Recreational Therapists

Summary

What Recreational Therapists Do About this section

Recreational therapists engage patients in therapeutic activities, such as swimming.

Recreational therapists plan, direct, and coordinate recreation-based medical treatment programs to help maintain or improve patients’ physical, social, and emotional well-being. These therapists use a variety of techniques, including art expression; drama, music, and dance; sports and games; aquatics; and community outings.

Duties

Recreational therapists typically do the following:

• Assess patients’ needs through observation, medical records, tests, and discussions with other healthcare workers and patients and their families
• Develop and implement treatment plans that meet patients’ goals and interests
• Engage patients in therapeutic activities, such as exercise, games, and community outings
• Help patients learn social skills needed to become or remain independent
• Help patients to reduce and cope with stress, anxiety, or depression
• Document and analyze a patient’s progress to ensure that their goals are met and to modify treatment as needed

Recreational therapists use recreation-based medical treatment to help people reduce depression, stress, and anxiety; recover basic physical and mental abilities; build confidence; and socialize effectively.

Recreational therapists are trained to use interventions to help patients of all ages. For example, they may help people with physical disabilities by teaching them adaptive sports. Therapists also may inform people about how to use community resources and participate in recreational activities.

These therapists also help people improve their mental health. They may provide interventions to help patients develop social and coping skills for managing their depression or anxiety.

Therapists may work with physicians or surgeons, registered nurses, psychologists, social workers, physical therapists, teachers, or occupational therapists. Recreational therapists are different from recreation workers, who organize recreational activities primarily for enjoyment.

Work Environment About this section

Therapy may be provided in a clinical setting or out in a community.

Recreational therapists held about 16,600 jobs in 2023. The largest employers of recreational therapists were as follows:

Recreational therapists work in an office setting for planning or other administrative activities, such as patient assessment, but they also may travel when working with patients. Therapy may be provided in a clinical or community setting. For example, therapists may take their patients to recreation centers or parks for sports and other activities.

Some therapists spend a lot of time standing when actively working with patients. They also may need to physically assist patients or lift heavy objects, such as wheelchairs.

Injuries and Illnesses

Recreational therapists have one of the highest rates of injuries and illnesses of all occupations. Injuries may occur due incidents such as overexertion and exposure to diseases, viruses, or harmful substances. Workers reduce the risk of injury by following safety procedures and practices, such as using proper exercise form and adhering to personal hygiene guidelines in shared environments.

Work Schedules

Most recreational therapists work full time. Some recreational therapists work evenings and weekends to meet the needs of their patients.

How to Become a Recreational Therapist About this section

Most recreational therapists need a bachelor’s degree in recreational therapy or a related field.

Recreational therapists typically need a bachelor’s degree to enter the occupation. Employers may require or prefer therapists to be certified.

Education

Recreational therapists typically need a bachelor’s degree in a healthcare field, such as recreational therapy, or in recreation and fitness.

Recreational therapy programs include courses in physiology, human anatomy, and psychology. Bachelor’s degree programs usually include an internship.

Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations

Employers may require or prefer recreational therapists to be certified. The National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification (NCTRC) offers the Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS) credential. Candidates may qualify for certification in more than one way. For example, one option requires a bachelor’s degree in recreational therapy, completing a supervised internship, and passing an exam. Another option also requires passing an exam but allows candidates with a bachelor’s degree in an unrelated subject to qualify with a combination of education and work experience. In order to maintain certification, therapists must either pass an exam or complete work experience and continuing education requirements after a specified number of years.

The NCTRC also offers certification in specialization area designations, including adaptive sports and recreation, behavioral health, and developmental disabilities. Therapists also may earn certificates from other organizations to show proficiency in specific therapy techniques, such as aquatic therapy or aromatherapy.

A small number of states require recreational therapists to be licensed or certified. For specific requirements, contact a state’s licensing board.

Some employers prefer to hire recreational therapists who have basic life support (BLS) or cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) certification.

Important Qualities

Communication skills. Recreational therapists need to give clear instructions during activities or for healthy coping techniques. They also must write clearly in documenting patient progress.

Compassion. Recreational therapists may deal with people who are in pain, so they should be empathetic when providing support to patients and their families.

Leadership skills. Recreational therapists must be engaging and able to motivate patients to participate in a variety of therapeutic activities.

Listening skills. Recreational therapists must pay attention to patients’ concerns in order to determine an appropriate course of treatment.

Patience. Recreational therapists may work with patients who require more time and special attention than do others.

Resourcefulness. Recreational therapists must be both creative and flexible when customizing treatment plans and adapting activities or programs to meet patients' needs.

Pay About this section

The median annual wage for recreational therapists was $60,280 in May 2024. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $39,520, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $96,600.

In May 2024, the median annual wages for recreational therapists in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:

Most recreational therapists work full time. Some recreational therapists work evenings and weekends to meet the needs of their patients.

Job Outlook About this section

Employment of recreational therapists is projected to grow 4 percent from 2023 to 2033, about as fast as the average for all occupations.

About 1,400 openings for recreational therapists are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.

Employment

Demand for recreational therapists is expected to increase in some industries. For example, psychiatric facilities use recreational therapy as a key component of treatment for people struggling with mental illness or addiction. Recreational therapists will be needed to help these patients regain their physical and mental health and to support them in their recovery.

In addition, as large numbers of the U.S. population move into older age groups, more people will need recreational therapists to help them maintain and improve their functional abilities. Therapists also will be needed to help healthy seniors remain social, active, and independent in their communities as they age. However, funding challenges around the provision of recreational therapy services in some settings, such as nursing homes, may dampen demand for the occupation.

State & Area Data About this section

Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)

The Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program produces employment and wage estimates annually for over 800 occupations. These estimates are available for the nation as a whole, for individual states, and for metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas. The link below goes to OEWS data maps for employment and wages by state and area. Use the dropdown boxes to select an occupation.

• Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) Profiles

Projections Central

Occupational employment projections are developed for all states by Labor Market Information (LMI) or individual state Employment Projections offices. All state projections data are available at www.projectionscentral.org. Information on this site allows projected employment growth for an occupation to be compared among states or to be compared within one state. In addition, states may produce projections for areas; there are links to each state’s websites where these data may be retrieved.

CareerOneStop

CareerOneStop includes hundreds of occupational profiles with data available by state and metro area. There are links in the left-hand side menu to compare occupational employment by state and occupational wages by local area or metro area. There is also a salary info tool to search for wages by zip code.

Contacts for More Information About this section

For more information on careers and academic programs in recreational therapy, visit

American Therapeutic Recreation Association

For more information about certification, visit

National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification

CareerOneStop

For a career video on recreational therapists, visit

Recreational Therapists

O*NET

Recreational Therapists