Recreational Therapist Job Outlook
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of recreational therapists to grow 4.8% from 2025 to 2035 (about 800 more jobs), with about 1,400 openings a year, and the May 2025 median pay of $61,960 a year ranks 404th of 825 occupations.
- Projected change
- +4.8%
- Openings a year
- 1,400
- Median pay
- $61,960
- Pay rank
- 404th of 825
Is employment of recreational therapists growing or shrinking?
Growing: BLS projects employment of recreational therapists to rise 4.8% (about 800 more jobs) from 2025 to 2035, faster than the 3.5% projected across all occupations. That is slower than the +8.0% summed from BLS's employment levels across the 71 healthcare practitioners and technical occupations with a projection. That change ranks 251st of 830 projected occupations.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Employment, 2025 | 15,600 |
| Employment, 2035 | 16,300 |
| Projected change | +4.8% |
| Openings a year | 1,400 |
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035. A projection is a BLS estimate, not a count. The 15,600 jobs here differ from the 14,930 on the salary page because Employment Projections also counts the self-employed and a wider set of workers, while OEWS counts wage and salary jobs in May 2025. BLS published these projections on August 27, 2026; checked November 10, 2026. Confirm any figure in the BLS Employment Projections tables.
BLS's reasons for this projection are at the Occupational Outlook Handbook. State projections are at Projections Central; projections by industry are left to BLS. Education, licensing and work context at O*NET.
How many job openings are there each year?
About 1,400 openings a year, from job growth and from workers leaving the occupation, the 605th most of 830 occupations. About 94% of them replace workers who change occupations or leave the labor force; the rest come from the 80 jobs added in an average year.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035.
How does pay for recreational therapists rank?
The median of $61,960 a year ranks 404th of 825 occupations with a published median. It sits in the upper half of occupations on pay and the lower half on openings.
Source: BLS OEWS national file, May 2025. Wage and salary jobs only; the self-employed are not counted. OEWS pay excludes overtime, shift differentials and non-production bonuses. Ranks count only the occupations with that published figure: 830 for projected change, 830 for openings, 825 for median pay, which is why the totals differ.
What does it take to start?
- Typical entry-level education: bachelor's degree.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, education and training assignments.
How do related jobs compare on outlook?
| Occupation | Change | Openings a year | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psychiatric Technicians | +22.3% | 17,000 | $45,130 |
| Occupational Therapists | +14.8% | 10,000 | $100,330 |
| Physical Therapists | +11.9% | 13,400 | $102,760 |
| Therapists, All Other | +12.6% | 3,600 | $77,930 |
| Physicians, All Other | +3.4% | 9,400 | $265,930 |
| Registered Nurses | +5.6% | 180,800 | $97,550 |
| Psychiatrists | +7.2% | 900 | $281,870 |
| Occupational Therapy Assistants | +21.5% | 8,100 | $72,300 |
Related occupations from O*NET; projections from BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035; pay from BLS OEWS, May 2025.