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Activity specialist salary
Average activity specialist salary
$15.8
Understanding the Activity Specialist Salary
The role of an Activity Specialist typically involves planning and implementing recreational programs for various populations, including children, the elderly, or individuals with disabilities. As of October 2025, the average salary for this position is $32,860 per year. Factors such as years of experience, specific job responsibilities, and industry choice contribute significantly to salary variations.
Salary by State
Salaries for Activity Specialists can vary widely across different states. For instance, states like California and New York often offer higher wages compared to others due to the cost of living and demand for skilled professionals in these areas. It's essential to research the local job market to understand potential earnings better.
Industries and Opportunities
Activity Specialists can find positions in various sectors, including education, healthcare, and community services. Each industry may offer distinct salary ranges, with healthcare roles typically providing higher compensation. Exploring job openings in these fields can lead to lucrative opportunities.
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Where can an Activity Specialist earn more?
Activity specialist salary estimates from across the web
Average activity specialist salary by state
The highest-paying states for activity specialists are California, Oregon, and North Dakota. The lowest average activity specialist salary states are Kansas, Oklahoma, and Delaware.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for activity specialists
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Dakota | $40,387 | $19.42 |
| 2 | Indiana | $36,480 | $17.54 |
| 3 | Maine | $37,472 | $18.02 |
| 4 | Alaska | $38,755 | $18.63 |
| 5 | Oregon | $41,068 | $19.74 |
| 6 | New York | $39,616 | $19.05 |
| 7 | Idaho | $35,532 | $17.08 |
| 8 | Nevada | $36,483 | $17.54 |
| 9 | Utah | $39,552 | $19.02 |
| 10 | Maryland | $37,390 | $17.98 |
| 11 | Pennsylvania | $35,779 | $17.20 |
| 12 | California | $41,674 | $20.04 |
| 13 | Massachusetts | $35,990 | $17.30 |
| 14 | West Virginia | $32,125 | $15.44 |
| 15 | Mississippi | $37,808 | $18.18 |
| 16 | Nebraska | $32,731 | $15.74 |
| 17 | Connecticut | $36,523 | $17.56 |
| 18 | Arkansas | $32,442 | $15.60 |
| 19 | New Hampshire | $35,771 | $17.20 |
| 20 | Vermont | $35,257 | $16.95 |
| 21 | Arizona | $32,490 | $15.62 |
| 22 | Ohio | $32,233 | $15.50 |
| 23 | Washington | $35,577 | $17.10 |
| 24 | New Jersey | $37,148 | $17.86 |
| 25 | Wyoming | $30,776 | $14.80 |
| 26 | Hawaii | $33,354 | $16.04 |
| 27 | New Mexico | $33,523 | $16.12 |
| 28 | Michigan | $31,235 | $15.02 |
| 29 | Alabama | $31,096 | $14.95 |
| 30 | Florida | $29,358 | $14.11 |
| 31 | Iowa | $29,042 | $13.96 |
| 32 | South Dakota | $30,899 | $14.86 |
| 33 | Louisiana | $29,342 | $14.11 |
| 34 | Minnesota | $32,341 | $15.55 |
| 35 | Kentucky | $30,817 | $14.82 |
| 36 | Virginia | $29,791 | $14.32 |
| 37 | Texas | $29,163 | $14.02 |
| 38 | Kansas | $28,146 | $13.53 |
| 39 | Delaware | $28,012 | $13.47 |
| 40 | Georgia | $28,775 | $13.83 |
| 41 | Missouri | $30,941 | $14.88 |
| 42 | Colorado | $30,115 | $14.48 |
| 43 | Montana | $30,323 | $14.58 |
| 44 | South Carolina | $29,732 | $14.29 |
| 45 | Illinois | $29,709 | $14.28 |
| 46 | Tennessee | $28,761 | $13.83 |
| 47 | Oklahoma | $28,140 | $13.53 |
| 48 | District of Columbia | $27,664 | $13.30 |
| 49 | Rhode Island | $27,541 | $13.24 |
| 50 | North Carolina | $27,036 | $13.00 |
| 51 | Wisconsin | $26,458 | $12.72 |
Highest paying cities for activity specialists
The highest-paying cities for activity specialists are San Francisco, CA, New York, NY, and Anchorage, AK.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $42,133 | $20.26 |
| 2 | New York, NY | $39,689 | $19.08 |
| 3 | Anchorage, AK | $38,892 | $18.70 |
| 4 | Baltimore, MD | $37,491 | $18.02 |
| 5 | Brick, NJ | $37,290 | $17.93 |
| 6 | New Haven, CT | $36,583 | $17.59 |
| 7 | New Bedford, MA | $36,333 | $17.47 |
| 8 | Canton, OH | $32,758 | $15.75 |
| 9 | Lincoln, NE | $32,657 | $15.70 |
| 10 | Lansing, MI | $31,162 | $14.98 |
| 11 | Littleton, CO | $30,132 | $14.49 |
| 12 | Virginia Beach, VA | $29,756 | $14.31 |
| 13 | Glen Ellyn, IL | $29,755 | $14.31 |
| 14 | Lafayette, LA | $29,522 | $14.19 |
| 15 | Jacksonville, FL | $29,505 | $14.19 |
| 16 | Austin, TX | $29,347 | $14.11 |
| 17 | Knoxville, TN | $29,069 | $13.98 |
| 18 | Atlanta, GA | $28,921 | $13.90 |
| 19 | Norman, OK | $28,114 | $13.52 |
| 20 | Raleigh, NC | $27,313 | $13.13 |
Activity specialist salary details
An activity specialist's salary ranges from $24,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $44,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is an activity specialist's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $44,000 | $3,667 | $21 |
| 75th Percentile | $38,000 | $3,167 | $18 |
| Average | $32,860 | $2,738 | $16 |
| 25th Percentile | $28,000 | $2,333 | $13 |
| 10th Percentile | $24,000 | $2,000 | $12 |
Highest paying activity specialist jobs
The highest paying types of activity specialists are director of therapeutic activities, rehabilitation therapist, and certified recreational therapist.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Treatment Coordinator | $41,699 | $3,475 | $20.05 | 19,510 |
| Recreation Therapist | $55,992 | $4,666 | $26.92 | 54,263 |
| Activity Coordinator | $35,309 | $2,942 | $16.98 | 20,364 |
| Activity Therapist | $54,001 | $4,500 | $25.96 | 25,092 |
Top companies hiring activity specialists now:
Which companies pay activity specialists the most?
Activity specialist salaries at Credit Suisse and NBCUniversal are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average activity specialist salary at companies like Univision Communications and University Settlement are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Credit Suisse | $45,273 | $21.77 |
| 2 | NBCUniversal | $44,214 | $21.26 |
| 3 | Univision Communications | $43,260 | $20.80 |
| 4 | University Settlement | $41,398 | $19.90 |
| 5 | SAP | $41,166 | $19.79 |
| 6 | Spectrum | $40,979 | $19.70 |
| 7 | L3Harris | $40,667 | $19.55 |
| 8 | Keurig Dr Pepper | $40,599 | $19.52 |
| 9 | Hoffmann-LA Roche Inc | $39,440 | $18.96 |
| 10 | Activision Blizzard | $39,104 | $18.80 |
| 11 | DuPont | $38,536 | $18.53 |
| 12 | US Foods | $37,968 | $18.25 |
| 13 | City of Jacksonville | $37,947 | $18.24 |
| 14 | Green Mountain Coffee Roasters | $37,675 | $18.11 |
| 15 | Mediacom Communications | $37,117 | $17.84 |
| 16 | Brattleboro Retreat | $36,820 | $17.70 |
| 17 | Leidos | $36,664 | $17.63 |
| 18 | Ericsson | $36,622 | $17.61 |
| 19 | Erickson Senior Living | $36,517 | $17.56 |
| 20 | Esf, Inc. | $36,433 | $17.52 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Activity Specialist salary by industry
The average activity specialist salary varies across industries:
- The average activity specialist salary in the education industry is $33,838, the highest of any industry.
- The average activity specialist salary in the finance industry is $33,132.
- Activity specialists in the non profits industry earn an average salary of $28,980, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for activity specialists
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Education | $33,838 | $16.27 |
| 2 | Telecommunication | $33,132 | $15.93 |
| 3 | Health Care | $32,403 | $15.58 |
| 4 | Government | $31,960 | $15.37 |
| 5 | Professional | $31,943 | $15.36 |
| 6 | Non Profits | $28,980 | $13.93 |
High paying activity specialist jobs
Activity specialist salary trends
The average activity specialist salary has risen by $4,580 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average activity specialist earned $28,280 annually, but today, they earn $32,860 a year. That works out to a 3% change in pay for activity specialists over the last decade.
Compare activity specialist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average activity specialist salary over time
Compare activity specialist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Activity specialist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $32,900 | $15.80 | -1.1% |
| 2024 | $33,200 | $15.97 | +0.7% |
| 2023 | $33,000 | $15.85 | +0.4% |
| 2022 | $32,800 | $15.79 | +2.7% |
| 2021 | $32,000 | $15.37 | +1.1% |
Recently added activity specialist salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| State of Ohio | Activity Therapy Specialist 2 | Toledo, OH | 06/29/2025 | $50,422 |
| Union Settlement | Activity Specialist | New York, NY | 06/29/2025 | $41,740 |
| State of Kansas | Activity Specialist I | Leavenworth, KS | 06/29/2025 | $45,100 |
| Atria Senior Living | Memory Care Activity Specialist | Irvine, CA | 06/26/2025 | $37,566 |
| Wellpath | Activity Specialist | Columbia, SC | 06/26/2025 | $35,479 |
| Hemet Unified School District-L.A | ) Classroom Activity Specialist @ Valley Schools | Work Hours: Between Hours Per Day | Hemet, CA | 06/26/2025 | $41,928 |
| Family Health West | Activity Specialist-Memory Care | Fruita, CO | 06/26/2025 | $36,523 |
| Harlem Childrens Zone | Activity Specialist | New York, NY | 06/25/2025 | $52,175 |
| Lower Valley Hospital Association | Activity Specialist-Memory Care | Fruita, CO | 06/24/2025 | $36,523 |
| Catholic Community Svcs Foundation | Day Support Activities Specialist | Woodburn, OR | 06/23/2025 | $35,562 |
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