Also called: Therapeutic Recreation Specialist
Uses sports, games, arts, and outdoor activities to help people with illness, injury, or disability recover and live fuller lives.
A recreational therapist might take a patient with a spinal cord injury rock climbing, run a sports program for veterans, or lead games at a rehab hospital. They set goals and track progress.
Based on BLS recreational therapists, May 2024 estimates.
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 therapeutic recreation plus CTRS certification.
Ways in: 4-year college, Certification. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Therapeutic Recreation, Kinesiology, Psychology.
Growing about average (about 4% over 10 years). About average growth.
Low risk for 10 years. Using games and outdoor activities to help patients recover depends on human relationships.
Classes: Psychology, Health science CTE, Physical education.
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.