Recreational Therapists pay in New York-Newark-Jersey City

In New York-Newark-Jersey City (NY), the median pay for recreational therapists is $31.75 an hour ($66,050 a year). About 1,090 people work in this job there.

$31.75Median hourly pay
$55,890–$79,560Middle half of workers, yearly
1,090People in this job in New York-Newark-Jersey City (NY)

That is 7% higher than the U.S. median ($61,960). It is about the same as the New York median ($65,520).

Pay range for recreational therapists in New York-Newark-Jersey City (NY)

Earns more thanHourlyYearly
10% of workers$24.16$50,250
25% of workers$26.87$55,890
Half of workers (median)$31.75$66,050
75% of workers$38.25$79,560
90% of workers$46.07$95,830

Recreational Therapists pay in New York metro areas

Metro areaMedian yearly payPeople in this job
New York-Newark-Jersey City (this page)$66,0501,090
Buffalo-Cheektowaga$65,08060
Syracuse$63,37080
Albany-Schenectady-Troy$61,83030
Rochester$58,98090

New York unemployment rate: 4.3% (August 2026), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Education, experience and outlook for recreational therapists

  • Typical education to start: Bachelor's degree (BLS)
  • Related work experience most have: 6 months to 1 year (O*NET)
  • Job outlook: +4.8% over ten years, about as fast as average · about 1,400 openings a year (BLS)

Related jobs in New York-Newark-Jersey City (NY)

JobMedian yearly pay
Physical Therapists$107,650
Physicians, All Other$265,930
Occupational Therapists$101,460
Physical Therapist Aides$35,320
Physical Therapist Assistants$75,620
Psychiatric Technicians$58,610
Rehabilitation Counselors$50,000
Occupational Therapy Assistants$74,960

Other job titles for this job

Lifestyle DirectorActivities CoordinatorActivities TherapistAdventure TherapistCertified Recreational TherapistCertified Therapeutic Recreation SpecialistCTRSDance TherapistDrama TherapistGeneral Activities TherapistHorticultural TherapistLec

Open recreational therapists jobs on JAI Bot

No open jobs in this field right now. Search all jobs or set up a free job alert.

Hiring recreational therapists? Use the free hiring guide for a job description and interview questions, then post the job on JAI Bot. Every job shows typical pay to job seekers.

Post a job freeFind jobsCheck pay for any job
Add this pay figure to your website (free)

Career sites, schools and workforce boards can show this typical pay on their own pages. Copy this code into your page:

<div data-jaibot-pay></div>
<script src="https://www.jaibot.ai/widget/pay/recreational-therapists/new-york/new-york-newark-jersey-city.js" async></script>

It updates by itself when new government figures come out.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates. Figures are for wage and salary workers and do not include the self-employed. The median is the middle wage: half earn more, half earn less. Other job titles: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.