May 2019 data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reveals that there were just over 19,000 recreational therapists (RTs) employed in the United States. Recreational therapists are employed in varied healthcare settings, including hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, and continuing care retirement communities. While most recreational therapist jobs require a bachelors degree and particular technical skills, the wage scale for RTs is marginally lower than for workers in most occupations in the United States. In fact, according to BLS estimates, as of May 2019 the national mean salary for RTs was $51,130 per year, slightly less than the $53,490 annual mean wage for workers in all occupations. That said, RT pay varies widely from region-to-region, with practitioners in some regions making 75% more than their peers in other regions of the country. This salary disparity is readily seen in BLS data from May 2019, which reveals the following about recreational therapist pay in the top 20 metro markets in the United States:
| Metropolitan Area | # Employed | Annual Mean Wages | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York-Newark-Jersey City | 1,360 | $59,750 | ||
| 2 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | 510 | $72,740 | ||
| 3 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | 590 | $48,700 | ||
| 4 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | 480 | $42,190 | ||
| 5 | Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land | 370 | $46,050 | ||
| 6 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria | 390 | $56,170 | ||
| 7 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach | 160 | $51,890 | ||
| 8 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | 620 | $44,380 | ||
| 9 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta | 240 | $46,950 | ||
| 10 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler | N/A | $53,620 | ||
| 11 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton | 600 | $59,210 | ||
| 12 | San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley | 120 | $74,200 | ||
| 13 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | 170 | $79,780 | ||
| 14 | Detroit-Warren-Dearborn | 330 | $49,700 | ||
| 15 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue | 130 | $68,180 | ||
| 16 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington | 240 | $57,590 | ||
| 17 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | 150 | $62,770 | ||
| 18 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater | N/A | $46,080 | ||
| 19 | Denver-Aurora-Lakewood | 130 | $45,820 | ||
| 20 | St. Louis | 200 | $54,150 | ||
| National | 19,070 | $51,130 | |||
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data extracted on January 1, 2021