Play therapist demographics and statistics in the US
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Play therapist demographics by:
Play therapist gender statistics
88.1% of play therapists are women and 11.9% of play therapists are men.
- Female, 88.1%
- Male, 11.9%
Play therapist gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Female | 88.1% |
| Male | 11.9% |
Play therapist gender pay gap
Women earn 98¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$90,711
Female income
$88,744
Play therapist gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in play therapist positions over time. Currently, 88.1% of play therapists are female.
Play therapist gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 17.73% | 82.27% |
| 2011 | 16.68% | 83.32% |
| 2012 | 16.54% | 83.46% |
| 2013 | 16.39% | 83.61% |
| 2014 | 15.77% | 84.23% |
| 2015 | 15.81% | 84.19% |
| 2016 | 15.11% | 84.89% |
| 2017 | 14.67% | 85.33% |
| 2018 | 15.34% | 84.66% |
| 2019 | 9.72% | 90.28% |
| 2020 | 13.67% | 86.33% |
| 2021 | 11.91% | 88.09% |
Play therapist related jobs gender ratio
We compared play therapists with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, public health worker and rehabilitation engineer have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Breastfeeding Educator | 2% | 98% |
| Certified Lactation Counselor | 3% | 97% |
| Lactation Specialist | 5% | 95% |
| Play Therapist | 12% | 88% |
| Donation Worker | 70% | 30% |
| Rehabilitation Engineer | 70% | 30% |
| Public Health Worker | 81% | 19% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Play therapist demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among play therapists is White, which makes up 68.5% of all play therapists. Comparatively, 13.9% of play therapists are Hispanic or Latino and 7.0% of play therapists are Black or African American.
- White, 68.5%
- Hispanic or Latino, 13.9%
- Black or African American, 7.0%
- Unknown, 5.5%
- Asian, 4.6%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
Play therapist race
| Play therapist race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 68.5% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 13.9% |
| Black or African American | 7.0% |
| Unknown | 5.5% |
| Asian | 4.6% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.5% |
Play therapist race and ethnicity over time
See how play therapist racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Play therapist race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 70.45% | 15.69% | 2.72% | 8.31% |
| 2011 | 69.57% | 15.56% | 2.82% | 8.79% |
| 2012 | 68.76% | 15.46% | 2.62% | 9.65% |
| 2013 | 69.18% | 15.73% | 2.66% | 9.33% |
| 2014 | 68.78% | 15.39% | 2.79% | 9.76% |
| 2015 | 69.46% | 14.13% | 3.09% | 10.11% |
| 2016 | 68.87% | 14.04% | 2.98% | 10.56% |
| 2017 | 69.66% | 14.06% | 2.85% | 10.41% |
| 2018 | 76.40% | 10.25% | 3.11% | 8.39% |
| 2019 | 76.56% | 7.66% | 2.39% | 10.77% |
| 2020 | 71.95% | 7.01% | 3.66% | 13.72% |
| 2021 | 68.51% | 6.97% | 4.57% | 13.94% |
Play therapist wage gap by race
According to our data, hispanic or latino play therapists have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american play therapists have the lowest average salary at $85,803.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $91,289 |
| White | $92,343 |
| Black or African American | $85,803 |
| Asian | $90,716 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $93,603 |
Average play therapist age
See how the average age of play therapists varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Play therapist age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown | 39.5 | |
| White | 38 | 39 |
| Black or African American | 39.5 | |
| Hispanic or Latino | 36.5 |
Play therapist age breakdown
The average age of play therapists is 40+ years years old, representing 45% of the play therapist population.
Play therapist age breakdown
| Play Therapist Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 45% |
| 30-40 years | 39% |
| 20-30 years | 16% |
Play therapist educational attainment
The most common degree for play therapists is bachelor's degree, with 58% of play therapists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 30% and master's degree degree at 8%.
- Bachelor's, 58%
- Master's, 30%
- Associate, 8%
- High School Diploma, 2%
- Other Degrees, 2%
Play therapists by degree level
| Play therapist degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 58% |
| Master's | 30% |
| Associate | 8% |
| High School Diploma | 2% |
| Other Degrees | 2% |
Play therapist jobs you might like
Play therapist wage gap by degree level
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $94,464 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $87,798 |
Play therapist employment statistics
Most play therapists work for a private in the health care industry.
Company size where play therapists work
Below, you can see the size of companies where play therapists work.
Play therapist jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 9% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 27% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 34% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 10% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 15% |
| > 10,000 employees | 5% |
Play therapist jobs by company type
Employees with the play therapist job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most play therapists prefer to work at private companies over education companies.
Play therapist jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 27% |
| Public | 4% |
| Private | 58% |
| Government | 12% |
Play therapist jobs by industry
The most common industries for play therapists are health care, education and professional.
Play therapist industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Health Care | 21% |
| Education | 19% |
| Professional | 15% |
| Non Profits | 11% |
| Government | 7% |
| Manufacturing | 7% |
| Technology | 5% |
| Pharmaceutical | 3% |
| Finance | 3% |
| Hospitality | 3% |
| Retail | 3% |
| Media | 1% |
| Real Estate | 1% |
| Construction | 1% |
| Insurance | 1% |
Play therapist turnover and employment statistics
Play therapist unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for play therapists between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Play therapist unemployment rate by year
| Year | Play therapist unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 5.18% |
| 2011 | 5.42% |
| 2012 | 4.84% |
| 2013 | 4.91% |
| 2014 | 3.67% |
| 2015 | 3.13% |
| 2016 | 3.01% |
| 2017 | 2.42% |
| 2018 | 2.97% |
| 2019 | 1.10% |
| 2020 | 2.38% |
| 2021 | 1.88% |
Average play therapist tenure
The average play therapist stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 274 play therapists resumes in Zippia's database.
Play therapist tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 30% |
| 1-2 years | 37% |
| 3-4 years | 10% |
| 5-7 years | 7% |
| 8-10 years | 8% |
| 11+ years | 7% |
Play therapist LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of play therapists that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Play Therapist | 6.02% | - |
| HIV Counselor | 8.96% | 34,058 |
| Correctional Probation Officer | 9.50% | 55,885 |
| Sexual Assault Social Worker | 11.25% | 42,731 |
| Disability Services Coordinator | 11.48% | 115,235 |
| Crisis Intervention Counselor | 15.06% | 30,988 |
| Mental Health Worker | 15.06% | 144,879 |
Similar play therapist jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| HIV Counselor | 8.96% | 34,058 |
| Correctional Probation Officer | 9.50% | 55,885 |
| Sexual Assault Social Worker | 11.25% | 42,731 |
| Disability Services Coordinator | 11.48% | 115,235 |
| Crisis Intervention Counselor | 15.06% | 30,988 |
| Mental Health Worker | 15.06% | 144,879 |
Foreign languages spoken by play therapists
The most common foreign language among play therapists is Spanish at 75.0%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is Swedish at 5.0% and Kurdish is the third-most popular at 5.0%.
- Spanish, 75.0%
- Swedish, 5.0%
- Kurdish, 5.0%
- Vietnamese, 5.0%
- French, 5.0%
- Other, 5.0%
Play therapist languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 75.0% |
| Swedish | 5.0% |
| Kurdish | 5.0% |
| Vietnamese | 5.0% |
| French | 5.0% |
| Other | 5.0% |