Recreational Therapist salary
From 23 certified H-1B filings (FY2025–FY2026). Base salary only.
- Occupation code 29-1125: Recreational Therapists
At a glance
- Median down 10% since FY2020. From $66,248 in FY2020 to $59,707 in FY2025 (Q1–Q3). Nominal, not adjusted for inflation.
Recreational Therapist H-1B salary overview
Employers filed 23 certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications for Recreational Therapist jobs in FY2025–FY2026 (occupation code 29-1125, Recreational Therapists). The median base salary is $60,341, 51% below the median for all H-1B filings ($122,699), and half of the filings fall between $47,099 and $71,900.
Is your Recreational Therapist offer competitive?
Enter the base salary in your offer. We compare it with certified H-1B filings for Recreational Therapist jobs, nationally or in one metro area.
Enter a salary to see where it falls.
Percentiles from certified H-1B filings, base salary only. Metro areas with at least 10 filings.
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Level I · Entry | – | 0 |
| Level II · Qualified | – | 0 |
| Level III · Experienced | – | 0 |
| Level IV · Fully competent | – | 0 |
Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.
What a Recreational Therapist does
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.
Typical 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.
Preparation
Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed. Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
O*NET occupation: Recreational Therapists (29-1125.00). This section 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.
H-1B pay vs. all U.S. workers
Across all U.S. workers in this occupation (Recreational Therapists), the median annual wage was $61,960 in May 2025, with 14,930 people employed. The median H-1B base salary in FY2025–FY2026 is $60,341, 3% lower.
| H-1B filings | All U.S. workers (BLS, May 2025) | |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $38,185 | $40,990 |
| 25th percentile | $47,099 | $50,240 |
| Median | $60,341 | $61,960 |
| 75th percentile | $71,900 | $79,930 |
| 90th percentile | $91,659 | $100,420 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). BLS wages cover all wage and salary workers and include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are the base salary offered on certified LCAs. The two sources cover different periods. BLS reports wages of $239,200 or more as a single top value.
Salary details
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $38,185 |
| 25th | $47,099 |
| 50th (median) | $60,341 |
| 75th | $71,900 |
| 90th | $91,659 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $66,248 | $48,672 | $76,746 | 23 |
| FY2021 | $51,860 | $46,008 | $60,550 | 14 |
| FY2022 | $48,589 | $40,685 | $54,236 | 26 |
| FY2023 | $59,364 | $50,752 | $80,628 | 12 |
| FY2024 | $69,120 | $56,229 | $91,044 | 12 |
| FY2025 | $59,707 | $42,640 | $73,800 | 18 |
| FY2026 | – | – | – | 5 |
Questions
How much does an H-1B Recreational Therapist make?
The median base salary in certified H-1B filings for Recreational Therapist jobs is $60,341 (23 filings, FY2025–FY2026). Half of the filings are between $47,099 and $71,900.
Do H-1B Recreational Therapists earn more than other U.S. workers in the same job?
The H-1B median base salary ($60,341) is 3% lower than the median wage of all U.S. workers in this occupation ($61,960, BLS May 2025). The sources measure pay differently, so treat this as a rough comparison.