Recreational Therapist
Health Science
Use activities — sports, arts, games, outings — as treatment that rebuilds confidence and function.
Why it matters here: Rehab hospitals, veterans' facilities, and senior communities across the DMV hire therapists.
Labor Market — DMV Region
Sourced from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS releases (DMV metro and nationwide) plus MD, VA, and D.C. workforce agencies.
Local cost of living is why DMV pay often differs from the national median.
- DMV & state figures: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — OEWS wage & employment estimates and Employment Projections, with OEWS area pay relatives for the Washington–Arlington–Alexandria metro, Maryland, D.C., and Northern Virginia · View source
- Occupation profiles & skills: O*NET OnLine (U.S. Department of Labor) · onetonline.org
All salary figures are published estimates for groups of workers, not offers or guarantees for any individual role.
Education & Career Pathways
Multiple ways to get here — pick the one that fits your life.
Career Progression
How you can grow — with expected salary at each step.
- Entry-level Recreational TherapistLearning the role, supervised work, building core skills.$49,050
- Recreational Therapist (experienced)Independent work, mentoring newer team members.$62,260
- Senior / Lead Recreational TherapistOwning projects, specialization, higher responsibility.$78,480
- Manager or specialist trackSupervising a team or moving into a high-demand specialty.$94,176
Skills Required
What you'll actually do — and how you'll be judged.
Rehab, senior or community setting, activity-based days
Where you work
Activity rooms, gyms, gardens, pools and community outings.
Hours and schedule
Daytime shifts with some evenings and weekends for programs.
Pace and pressure
Planning in the morning, running groups and sessions the rest of the day.
Who you work with
Nurses, therapists, social workers, families and volunteers.
Physical demands
Active — setting up equipment, assisting participants, moving between spaces.
What people wear
Active professional; comfortable clothes you can move in.
Remote reality
In person.
Workplace culture: what's normal here
- Activities are treatment with documented goals, not entertainment.
- Adapting an activity so everyone can join is the daily creative challenge.
- Safety and supervision plans come before the fun part.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook — Work Environment, with regional detail for the DMV.
Official data behind this career
Federal statistics for DMV Region, translated into plain language.
Data unavailable for this category.
Washington–Arlington–Alexandria, DC–VA–MD–WV metro area
Source: U.S. Census Bureau — ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates (tables DP03, DP02, DP05)
- The DMV functions as one labor market: workers routinely cross state lines to get to work.
- The largest employment destinations are D.C., Fairfax County and Montgomery County.
Top places these workers go to work
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis — BEA regional GDP and personal income, most recent published year
Private-sector payroll data from ADP. It is a supplemental near-real-time indicator and does not replace BLS government employment statistics.
Source: ADP National Employment Report — Most recent monthly ADP National Employment Report
- 1U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OOH, OEWS, Employment Projections, CES) — Primary source for occupation wages, outlook, projected openings, education and training.
- 2U.S. Census Bureau — American Community Survey — Primary source for income, educational attainment, labor force and demographic context by place.
- 3Census LEHD (LODES / OnTheMap) — Primary source for where workers live versus where they work, and local workforce flows.
- 4U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis — Primary source for regional GDP, industry contribution, compensation and personal income.
- 5ADP National Employment Report — Supplemental near-real-time private-sector employment and pay indicator. Not a replacement for BLS.
Figures describe groups of workers, not any one person. Where an official figure is not published for a category, this page says “Data unavailable for this category.” rather than estimating.
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