2021 Recreational Therapists

Plan, direct, or coordinate medically-approved recreation programs for patients in hospitals, nursing homes, or other institutions. Activities include sports, trips, dramatics, social activities, and crafts. May assess a patient condition and recommend appropriate recreational activity.

Recreational Therapists Salary

Search by Location

Salary

$47.7K

Growth

Bright Outlook

Bright

Green

Recreational Therapists Career Description

Also known as:

Activity Coordinator, Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS), General Activities Therapist, Recreation Therapist, Recreational Therapist, Rehabilitation Therapist, Therapeutic Recreation Specialist

2021 Recreational Therapists Salary

Percentile	10%	25%	50% (Median)	75%	90%
Annual Wage	$31,450	$37,570	$47,710	$62,440	$79,250
Hourly Wage	$15.12	$18.06	$22.94	$30.02	$38.10

2021 Recreational Therapists Salary

Percentile

10%

25%

50% (Median)

75%

90%

Annual Wage

$31,450

$37,570

$47,710

$62,440

$79,250

Hourly Wage

$15.12

$18.06

$22.94

$30.02

$38.10

Recreational Therapists Common Job Duties

Obtain information from medical records, medical staff, family members and the patients, themselves, to assess patients' capabilities, needs and interests.
Obtain information from medical records, medical staff, family members and the patients, themselves, to assess patients' capabilities, needs and interests.
Conduct therapy sessions to improve patients' mental and physical well-being.
Observe, analyze, and record patients' participation, reactions, and progress during treatment sessions, modifying treatment programs as needed.
Observe, analyze, and record patients' participation, reactions, and progress during treatment sessions, modifying treatment programs as needed.
Plan, organize, direct, and participate in treatment programs and activities to facilitate patients' rehabilitation, help them integrate into the community, and prevent further medical problems.
Confer with members of treatment team to plan and evaluate therapy programs.
Instruct patient in activities and techniques, such as sports, dance, music, art, or relaxation techniques, designed to meet their specific physical or psychological needs.
Develop treatment plan to meet needs of patient, based on needs assessment, patient interests, and objectives of therapy.
Encourage clients with special needs and circumstances to acquire new skills and get involved in health-promoting leisure activities, such as sports, games, arts and crafts, and gardening.
Prepare and submit reports and charts to treatment team to reflect patients' reactions and evidence of progress or regression.
Prepare and submit reports and charts to treatment team to reflect patients' reactions and evidence of progress or regression.
Counsel and encourage patients to develop leisure activities.
Develop discharge plans for patients.

Recreational Therapists Activities

Gather medical information from patient histories.
Collect medical information from patients, family members, or other medical professionals.
Treat patients using psychological therapies.
Record patient medical histories.
Monitor patient progress or responses to treatments.
Develop treatment plans that use non-medical therapies.
Collaborate with healthcare professionals to plan or provide treatment.
Train patients, family members, or caregivers in techniques for managing disabilities or illnesses.
Develop treatment plans that use non-medical therapies.
Encourage patients or clients to develop life skills.
Inform medical professionals regarding patient conditions and care.
Prepare reports summarizing patient diagnostic or care activities.
Provide health and wellness advice to patients, program participants, or caregivers.
Develop medical treatment plans.

Recreational Therapists Required Knowledge

Psychology - Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
Therapy and Counseling - Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
Sociology and Anthropology - Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.
Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

Common Recreational Therapists Abilities Required

Oral Expression - Communicating by speaking.
Oral Comprehension - Listening and understanding what people say.
Speech Clarity - Speaking clearly.
Problem Sensitivity - Noticing when problems happen.
Written Expression - Communicating by writing.
Deductive Reasoning - Using rules to solve problems.
Inductive Reasoning - Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.
Written Comprehension - Reading and understanding what is written.
Speech Recognition - Recognizing spoken words.
Information Ordering - Ordering or arranging things.

Common Recreational Therapists Skills

Service Orientation - Looking for ways to help people.
Social Perceptiveness - Understanding people's reactions.
Coordination - Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
Speaking - Talking to others.
Active Listening - Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
Critical Thinking - Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
Instructing - Teaching people how to do something.
Reading Comprehension - Reading work-related information.
Writing - Writing things for co-workers or customers.
Complex Problem Solving - Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
Active Learning - Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.
Learning Strategies - Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.
Negotiation - Bringing people together to solve differences.
Monitoring - Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
Time Management - Managing your time and the time of other people.
Judgment and Decision Making - Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.

Recreational Therapists Interests

Social - Occupations with Social interests frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. Most involve helping or providing service to others.
Artistic - Occupations with Artistic interests frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and allow for developing unique approaches to conducting the work.

Projected Employment For Recreational Therapists

Location	2019 Employment	2029 Employment	Percent change	Annual projected job openings
United States	19,900	21,600	8%	1,200

Projected Employment For Recreational Therapists

Location

2019 Employment

2029 Employment

Percent change

Annual projected job openings

United States

19,900

21,600

1,200

Recreational Therapists Education & Experience

Bachelor's degree
No work experience
No on-the-job training

Recreational Therapists Schools

School	Program Name	Location	Length / Graduates
Aurora University	Therapeutic Recreation/Recreational Therapy	Aurora, IL	4 years: 5
Austin Community College District	Therapeutic Recreation/Recreational Therapy	Austin, TX	2 years: 11
Benedict College	Therapeutic Recreation/Recreational Therapy	Columbia, SC	4 years: 0
Brigham Young University-Provo	Therapeutic Recreation/Recreational Therapy	Provo, UT	4 years: 37
Calvin University	Therapeutic Recreation/Recreational Therapy	Grand Rapids, MI	4 years: 16
Catawba College	Therapeutic Recreation/Recreational Therapy	Salisbury, NC	4 years: 6
Central Michigan University	Therapeutic Recreation/Recreational Therapy	Mount Pleasant, MI	4 years: 71
Chicago State University	Therapeutic Recreation/Recreational Therapy	Chicago, IL	Less than one year: 0
Cincinnati State Technical and Community College	Therapeutic Recreation/Recreational Therapy	Cincinnati, OH	Less than one year: 0
CUNY Bronx Community College	Therapeutic Recreation/Recreational Therapy	Bronx, NY	2 years: 25

Recreational Therapists Schools

57 United States

School

Program Name

Location

Length / Graduates

Aurora University