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Therapeutic recreation specialist salary
Average therapeutic recreation specialist salary
$46,477
Understanding the Salary of Therapeutic Recreation Specialists
As of October 2025, the average annual salary for a Therapeutic Recreation Specialist is estimated to be $46,477, equating to about $22 per hour. This salary can vary based on factors such as geographic location, years of experience, and the specific work environment. In states like California and New York, professionals can earn significantly higher wages, making these locations ideal for job seekers in this field.
Salary by State
Analyzing salary data across various states reveals that the highest-paying positions for Therapeutic Recreation Specialists are often found in metropolitan areas. For example, areas with a high demand for recreational services, such as urban healthcare facilities and rehabilitation centers, typically offer competitive compensation. Additionally, obtaining further certifications or advanced degrees can enhance earning potential, enabling specialists to pursue roles with greater responsibility and higher salaries.
Job Opportunities and Growth
The demand for Therapeutic Recreation Specialists continues to grow as more individuals seek therapeutic services for physical and mental health. By exploring various job boards, such as Zippia, candidates can discover a range of opportunities tailored to their skills and experience. Whether working in hospitals, community centers, or private practice, there are numerous pathways for growth in this rewarding profession.
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Where can a Therapeutic Recreation Specialist earn more?
Therapeutic recreation specialist salary estimates from across the web
Average therapeutic recreation specialist salary by state
The highest-paying states for therapeutic recreation specialists are California, Alaska, and Oregon. The lowest average therapeutic recreation specialist salary states are Kansas, Georgia, and Rhode Island.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for therapeutic recreation specialists
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $59,238 | $28.48 |
| 2 | North Dakota | $51,497 | $24.76 |
| 3 | Utah | $51,204 | $24.62 |
| 4 | New York | $54,146 | $26.03 |
| 5 | California | $60,052 | $28.87 |
| 6 | Maryland | $53,251 | $25.60 |
| 7 | Pennsylvania | $50,232 | $24.15 |
| 8 | Arizona | $45,443 | $21.85 |
| 9 | Oregon | $54,167 | $26.04 |
| 10 | New Jersey | $51,457 | $24.74 |
| 11 | Indiana | $46,502 | $22.36 |
| 12 | Hawaii | $49,482 | $23.79 |
| 13 | New Mexico | $45,884 | $22.06 |
| 14 | Mississippi | $47,397 | $22.79 |
| 15 | Idaho | $45,644 | $21.94 |
| 16 | Louisiana | $42,266 | $20.32 |
| 17 | West Virginia | $42,575 | $20.47 |
| 18 | Texas | $43,122 | $20.73 |
| 19 | Nebraska | $40,630 | $19.53 |
| 20 | Connecticut | $47,767 | $22.96 |
| 21 | Wyoming | $38,974 | $18.74 |
| 22 | Arkansas | $39,685 | $19.08 |
| 23 | Washington | $46,368 | $22.29 |
| 24 | Massachusetts | $43,187 | $20.76 |
| 25 | Michigan | $41,319 | $19.86 |
| 26 | Ohio | $42,732 | $20.54 |
| 27 | Nevada | $38,377 | $18.45 |
| 28 | Delaware | $40,059 | $19.26 |
| 29 | Virginia | $41,572 | $19.99 |
| 30 | Alabama | $37,932 | $18.24 |
| 31 | Iowa | $36,767 | $17.68 |
| 32 | New Hampshire | $41,073 | $19.75 |
| 33 | Montana | $39,278 | $18.88 |
| 34 | Maine | $40,520 | $19.48 |
| 35 | Vermont | $39,028 | $18.76 |
| 36 | Florida | $36,901 | $17.74 |
| 37 | South Dakota | $39,606 | $19.04 |
| 38 | Minnesota | $41,359 | $19.88 |
| 39 | District of Columbia | $39,244 | $18.87 |
| 40 | Colorado | $38,110 | $18.32 |
| 41 | Oklahoma | $35,316 | $16.98 |
| 42 | Kentucky | $37,783 | $18.16 |
| 43 | South Carolina | $35,849 | $17.24 |
| 44 | Illinois | $38,175 | $18.35 |
| 45 | Kansas | $34,563 | $16.62 |
| 46 | Georgia | $34,500 | $16.59 |
| 47 | North Carolina | $33,909 | $16.30 |
| 48 | Missouri | $37,504 | $18.03 |
| 49 | Tennessee | $34,402 | $16.54 |
| 50 | Wisconsin | $34,187 | $16.44 |
| 51 | Rhode Island | $34,460 | $16.57 |
Highest paying cities for therapeutic recreation specialists
The highest-paying cities for therapeutic recreation specialists are New York, NY, Baltimore, MD, and Alamogordo, NM.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York, NY | $54,850 | $26.37 |
| 2 | Baltimore, MD | $53,556 | $25.75 |
| 3 | Alamogordo, NM | $46,431 | $22.32 |
| 4 | Seattle, WA | $46,378 | $22.30 |
| 5 | Nampa, ID | $46,006 | $22.12 |
| 6 | Bloomington, IN | $44,678 | $21.48 |
| 7 | Randolph, MA | $43,576 | $20.95 |
| 8 | Austin, TX | $43,447 | $20.89 |
| 9 | Columbus, OH | $42,524 | $20.44 |
| 10 | Alexandria, LA | $42,392 | $20.38 |
| 11 | Saint Paul, MN | $41,374 | $19.89 |
| 12 | Wilmington, DE | $39,993 | $19.23 |
| 13 | North Little Rock, AR | $39,551 | $19.01 |
| 14 | Reno, NV | $39,217 | $18.85 |
| 15 | Belvidere, IL | $38,337 | $18.43 |
| 16 | Bradenton, FL | $37,259 | $17.91 |
| 17 | Henderson, KY | $36,769 | $17.68 |
| 18 | Tulsa, OK | $34,814 | $16.74 |
| 19 | Atlanta, GA | $34,563 | $16.62 |
| 20 | Beloit, WI | $33,940 | $16.32 |
Therapeutic recreation specialist salary details
A therapeutic recreation specialist's salary ranges from $31,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $68,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a therapeutic recreation specialist's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $68,000 | $5,667 | $33 |
| 75th Percentile | $56,000 | $4,667 | $27 |
| Average | $46,477 | $3,873 | $22 |
| 25th Percentile | $38,000 | $3,167 | $18 |
| 10th Percentile | $31,000 | $2,583 | $15 |
Highest paying therapeutic recreation specialist jobs
The highest paying types of therapeutic recreation specialists are director of therapeutic activities, rehabilitation therapist, and certified recreational therapist.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Treatment Coordinator | $41,699 | $3,475 | $20.05 | 19,510 |
| Activity Therapist | $54,001 | $4,500 | $25.96 | 25,092 |
| Recreation Therapist | $55,992 | $4,666 | $26.92 | 54,263 |
Top companies hiring therapeutic recreation specialists now:
Which companies pay therapeutic recreation specialists the most?
