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Therapeutic Recreation Specialist salary
Average therapeutic recreation specialist salary
$46,477
How much does a therapeutic recreation specialist make?
The average therapeutic recreation specialist salary in the United States is $46,477. Therapeutic recreation specialist salaries typically range between $31,000 and $68,000 yearly. The average hourly rate for therapeutic recreation specialists is $22.34 per hour.
Therapeutic recreation specialist salary is impacted by location, education, and experience. Therapeutic recreation specialists earn the highest average salary in California.
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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
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.
- National Average
- Columbus, OH
Therapeutic Recreation Specialist salary by year
| Year | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $46,500 | $22.34 | -1.1% |
| 2024 | $47,000 | $22.58 | +0.7% |
| 2023 | $46,600 | $22.41 | +0.4% |
| 2022 | $46,400 | $22.33 | +2.7% |
| 2021 | $45,200 | $21.74 | +1.1% |
Recently added therapeutic recreation specialist salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date Added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City of Norfolk, Va | Therapeutic Recreation Specialist | Norfolk, VA | 12/13/2024 | $42,629 |
| Heartland Health | Therapeutic Recreation Specialist | Saint Joseph, MO | 12/12/2024 | $42,512 |
| Mymlc | Therapeutic Recreation Specialist | Noel, MO | 12/11/2024 | $42,512 |
| Pharmerica | Therapeutic Recreational Specialist/Ctrs | Portland, OR | 12/10/2024 | $83,480 |
| Brightspring Health Services | Therapeutic Recreational Specialist/Ctrs | Portland, OR | 12/10/2024 | $83,480 |
| Mobile County (Al | Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (City of Mobile) | Mobile, AL | 12/08/2024 | $44,735 |
| Mobile County Personnel Board | Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (City of Mobile) | Mobile, AL | 12/08/2024 | $44,735 |
| Brightspring Health Services | Therapeutic Recreation Specialist/Ctrs | Saginaw, MI | 12/01/2024 | $73,045 |
| Brightspring Health Services | Therapeutic Recreational Specialist/Ctrs | Rockland, ME | 12/01/2024 | $48,001 |
| Brightspring Health Services | Therapeutic Recreation Specialist/Ctrs | Murrieta, CA | 12/01/2024 | $93,915 |
Therapeutic Recreation Specialist salary FAQs
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