How to hire an activity therapist

How to hire an activity therapist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step activity therapist hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an activity therapist job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new activity therapist
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The activity therapist hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   An activity therapist's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, activity therapists from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   Here's a comparison of activity therapist salaries for various roles:

   Type of Activity Therapist	Description	Hourly rate
   Activity Therapist	Recreational therapists plan, direct, and coordinate recreation-based treatment programs for people with disabilities, injuries, or illnesses. Recreational therapists use a variety of modalities, including arts and crafts, drama, music, dance, sports, games, and community reintegration field trips to help maintain or improve a patient’s physical, social, and emotional well-being.	$17-37
   Treatment Coordinator	A Treatment Coordinator is responsible for assisting the doctors and other medical professionals in performing treatment procedures and administering medications for the patients. Treatment Coordinators manage administrative duties, such as scheduling medical appointments, discussing the treatment plans to the patients, updating medical information on the database, and processing payments for the medical procedures... Show more	$14-25
   Music Therapy Internship	In a music therapy internship, an intern's duties primarily depend on the directives of a manager or supervising staff. Typically, they are responsible for gaining industry insights and practical experience while performing support tasks such as answering calls and correspondence, preparing and processing documents, conducting research and analysis, setting-up instruments and other devices, and running errands as needed... Show more	$10-29

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Patients
   • Mental Health
   • Rehabilitation
   • Treatment Programs
   • CPR
   • Recreational Therapy
   • Patient Care
   • Art Therapy
   • Social Work
   • Music Therapy
   • Community Outings
   • Relaxation Techniques
   • Crisis Intervention
   • Treatment Sessions

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage ventilator care, intubation, arterial line placement, mechanical ventilation, BIPAP, and CPAP.
   • Organize and participate in treatment programs and activities that facilitate clients' rehabilitation to help integrate back into the community.
   • Work with rehabilitation service's program coordinator to plan treatment programs that facilitate clients' rehabilitation through social and environmental interventions.
   • Show love and compassion, always in a happy mood.
   • Provide therapy for children on the autism spectrum in their homes.
   • Supervise children with autism, schizophrenia, and the mentally challenge.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your activity therapist job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. An activity therapist can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, activity therapists' average salary in wisconsin is 44% less than in oregon.
   • Seniority. Entry-level activity therapists 53% less than senior-level activity therapists.
   • Certifications. An activity therapist with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in an activity therapist's salary.

   Average activity therapist salary

   $54,001yearly

   $25.96 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level activity therapist salary

   $37,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 17, 2025

4. Writing an activity therapist job description

   An activity therapist job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of an activity therapist job description:

   Activity therapist job description example

   You should have a Bachelor’s Degree in Art, Music, Therapeutic Recreation, Occupational Therapy, or a related discipline - or HS Diploma and equivalent. Three (3) years clinical experience in a psychiatric setting, with at least one year experience applying activity therapy methods and techniques.

   Make a difference in the Treasure Valley and surrounding communities. Our employees enjoy:

   • A strong company culture - We hold ourselves to the highest ethical standards, focus 100% on optimizing patient outcomes and emphasize our core values: excellence, passion, respect and stewardship.
   • An enjoyable work environment - You'll experience a family-like atmosphere, strong teamwork and leader accessibility. Smaller department size allows you the opportunity to have a greater impact and promotes an open and engaged staff.
   • A challenging career path - Joining our team is a career choice that allows you to create your own opportunities and cultivate a passion for the services provided while working through challenges. Our employees are exposed to several different areas of patient care and hospital operations.
   • Competitive compensation and benefits - Our pay philosophy places us above market pay and compliments our benefits package making Cottonwood Creek Behavioral Hospital an attractive opportunity.

   Our newest team members are saying…
   
   “…amazing staff – very welcoming and helpful!”

   “…orientation and training was wonderful and organized.”

   “...warm and open attitude and approach with both staff and patients.”

   “…fun introduction to leadership team; great company message.”

   “…very positive atmosphere; I was never a burden with my questions.”

   “...management is patient; offers tons of support.”

   Come join us!

   As mandated by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) all employees and regular contractors of Cottonwood Creek are required to obtain the COVID-19 Vaccine or receive approval for an exception prior to date of hire.

   Haven Behavioral Healthcare is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace dedicated to pursuing and hiring a diverse workforce.

   
   

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right activity therapist for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with activity therapists they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit activity therapists who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your activity therapist job on Zippia to find and recruit activity therapist candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with activity therapist candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new activity therapist

   Once you've found the activity therapist candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new activity therapist. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire an activity therapist?