Director of recreation therapy vs recreation therapist

The differences between directors of recreation therapy and recreation therapists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a director of recreation therapy, becoming a recreation therapist takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a director of recreation therapy has an average salary of $165,498, which is higher than the $55,992 average annual salary of a recreation therapist.

The top three skills for a director of recreation therapy include rehabilitation, occupational therapy and interdisciplinary. The most important skills for a recreation therapist are patients, CTRS, and mental health.

Director of recreation therapy vs recreation therapist overview

	Director Of Recreation Therapy	Recreation Therapist
Yearly salary	$165,498	$55,992
Hourly rate	$79.57	$26.92
Growth rate	10%	4%
Number of jobs	17,746	54,263
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 72%	Bachelor's Degree, 76%
Average age	42	43
Years of experience	4	12

Director of recreation therapy vs recreation therapist salary

Directors of recreation therapy and recreation therapists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Director Of Recreation Therapy	Recreation Therapist
Average salary	$165,498	$55,992
Salary range	Between $87,000 And $314,000	Between $36,000 And $85,000
Highest paying City	-	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	-	California
Best paying company	-	Cottage Health
Best paying industry	-	Education

Differences between director of recreation therapy and recreation therapist education

There are a few differences between a director of recreation therapy and a recreation therapist in terms of educational background:

	Director Of Recreation Therapy	Recreation Therapist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 72%	Bachelor's Degree, 76%
Most common major	Rehabilitation Science	Rehabilitation Science
Most common college	SUNY College at Cortland	California State University - Long Beach

Director of recreation therapy vs recreation therapist demographics

Here are the differences between directors of recreation therapy' and recreation therapists' demographics:

	Director Of Recreation Therapy	Recreation Therapist
Average age	42	43
Gender ratio	Male, 27.3% Female, 72.7%	Male, 27.5% Female, 72.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.5% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 14.9% Asian, 5.7% White, 61.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 6.5% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 10.2% Asian, 3.3% White, 74.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	8%	9%

Differences between director of recreation therapy and recreation therapist duties and responsibilities

Director of recreation therapy example responsibilities.

Manage activity and progress reports including statistical data require by regulators, initial assessments, MDS and IDC documentation.
Work with mentally ill, physical rehabilitation, Alzheimer's, dementia, and HIV/AIDS affect residents of facility.
Design architecture and lay-out of rehabilitation room and surrounding patio.
Plan and direct medically approve recreation program for patients in hospitals and other institutions.
Maintain and continually restructure the Alzheimer's unit separate sensory room utilize for auditory, visual, olfactory and tactile stimulation.
Manage annual MWR budget aboard the ship, to encompass monetary intake of over $1million.

Recreation therapist example responsibilities.

Manage ventilator care, intubation, arterial line placement, mechanical ventilation, BIPAP, and CPAP.
Evaluate assigned patients to assess and document the need for therapeutic recreational interventions in order to attain rehabilitation goals.
Obtain ABG samples when need, EKG analysis, and oxygen therapy to patients.
Support the CTRS in planning and implementation of in- house events and community outings.
Organize and facilitate programs for TBI survivors and their families.
Use patient prefer music to apply NMT protocols into sessions.

Director of recreation therapy vs recreation therapist skills

Common director of recreation therapy skills

Rehabilitation, 15%
Occupational Therapy, 14%
Interdisciplinary, 14%
Patients, 12%
Recreational Therapy, 11%
Physical Therapy, 11%

Common recreation therapist skills

Patients, 27%
CTRS, 11%
Mental Health, 7%
Rehabilitation, 7%
Patient Care, 6%
CPR, 4%

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Director Of Recreation Therapy
Director Of Recreation Therapy vs Recreation Therapist

Updated January 8, 2025

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