Therapeutic recreation specialist salaries at LCMC Health and Ciena Healthcare are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average therapeutic recreation specialist salary at companies like One Brooklyn Health and Elizabeth Seton Children's are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | LCMC Health | $62,090 | $29.85 |
| 2 | Ciena Healthcare | $60,190 | $28.94 |
| 3 | One Brooklyn Health | $59,765 | $28.73 |
| 4 | Elizabeth Seton Children's | $59,206 | $28.46 |
| 5 | Gerald Champion Regional Medical Center | $57,600 | $27.69 |
| 6 | Mohawk Valley Health System | $53,982 | $25.95 |
| 7 | Forsyth County | $52,546 | $25.26 |
| 8 | Touro College | $51,092 | $24.56 |
| 9 | LifeBridge Health | $48,184 | $23.17 |
| 10 | Phelps Health Foundation | $47,210 | $22.70 |
| 11 | City of Reno | $46,620 | $22.41 |
| 12 | Acadia Healthcare | $46,602 | $22.40 |
| 13 | Casa Colina | $46,430 | $22.32 |
| 14 | Haven Behavioral Healthcare | $46,224 | $22.22 |
| 15 | Sessions Lisa K MD | $46,191 | $22.21 |
| 16 | Medical Billing | $46,184 | $22.20 |
| 17 | Boston Higashi School | $44,766 | $21.52 |
| 18 | Seattle Children's Healthcare System | $44,551 | $21.42 |
| 19 | The New Jewish Home | $44,524 | $21.41 |
| 20 | Hire Velocity | $43,474 | $20.90 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Therapeutic recreation specialist salary trends
The average therapeutic recreation specialist salary has risen by $6,478 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average therapeutic recreation specialist earned $39,999 annually, but today, they earn $46,477 a year. That works out to a 3% change in pay for therapeutic recreation specialists over the last decade.
Compare therapeutic recreation specialist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average therapeutic recreation specialist salary over time
Compare therapeutic recreation specialist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Therapeutic recreation specialist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $46,500 | $22.34 | -1.1% |
| 2025 | $47,000 | $22.58 | +0.7% |
| 2024 | $46,600 | $22.41 | +0.4% |
| 2023 | $46,400 | $22.33 | +2.7% |
| 2022 | $45,200 | $21.74 | +1.1% |
Recently added therapeutic recreation specialist salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Arc of Northeast Indiana Inc. | Certified Theraputic Recreation Specialist | Fort Wayne, IN | 06/29/2025 | $45,914 |
| Res-Care, Inc. | Therapeutic Recreation Specialist/Ctrs | Pasadena, CA | 06/28/2025 | $93,915 |
| Monument Health | Therapeutic Recreation Specialist | Behavioral Health | Rapid City, SD | 06/28/2025 | $49,003 |
| City of Charleston, Sc | Recreation Specialist-Therapeutic Programs | Charleston, SC | 06/26/2025 | $39,819 |
| University of Maryland Medical Center Baltimore Washington | Therapeutic Recreation Specialist III | Largo, MD | 06/19/2025 | $57,267 |
| Elizabeth Seton Children\\\\U2019S | Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist | Yonkers, NY | 06/18/2025 | $62,400 |
| Montgomery County | Inclusion Services and Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (Recreation Specialist, Grade 21) | Wheaton, MD | 06/15/2025 | $68,501 |
| Ohe Ohnh Emp | Recreational Therapist, Ctrs-Certified Therapeutic Recreational Specialist/Mt-Bc | Canton, OH | 06/13/2025 | $50,088 |
| City of Hoover | Recreation Specialist-Therapeutics | Hoover, AL | 06/12/2025 | $40,738 |
| Brightspring Health Services | Therapeutic Recreation Specialist/Ctrs | Rancho Cucamonga, CA | 06/10/2025 | $93,915 |
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