How to become a diversional and recreational therapist

Official title: Diversional and recreational therapist

Also called: Dance therapist, Hydrotherapist, Play therapist, Diversional therapist, Recreational therapist, Activities coordinator, Lifestyles coordinator

Diversional and recreational therapists help people of all ages and abilities take part in activities that improve and support wellbeing.

Main tasks

• Gather medical information from patient histories
• Collect medical information from patients, family members, or other medical professionals
• Treat patients using psychological therapies
• Monitor and record patient progress or responses to treatments
• Develop treatment plans that use non-medical therapies
• Record patient medical histories
• Collaborate with health care professionals to plan or provide treatment
• Train patients, family members, or caregivers in techniques for managing disabilities or illnesses

How to become one

You usually need a qualification to become a diversional and recreational therapist and experience may be useful. You usually need NCEA Level 2 to do the study or training for this job. Other requirements: a New Zealand Certificate in Health and Wellbeing (Social and Community Services) (Level 4); to do an apprenticeship in community client care; experience in similar work; to pass a police check; to pass a drug test. Registration body: New Zealand Society of Diversional and Recreational Therapy.

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Ways in

• Certificates and diplomas: Intermediate certificates in community client care. TEC links this job to study in human welfare. Qualifications: NZ Cert in Health and Wellbeing (Social and Community Services), NZ Cert in Health and Wellbeing (Advanced Care and Support). Usually 1 year. Graduates of these qualifications earn a median $52,000 a year one year after study and $53,000 five years after; 62% are employed one year after (TEC, from Stats NZ IDI data).
• Registration or licence: Registration body: New Zealand Society of Diversional and Recreational Therapy (https://www.diversionaltherapy.net.nz).

Pay · Past change · AI and this job

• Median pay: $59,000 a year, a TEC estimate before tax.
• Upper: $88,000 a year
• TEC shows pay for this job by the hour: median $28.37 an hour.
• TEC's pay figures are estimates only. TEC says they must not be used to set pay, in pay negotiations or in visa applications.
• Change in the number of people doing this job between the 2018 and 2023 Censuses: Steady (TEC). This is past change, not a forecast.
• People employed in the group Diversional Therapists: 1,608 at the 2018 Census and 1,554 at the 2023 Census (-3.4%). Past change, not a forecast.
• Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.

Who does this work

• About 1,400 people did this job at the 2023 Census (TEC).
• In the group Diversional Therapists, 85% of workers are female (sex at birth, 2023 Census).
• Where people in the group Diversional Therapists work (2023 Census): Auckland 24.9%, Canterbury 17.2%, and Waikato 10.6%.

Related jobs

• Clinical neuropsychologist
• Organisational psychologist
• Clinical psychologist
• Educational psychologist
• Addictions counsellor
• Mental health counsellor

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Questions people ask

How do I become a diversional and recreational therapist?

You usually need a qualification to become a diversional and recreational therapist and experience may be useful. You usually need NCEA Level 2 to do the study or training for this job. Other requirements: a New Zealand Certificate in Health and Wellbeing (Social and Community Services) (Level 4); to do an apprenticeship in community client care; experience in similar work; to pass a police check; to pass a drug test. Registration body: New Zealand Society of Diversional and Recreational Therapy.

How much does a diversional and recreational therapist earn in New Zealand?

The Tertiary Education Commission estimates median pay at $59,000 a year, before tax.

Has the number of people working as a diversional and recreational therapist grown in New Zealand?

It has held steady: TEC records the number of people doing this job as steady between the 2018 and 2023 Censuses. This is past change, not a forecast.

Will AI change the work of a diversional and recreational therapist?

Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.

Sources

• Tertiary Education Commission (Tahatu Career Navigator): Tahatu career ideas: descriptions, tasks, pay estimates, people employed, employment change 2018 to 2023, entry requirements, registration, interest scores (Site scrape 2026-10 (816 career ideas, sitemap lastmod 2026-10-01)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 4 October 2026
• Stats NZ (via Figure.NZ): Census totals by topic for individuals 2013, 2018, 2023 (CEN23_TBT_004): employed by occupation, ANZSCO V1.3, summed to unit group (2023 Census (CEN23_TBT_004)), CC BY 4.0 (Stats NZ), CC BY 3.0 NZ (Figure.NZ), retrieved 4 October 2026
• Stats NZ (via Figure.NZ): Census 2023: employed by regional council, occupation (ANZSCO V1.3 unit group) and sex at birth (2023 Census), CC BY 4.0 (Stats NZ), CC BY 3.0 NZ (Figure.NZ), retrieved 4 October 2026
• International Labour Organization, Generative AI and Jobs: A Refined Global Index of Occupational Exposure (ILO Working Paper 140, Gmyrek et al.) (ILO Working Paper 140, May 2025, Annex Table A1), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 4 October 2026

This content is sourced from the Tertiary Education Commission through the Tahatū Career Navigator website (www.tahatu.govt.nz) and used under the CC BY 4.0 licence. All or some of the information has been modified by Peernovo. TEC has not approved, endorsed or tested these modifications. TEC will not be held accountable for any errors within this content.

Qualification information from NZQA, used under CC BY 3.0 NZ.

This work is based on/includes Stats NZ's data which are licensed by Stats NZ for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence. Census data via Figure.NZ.

Includes information from O*NET OnLine 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. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.

Sources: Tertiary Education Commission, Tahatū Career Navigator (career ideas, pay estimates, entry requirements and study options, CC BY 4.0, modified by Peernovo); Stats NZ, 2023 Census (via Figure.NZ) and the National Occupation List (CC BY 4.0); NZQA qualification information (CC BY 3.0 NZ); O*NET interest scores (CC BY 4.0); ILO global generative AI exposure index (CC BY 4.0). Links between career ideas and ANZSCO groups, degree fields and broad job groups are Peernovo's.

These results are not official statistics. They have been created for research purposes from the Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI), which is carefully managed by Stats NZ.

Graduate outcomes: these results are not official statistics. They have been created for research purposes from the Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI), which is carefully managed by Stats NZ.

Updated 4 October 2026