare practitioners & technical occupations, along with Chiropractors, Dentists, Dietitians & nutritionists, Optometrists, Pharmacists, and 37 more.

The top 3 locations that employ the most Recreational therapists are Spanish Fork, Springville, Lehi (Northeast) & Highland Cities PUMA, UT. The top 3 locations with a relatively high concentration of Recreational therapists are Spanish Fork, Springville, Lehi (Northeast) & Highland Cities PUMA, UT.

Photo by Robert Bejil

Employment

Information on the businesses and industries that employ Recreational therapists and on wages and locations 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. Recreational therapists are paid most in Islip Town (East) PUMA, NY but are relatively concentrated in Spanish Fork, Springville, Lehi (Northeast) & Highland Cities PUMA, UT.

Yearly Wage

$40,805

AVERAGE SALARY

± $6,292

In 2020, Recreational therapists earned an average of $40,805, $15,149 less than than the average national salary of $55,954.

Interpreters and translators make somewhat more than Recreational therapists while Photographers make somewhat less. This chart shows the various occupations closest to Recreational therapists as measured by average annual salary in the US.

Wage Distribution

0.283

WAGE GINI

In 2015, Recreational therapists had a wage GINI coefficient of 0.283, which is lower than 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).

Wage by Location

HIGHEST PAYING PUMAS

This map shows the Public Use Microdata Areas (PUMAs) in the United States shaded by average annual wage for Recreational therapists.

Spatial Concentration

Spanish Fork, Springville, Lehi (Northeast) & Highland Cities PUMA, UT

PUMAs with a Relatively High Concentration of Recreational therapists

This map displays which Public Use Microdata Areas (PUMAs) in the United States have a relatively high population of Recreational therapists.

Most Common

The most common industries employing Recreational therapists, by number of employees, are General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals, Nursing Care Facilities, Residential care facilities, except skilled nursing facilities, Outpatient care centers, Individual & family services, Psychiatric and substance abuse hospitals, Justice, public order, & safety activities , Offices of other health practitioners, Administration of human resource programs, Civic, social, advocacy organizations, & grantmaking & giving services, and Amusement & Recreation.

Highest Paying

The highest paying industries for Recreational therapists, by average wage, are Offices of other health practitioners, Administration of human resource programs, and Justice, public order, & safety activities .

Industries by Share

14.4k

2020 Workforce

± 2,950

11.9%

1 YEAR GROWTH

± 26.6%

The number of people employed as Recreational therapists has been growing at a rate of 11.9%, from 12,906 people in 2019 to 14,440 people in 2020.

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 25.9%, followed by Nursing Care Facilities with 18.4% and Residential care facilities, except skilled nursing facilities with 14.1%.

Diversity

Demographic information on Recreational therapists in the US. The average age of male Recreational therapists in the workforce is 41.4 and of female Recreational therapists is 41.5, and the most common race/ethnicity for Recreational therapists is White (Non-Hispanic).

Composition by Sex

3.05k

MALE WORKFORCE

± 1,355

11.4k

FEMALE WORKFORCE

± 2,620

78.9% of Recreational therapists are Female, making them the more common sex in the occupation. This chart shows the sex breakdown of Recreational therapists.

Race & Ethnicity

Most Common Race or Ethnicity of Recreational therapists

White (Non-Hispanic)
Black (Non-Hispanic)
Asian (Non-Hispanic)

72.5% of Recreational therapists are White (Non-Hispanic), making that the most common race or ethnicity in the occupation. Representing 14.3% of Recreational therapists, Black (Non-Hispanic) is the second most common race or ethnicity in this occupation. This chart shows the racial and ethnic breakdown of Recreational therapists.

Age by Sex

41.4

AVERAGE MALE AGE

± 6.71

41.5

AVERAGE FEMALE AGE

± 3.41

The median age of Recreational therapists is 41.5, and Male employees are generally 0.097 years younger than than their Female counterparts.

Education

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 a relatively high number of Recreational therapists hold a major in Parks, Recreation, & Leisure.

Majors

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

MOST COMMON MAJORS

MOST SPECIALIZED MAJORS

Skills

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, and Service Orientation. The revealed comparative advantage (RCA) shows that Recreational therapists need more than the average amount of Operations Analysis, Service Orientation, and Instructing.

Radar Distribution

Bar Chart

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.