Rehabilitation therapist vs recreational therapy technician

The differences between rehabilitation therapists and recreational therapy technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a rehabilitation therapist and a recreational therapy technician. Additionally, a rehabilitation therapist has an average salary of $67,287, which is higher than the $45,332 average annual salary of a recreational therapy technician.

The top three skills for a rehabilitation therapist include rehabilitation, patients and mental health. The most important skills for a recreational therapy technician are developmental disabilities, , and .

Rehabilitation therapist vs recreational therapy technician overview

	Rehabilitation Therapist	Recreational Therapy Technician
Yearly salary	$67,287	$45,332
Hourly rate	$32.35	$21.79
Growth rate	4%	4%
Number of jobs	37,156	16,487
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 64%	Bachelor's Degree, 73%
Average age	43	43
Years of experience	12	12

Rehabilitation therapist vs recreational therapy technician salary

Rehabilitation therapists and recreational therapy technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Rehabilitation Therapist	Recreational Therapy Technician
Average salary	$67,287	$45,332
Salary range	Between $39,000 And $115,000	Between $30,000 And $67,000
Highest paying City	Petaluma, CA	-
Highest paying state	New Jersey	-
Best paying company	Dignity Health	-
Best paying industry	Health Care	-

Differences between rehabilitation therapist and recreational therapy technician education

There are a few differences between a rehabilitation therapist and a recreational therapy technician in terms of educational background:

	Rehabilitation Therapist	Recreational Therapy Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 64%	Bachelor's Degree, 73%
Most common major	Psychology	Psychology
Most common college	California State University - Long Beach	California State University - Long Beach

Rehabilitation therapist vs recreational therapy technician demographics

Here are the differences between rehabilitation therapists' and recreational therapy technicians' demographics:

	Rehabilitation Therapist	Recreational Therapy Technician
Average age	43	43
Gender ratio	Male, 28.4% Female, 71.6%	Male, 35.7% Female, 64.3%
Race ratio	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%	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	9%	9%

Differences between rehabilitation therapist and recreational therapy technician duties and responsibilities

Rehabilitation therapist example responsibilities.

Provide PSR services to clients with mental illness in order to help them achieve the highest standard of living possible.
Administer cognitive rehabilitation therapy to traumatic brain injure patients through exercises design to improve memory and other global functions.
Maintain documentation of patients' participation and strength-base progress within group and individual therapy in accordance with regulatory standards.
Write patient assessments, and develop patient rehabilitation programs that better monitor the patients progress by including individualize treatment goals/objectives.
Implement management of assaultive behavior classes and CPR for staff, as well as proctoring new employees.
Identify presenting/existing barriers that impede adequate social-functioning and goal-attainment with the purpose of connecting patients to adequate resources within a community.

Recreational therapy technician example responsibilities.

Implement and plan activities, written by CTRS.
Prepare materials for assessments and provide assistance to individuals through hands-on methods and direct contact observations by assisting the rehabilitation supervisor.
Redesign gazebo for accessible gardening activities.

Rehabilitation therapist vs recreational therapy technician skills

Common rehabilitation therapist skills

Rehabilitation, 22%
Patients, 20%
Mental Health, 12%
Social Work, 7%
Patient Care, 4%
Physical Therapy, 4%

Common recreational therapy technician skills

Developmental Disabilities, 100%

Rehabilitation Therapist vs. similar jobs

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Rehabilitation Therapist
Rehabilitation Therapist vs Recreational Therapy Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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