What Is a Recreational Therapist? A Career Guide

Key takeaways

Recreational therapists use recreational and leisure activities to improve the well-being of their patients. Explore key facts to know:

• Recreational therapists can earn a median salary of $60,280 per year [1].

• As a recreational therapist, you would get to design and deliver recreational forms of treatment, such as art and music, to address patients' needs.

• You can provide treatments as programs to improve or maintain a person's cognitive functions, physical health, and mental well-being.

Learn more about what a recreational therapist is and gain insight into this rewarding career in health care. Afterward, consider enrolling in Johns Hopkins University’s Foundations of Global Health Specialization. You will have the opportunity to learn the foundational building blocks of effective program planning, implementation, and evaluation in a variety of settings, including low- and middle-income countries and humanitarian crises. Upon completion, which can take as little as two months, you add this credential to your resume or LinkedIn profile.

What is a recreational therapist?

Recreational therapists use activities such as arts and crafts, music, dance, drama, sports, swimming, movement, and community trips to support their patients. As a recreational therapist, you would design interventions to help reduce anxiety, depression, stress, and physical symptoms and aid recovery.

You might also help people socialize and be in the world after a physical disability or being isolated through illness, situations that can cause a lack of confidence and increased anxiety. Some recreational therapists conduct therapy in groups to foster socialization, bringing patients with similar needs together. They may also work with individuals' families to ensure appropriate support for their loved ones.

What does a recreational therapist do?

Recreational therapy covers a wide range of activities and serves various individuals. Whoever you are working with, your duties and responsibilities as a recreational therapist will primarily cover the following:

• Evaluating the needs of patients by reviewing medical records, speaking with family members and other medical professionals, observing and interviewing the patients, and conducting tests

• Creating and delivering treatment plans that include recreational activities to address the needs of patients

• Designing and delivering group therapy programs to meet the needs of patients requiring similar treatment or recovering from the same condition or injury, or those with similar interests

• Planning interventions to keep patients safe and supported

• Supporting patients to develop social skills and build confidence

• Teaching patients ways to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression through various activities

• Recording patients' progress and reporting to relevant parties

• Continually evaluating programs and implementing best practices

Where do recreational therapists work?

Recreational therapists are office-based when they plan programs and interventions and assess patients. However, they may travel to meet patients in the community to deliver programs, which may be held at community venues, outdoors, or at people’s homes.

Most recreational therapists work in hospitals, health care facilities, or care agencies. A growing number are employed by health centers, schools, residential facilities, hospices, and rehabilitation centers funded by a government agency or privately. 

Examples of recreational therapy

Recreational therapy programs in the community might encompass the following services:

• Supporting children with cancer, using sports to stay active, and providing a social environment

• Aiding people with physical disabilities to integrate back into the community through recreational activities

• Supporting people with anxiety and depression with gentle social activities such as arts and crafts

• Working with groups of elderly patients to keep them moving through dance and movement classes

• Integrating veterans back into the community and helping them manage symptoms of PTSD

• Using dog therapy as a way to alleviate symptoms of depression in patients

Recreational therapist salary and job outlook

Recreational therapists earn a median salary of $60,280 per year, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) [1]. Certified recreational therapists generally receive higher median total pay at $75,000, according to Glassdoor [2]. This figure includes base salary and additional pay, which may represent profit-sharing, commissions, bonuses, or other compensation. Salary tends to be higher for those employed by government departments and agencies than for those employed by nursing and social care facilities. They can vary greatly depending on location, specialty, place of work, and experience level.

Recreational therapy is a profession that is expected to grow by three percent between 2024 and 2034, which is about the same rate as the average for all occupations [3]. As a large number of the population gets older, individuals will need recreational therapists to treat injuries and illnesses related to stroke, Alzheimer's disease, and more.

Job satisfaction for recreational therapists

A Career Explorer survey of job satisfaction found that recreational therapists, on average, rate their job happiness as 3.4 out of 5, putting them in the top 37 percent of careers [4]. The same survey also showed that recreational therapists scored 3.6 out of 5 for enjoying their work environment, even though they were less satisfied with their salary [4].

How to become a recreational therapist: Education requirements

To become a recreational therapist, you usually need a bachelor's degree in a health-related subject, which is required if you want to be a certified recreational therapist. You can pursue a bachelor's degree in recreational therapy or a related health care field, such as recreation and fitness, rehabilitation science, recreation management, psychology, art or music therapy, or health education. Typical coursework includes:

• Therapeutic recreation

• Anatomy

• Psychology

• Assistive devices and technology

• Medical and psychiatric terminology

• Characteristics of illness and disability

• Biology

• Event management

It's possible to pursue a master's degree in recreational therapy (or some form of it, like arts, music, or sports therapy) after obtaining a completely unrelated bachelor's degree. You might work for a few years, become interested in recreational therapy later on, and decide to take some courses in it.

Read more: What Is a Bachelor’s Degree? Types, Cost, and Application Requirements

Recreational therapist certification requirements

In addition to a degree, many employers hire only professionals certified by the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification. To achieve certification, you must complete an internship of 560 hours and pass an exam. Certificates need to be kept up to date with recertification every five years [5].

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