Also called: Recreational therapist (VA), Adaptive sports coordinator
Uses sports, outdoor activities, and recreation to help injured veterans heal and rebuild confidence.
Recreational therapists teach wheelchair basketball, adaptive skiing, kayaking, and art, and organize events like the National Veterans Wheelchair Games. Every session has a therapy goal. It's a career for people who love sports and helping people.
BLS recreational therapists, May 2024.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. Bachelor's in recreational therapy and CTRS certification.
Ways in: 4-year college, Certification. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Recreational Therapy, Kinesiology, Exercise Science.
Growing about average (about 4% over 10 years). BLS projects ~4% growth.
Low risk for 10 years. Coaching injured veterans through sport and recreation stays human.
Classes: PE / fitness, Psychology, Anatomy & physiology.
Official data: O*NET occupation 29-1125.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.