National Salary Info » Recreational Therapists

Highest Paying Industries for Recreational Therapists

The top 57 highest paying industries for recreational therapists (ranked by average annual salary) are listed in Table 1. The entry level salary (as measured by the salary of the lowest 10% paid earners) and the number of employment in those industries are also shown. As shown in the table, with an average annual salary of $65,450, federal government, including usps is the highest paying industry for recreational therapists. It is followed by federal executive branch (oes designation) industry (average annual salary $65,450). The salary and employment information is computed from data published by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in May 2015 [1]. For more information about salaries of recreational therapists in a specific industry, use the links in the table.

Table 1. 57 Highest Paying Industries for Recreational Therapists

Rank	Industry	Average Salary i	Entry Level Salary i	# of Empl. i
1	Federal government, including USPS	$65,450	$53,830	960
2	Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation)	$65,450	$53,830	960
3	Specialty hospitals - State government owned	$62,760	$38,510	60
4	Federal, State, and Local Government (OES Designation)	$52,770	$30,840	3,290
5	Federal, State, and Local Government	$52,770	$30,840	3,290
6	Educational Services - Privately owned	$50,000	$36,580	n/a
7	General Medical and Surgical Hospitals - State government owned	$49,800	$35,320	190
8	Public sector -- Federal, state, and local government, including government owned schools and hospit	$49,530	$31,010	5,450
9	Educational Services	$48,680	$28,450	350
10	Home Health Care Services	$48,000	$33,000	100
11	General Medical and Surgical Hospitals	$47,700	$32,840	3,470
12	General Medical and Surgical Hospitals - Privately owned	$47,680	$32,810	2,890
13	Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals	$47,640	$32,860	600
14	Elementary and Secondary Schools - Local government owned	$47,590	$21,450	50
15	Educational Services - Local government owned	$47,590	$21,450	50
16	Hospitals - State government owned	$47,070	$31,400	1,600
17	Hospitals - Local government owned	$46,920	$32,380	410
18	General Medical and Surgical Hospitals - Local government owned	$46,820	$32,240	380
19	Specialty hospitals - Privately owned	$46,790	$32,550	540
20	Hospitals (including private, state, and local government hospitals)	$46,690	$32,080	6,340
21	Hospitals - Privately owned	$46,550	$32,300	4,330
22	Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals - State government owned	$46,140	$30,860	1,340
23	Employment Services	$45,870	$28,540	50
24	State government, including schools and hospitals	$45,780	$30,820	3,300
25	Administrative and Support Services	$45,550	$28,270	50
26	Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services	$45,550	$28,270	50
27	Elementary and Secondary Schools	$45,280	$24,990	140
28	Elementary and Secondary Schools - Privately owned	$45,150	$28,610	70
29	Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals	$44,930	$30,860	2,270
30	Offices of Physicians	$44,710	$17,600	210
31	Local government, including schools and hospitals	$44,660	$25,980	1,200
32	Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools	$44,640	$20,530	90
33	Management of Companies and Enterprises	$44,550	$28,170	60
34	Educational Services - State government owned	$44,290	$21,080	90
35	State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation)	$44,010	$30,610	1,600
36	Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals - Privately owned	$43,520	$30,750	900
37	Colleges, universities, and professional schools - State government owned	$43,280	$19,170	70
38	Health Care and Social Assistance	$42,710	$26,620	14,110
39	Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation)	$42,360	$24,620	730
40	Ambulatory Health Care Services	$41,400	$25,200	1,440
41	Residential Mental Health and Substance Abuse Facilities	$40,140	$25,940	410
42	Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations	$40,080	$24,210	n/a
43	Other Services (except Federal, State, and Local Government)	$40,080	$24,210	n/a
44	Offices of Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapists, and Audiologists	$39,620	$27,070	920
45	Offices of Other Health Practitioners	$39,600	$27,010	920
46	Outpatient Care Centers	$39,540	$19,790	210
47	Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities)	$38,960	$24,560	3,750
48	Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse Facilities	$38,740	$24,820	610
49	Nursing and Residential Care Facilities	$38,630	$24,400	5,530
50	Other Residential Care Facilities	$37,760	$23,960	110
51	Continuing Care Retirement Communities and Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly	$37,740	$23,640	1,050
52	Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability Facilities	$35,910	$22,540	200
53	Vocational Rehabilitation Services	$35,380	$21,660	120
54	Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities	$35,260	$22,850	380
55	Social Assistance	$35,010	$22,430	800
56	Individual and Family Services	$34,410	$22,550	640
57	Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers	$30,730	$19,080	100