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The differences between therapeutic recreation assistants and recreation specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a therapeutic recreation assistant and a recreation specialist. Additionally, a recreation specialist has an average salary of $39,186, which is higher than the $25,481 average annual salary of a therapeutic recreation assistant.
The top three skills for a therapeutic recreation assistant include patients, autism and compassion. The most important skills for a recreation specialist are CPR, customer service, and recreation programs.
| Therapeutic Recreation Assistant | Recreation Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $25,481 | $39,186 |
| Hourly rate | $12.25 | $18.84 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 3,873 | 3,288 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Therapeutic recreation assistants and recreation specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Therapeutic Recreation Assistant | Recreation Specialist | |
| Average salary | $25,481 | $39,186 |
| Salary range | Between $16,000 And $39,000 | Between $28,000 And $53,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Loveland, CO |
| Highest paying state | - | Mississippi |
| Best paying company | - | Harlem Children's Zone |
| Best paying industry | - | Hospitality |
There are a few differences between a therapeutic recreation assistant and a recreation specialist in terms of educational background:
| Therapeutic Recreation Assistant | Recreation Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Kinesiology |
| Most common college | Duke University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between therapeutic recreation assistants' and recreation specialists' demographics:
| Therapeutic Recreation Assistant | Recreation Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 26.0% Female, 74.0% | Male, 48.7% Female, 51.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 14.2% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 14.4% Asian, 5.0% White, 60.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 12.6% Unknown, 5.9% Hispanic or Latino, 15.3% Asian, 5.1% White, 60.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |