How To Become A Director Of Therapeutic Recreation: What It Is and Career Path

What is a director of therapeutic recreation and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

The average director of therapeutic recreation salary is $83,906. The most common degree is a bachelor's degree degree with an rehabilitation science major. It usually takes 2-4 years of experience to become a director of therapeutic recreation. Directors of therapeutic recreation with a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS) certification earn more money. Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 10% and produce 28,100 job opportunities across the U.S.

ScoreDirector Of Therapeutic RecreationUS Average

Salary

6.6

Avg. Salary $83,906

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

9.1

Growth rate 10%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

9.9

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.67%

Asian 5.12%

Black or African American 11.56%

Hispanic or Latino 15.53%

Unknown 5.57%

White 61.54%

Gender

female 79.56%

male 20.44%

Age - 43

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 43

Stress level

9.1

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

7.9

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

7.5

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a director of therapeutic recreation

Explore director of therapeutic recreation education requirements

Most common director of therapeutic recreation degrees

Bachelor's

68.5 %

Master's

12.4 %

Associate

11.4 %

Start to develop specific director of therapeutic recreation skills

Skills	Percentages
Patients	28.10%
Rehabilitation	14.45%
Interdisciplinary	8.72%
Patient Care	6.81%
Long-Term Care	6.05%

Complete relevant director of therapeutic recreation training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New directors of therapeutic recreation learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a director of therapeutic recreation based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real director of therapeutic recreation resumes.

Research director of therapeutic recreation duties and responsibilities

Manage 12 staff in a 250-bed , 7-unit skil nursing and rehabilitation facility.
Manage day to day operations of the therapeutic recreation program for inpatient and outpatient physical rehabilitation patients.
Manage activity and progress reports including statistical data require by regulators, initial assessments, MDS and IDC documentation.
Plan and implement activities calendar for both long term care and short term rehabilitation residents.

Get director of therapeutic recreation experience

Generally, it takes 2-4 years to become a director of therapeutic recreation. The most common roles before becoming a director of therapeutic recreation include recreation therapist, therapeutic recreation specialist team lead and internship.

Prepare your director of therapeutic recreation resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your director of therapeutic recreation resume.

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