Pay by state · 49 states
Recreational Therapist Salary by State (2026)
Recreational Therapists earn the most in California at $98,170 a year and the least in Puerto Rico at $28,140 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $61,960. All 49 states and territories with reported data are ranked below, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $98,170California
- National median
- $61,960BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Lowest median
- $28,140Puerto Rico
- States reporting
- 49of 54 OEWS areas
All states
Recreational Therapist salary in every state
Sort by any column. Employment is the number of recreational therapists OEWS estimates in that state; blank cells are estimates BLS suppressed because the sample was too small.
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CACalifornia | $98,170 | $79,820 | $107,830 | 1,920 | $88,665 |
| 2 | DCDistrict of Columbia | $95,640 | $60,600 | $109,970 | 50 | $87,024 |
| 3 | NHNew Hampshire | $82,280 | $67,290 | $86,530 | 70 | $78,990 |
| 4 | NVNevada | $78,730 | $56,640 | $82,100 | 400 | $78,747 |
| 5 | WAWashington | $77,860 | $65,940 | $92,930 | 240 | $72,758 |
| 6 | MNMinnesota | $76,360 | $65,160 | $84,200 | 250 | $77,428 |
| 7 | COColorado | $66,580 | $55,010 | $78,420 | 200 | $64,608 |
| 8 | OROregon | $66,530 | $62,770 | $70,320 | 250 | $64,367 |
| 9 | NYNew York | $65,520 | $57,980 | $78,180 | 1,230 | $60,711 |
| 10 | HIHawaii | $64,500 | $57,200 | $85,360 | 40 | $58,662 |
| 11 | MDMaryland | $64,300 | $45,420 | $77,600 | 290 | $61,262 |
| 12 | VTVermont | $63,380 | $57,660 | $68,790 | 40 | $64,701 |
| 13 | CTConnecticut | $63,240 | $51,190 | $81,330 | 380 | $61,037 |
| 14 | NENebraska | $62,980 | $47,430 | $72,650 | 150 | $69,898 |
| 15 | MAMassachusetts | $62,820 | $53,260 | $72,760 | 210 | $59,400 |
| 16 | AZArizona | $62,610 | $55,820 | $82,490 | 170 | $62,189 |
| 17 | TXTexas | $62,490 | $47,550 | $99,260 | 800 | $64,385 |
| 18 | MIMichigan | $61,700 | $51,180 | $72,010 | 590 | $64,126 |
| 19 | VAVirginia | $61,270 | $55,520 | $78,170 | 570 | $60,601 |
| 20 | OHOhio | $60,770 | $50,110 | $72,840 | 310 | $65,503 |
| 21 | NJNew Jersey | $60,400 | $55,890 | $75,180 | 430 | $55,512 |
| 22 | WIWisconsin | $59,350 | $52,470 | $70,370 | 350 | $63,075 |
| 23 | KYKentucky | $59,240 | $49,280 | $64,150 | 100 | $65,706 |
| 24 | PAPennsylvania | $58,940 | $47,820 | $65,870 | 720 | $60,407 |
| 25 | MOMissouri | $58,620 | $49,660 | $67,280 | 140 | $64,547 |
| 26 | NDNorth Dakota | $58,370 | $48,530 | $63,010 | 80 | $65,614 |
| 27 | FLFlorida | $57,980 | $47,480 | $66,480 | 640 | $56,066 |
| 28 | MEMaine | $57,560 | $50,530 | $75,650 | 40 | $59,310 |
| 29 | ALAlabama | $57,360 | $49,670 | $66,660 | 160 | $64,578 |
| 30 | UTUtah | $56,640 | $48,510 | $67,210 | 210 | $57,291 |
| 31 | IAIowa | $56,140 | $50,910 | $64,290 | 230 | $63,968 |
| 32 | ILIllinois | $54,910 | $49,700 | $65,120 | 440 | $54,933 |
| 33 | INIndiana | $53,770 | $45,560 | $63,450 | 190 | $57,613 |
| 34 | GAGeorgia | $52,010 | $47,340 | $64,360 | 530 | $54,012 |
| 35 | TNTennessee | $51,910 | $48,090 | $61,220 | 150 | $56,504 |
| 36 | LALouisiana | $51,150 | $43,150 | $61,590 | 190 | $57,989 |
| 37 | DEDelaware | $51,110 | $44,190 | $60,710 | 70 | $51,208 |
| 38 | MTMontana | $51,110 | $47,740 | $62,900 | 40 | $54,002 |
| 39 | NCNorth Carolina | $51,030 | $45,950 | $63,860 | 440 | $54,100 |
| 40 | OKOklahoma | $50,480 | $41,490 | $62,310 | 120 | $57,466 |
| 41 | IDIdaho | $49,720 | $47,290 | $60,510 | 90 | $52,066 |
| 42 | NMNew Mexico | $49,210 | $43,790 | $68,320 | 100 | $53,366 |
| 43 | WVWest Virginia | $49,010 | $42,460 | $62,420 | 130 | $54,762 |
| 44 | SCSouth Carolina | $48,880 | $42,060 | $60,980 | 190 | $52,139 |
| 45 | SDSouth Dakota | $46,850 | $42,130 | $60,000 | 40 | $52,886 |
| 46 | ARArkansas | $42,670 | $31,140 | $49,560 | 70 | $49,082 |
| 47 | KSKansas | $40,010 | $34,880 | $50,370 | 710 | $44,422 |
| 48 | MSMississippi | $39,560 | $34,800 | $53,170 | 140 | $45,496 |
| 49 | PRPuerto Rico | $28,140 | $27,630 | $54,080 | 80 | N/A |
Method
How the cost-of-living adjustment works
The adjusted column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity (RPP) and multiplies by 100. RPPs measure how much a fixed basket of goods, services and rents costs in one state relative to the national average, so the result restates local pay in national-average dollars.
For Recreational Therapists, that changes the ranking: California leads on raw pay at $98,170, while California leads once prices are taken into account at $88,665.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (public domain). The adjustment is NueCareer's calculation, not a BLS or BEA published statistic.
Questions
Recreational Therapist pay by state: FAQ
Which state pays Recreational Therapists the most?
California reports the highest median wage for Recreational Therapists at $98,170 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), followed by District of Columbia ($95,640) and New Hampshire ($82,280).
Which state pays Recreational Therapists the least?
Puerto Rico reports the lowest median for Recreational Therapists at $28,140 a year, $70,030 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Where do Recreational Therapists earn the most after cost of living?
Dividing each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity puts California first at $88,665 in national-average dollars, from a raw median of $98,170. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.