Healthcare Diagnosing or Treating Practitioners

How to become a Recreational Therapist

Official title: Recreational Therapists

Also called: Activities Coordinator, Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS), General Activities Therapist, Recreation Therapist, Recreational Therapist, Recreational Therapy Program Coordinator, Rehabilitation Therapist, Therapeutic Recreation Specialist, Therapeutic Specialist, Therapist

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.

Main tasks

Instruct patient in activities and techniques, such as sports, dance, music, art, or relaxation techniques, designed to meet their specific physical or psychological needs.
Conduct therapy sessions to improve patients' mental and physical well-being.
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.
Observe, analyze, and record patients' participation, reactions, and progress during treatment sessions, modifying treatment programs as needed.
Develop treatment plan to meet needs of patient, based on needs assessment, patient interests, and objectives of therapy.
Obtain information from medical records, medical staff, family members and the patients, themselves, to assess patients' capabilities, needs and interests.
Confer with members of treatment team to plan and evaluate therapy programs.
Counsel and encourage patients to develop leisure activities.

How to become one

Recreational therapists typically need a bachelor's degree to enter the occupation. Many employers require them to be certified.

Typical education to start: Bachelor's degree

Read the full guide from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Ways in

Apprenticeship: Therapeutic Riding Instructor.
Licence: A licence is required in 16 states.

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

Median pay: $61,960 a year The middle half earn $50,240 to $79,930.
About 15,600 people work in this job now, and about 16,300 are projected by 2035. (+4.8%)
People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Questions people ask

How do I become a Recreational Therapist?

Recreational therapists typically need a bachelor's degree to enter the occupation. Many employers require them to be certified.

How much does a Recreational Therapist earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $61,960 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $50,240 to $79,930.

Is a Recreational Therapist a growing career in the US?

Yes. Employment is projected to grow 5% by 2035, from about 15,600 to about 16,300 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Recreational Therapist?

Usually. 77% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Will AI change the work of a Recreational Therapist?

People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Sources

Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook (2025-35 edition (published 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS); photographs excluded, retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the 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.