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What is a therapeutic recreation assistant and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
The average therapeutic recreation assistant salary is $25,481. The most common degree is a bachelor's degree degree with an psychology major. It usually takes 2-4 years of experience to become a therapeutic recreation assistant. Therapeutic recreation assistants 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.
ScoreTherapeutic Recreation AssistantUS Average
Salary
2.0

Avg. Salary $25,481

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level
9.1

Growth Rate 10%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity
10.0
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.66%

Asian 4.98%

Black or African American 14.19%

Hispanic or Latino 14.41%

Unknown 5.56%

White 60.20%

Gender

female 73.97%

male 26.03%

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

Therapeutic Recreation Assistant career paths

Key steps to become a therapeutic recreation assistant

  1. Explore therapeutic recreation assistant education requirements

    Most common therapeutic recreation assistant degrees

    Bachelor's

    64.7 %

    Associate

    13.4 %

    High School Diploma

    7.5 %
  2. Start to develop specific therapeutic recreation assistant skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Patients18.11%
    Autism11.22%
    Compassion8.83%
    Data Collection8.01%
    Patient Care7.91%
  3. Complete relevant therapeutic recreation assistant training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New therapeutic recreation assistants 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 therapeutic recreation assistant based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real therapeutic recreation assistant resumes.
  4. Research therapeutic recreation assistant duties and responsibilities

    • Manage one-on-one and group social and physical sessions with long-term nursing and short-term rehabilitation residents
    • PAR train & CPR certify.
    • Used CPR skills and other medical skills to treat many different situations.
    • Specialize in the Alzheimer's lock care unit and plan daily therapeutic activities for residents.
  5. Prepare your therapeutic recreation assistant resume

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

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a therapeutic recreation assistant resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose From 10+ Customizable Therapeutic Recreation Assistant Resume templates

    Build a professional Therapeutic Recreation Assistant resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Therapeutic Recreation Assistant resume.
    Therapeutic Recreation Assistant Resume
    Therapeutic Recreation Assistant Resume
    Therapeutic Recreation Assistant Resume
    Therapeutic Recreation Assistant Resume
    Therapeutic Recreation Assistant Resume
    Therapeutic Recreation Assistant Resume
    Therapeutic Recreation Assistant Resume
    Therapeutic Recreation Assistant Resume
    Therapeutic Recreation Assistant Resume
  6. Apply for therapeutic recreation assistant jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a therapeutic recreation assistant job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How Did You Land Your First Therapeutic Recreation Assistant Job

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Average therapeutic recreation assistant salary

The average Therapeutic Recreation Assistant salary in the United States is $25,481 per year or $12 per hour. Therapeutic recreation assistant salaries range between $16,000 and $39,000 per year.

Average Therapeutic Recreation Assistant Salary
$25,481 Yearly
$12.25 hourly

What Am I Worth?

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How do therapeutic recreation assistants rate their job?

5/5

Based On 1 Ratings

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Therapeutic Recreation Assistant reviews

profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2019
Pros

learning about the residents


profile
5.0
A zippia user wrote a review on May 2019
Pros

Interacting with my Residents hearing their stories .

Cons

I love what I do to be able provided and encourage my resident to engage in activities ,spare there life experiences and stories its amazing They have become my other family.


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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