The highest-paying states 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 of recreational therapists in those states are also shown in the table. As shown in the table, with an annual salary of $83,740, California is the highest paying state for recreational therapists. It is followed by New Jersey (average annual salary $73,770). The salary and employment information is computed from data published by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) in April 2023 [1]. For more salary information of recreational therapists in a specific state, use the links in the table.
| Rank | State | Average Salary i | Entry Level Salary i |
# of Empl. i |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $83,740 |
$46,770 | 1,580 |
| 2 | New Jersey | $73,770 |
$47,880 | 550 |
| 3 | District of Columbia | $70,900 |
$46,450 | 80 |
| 4 | Washington | $65,730 |
$50,060 | 230 |
| 5 | Oregon | $65,520 |
$51,710 | 120 |
| 6 | Hawaii | $62,430 |
$45,460 | 30 |
| 7 | New York | $61,470 |
$45,340 | 1,430 |
| 8 | Connecticut | $58,440 |
$38,790 | 250 |
| 9 | Arizona | $58,130 |
$37,590 | 180 |
| 10 | Illinois | $55,770 |
$39,520 | 470 |
| 11 | New Hampshire | $54,090 |
$42,850 | 80 |
| 12 | Minnesota | $53,050 |
$39,580 | 350 |
| 13 | Pennsylvania | $52,580 |
$33,940 | 800 |
| 14 | Maryland | $52,520 |
$32,500 | 270 |
| 15 | Michigan | $52,030 |
$39,600 | 700 |
| 16 | Alaska | $51,700 |
$34,130 | 30 |
| 17 | Ohio | $51,150 |
$36,800 | 410 |
| 18 | Idaho | $50,750 |
$40,930 | 90 |
| 19 | Colorado | $50,020 |
$31,300 | 340 |
| 20 | Nebraska | $49,920 |
$40,450 | 60 |
| 21 | Kentucky | $49,770 |
$27,090 | 160 |
| 22 | Florida | $49,710 |
$30,470 | 700 |
| 23 | North Dakota | $49,620 |
$26,210 | 30 |
| 24 | Alabama | $49,210 |
$36,340 | 120 |
| 25 | Nevada | $48,960 |
$39,080 | 90 |
| 26 | Virginia | $48,930 |
$39,270 | 450 |
| 27 | Texas | $48,860 |
$35,360 | 890 |
| 28 | Wisconsin | $48,690 |
$37,390 | 360 |
| 29 | North Carolina | $48,560 |
$40,000 | 400 |
| 30 | Maine | $48,350 |
$36,930 | 40 |
| 31 | Wyoming | $48,270 |
$43,570 | 30 |
| 32 | Rhode Island | $47,870 |
$36,370 | 50 |
| 33 | Montana | $47,760 |
$34,110 | 30 |
| 34 | Iowa | $47,260 |
$37,030 | 390 |
| 35 | Massachusetts | $47,210 |
$36,130 | 580 |
| 36 | South Dakota | $46,500 |
$39,460 | 30 |
| 37 | Louisiana | $46,180 |
$34,660 | 170 |
| 38 | Utah | $45,680 |
$31,780 | 290 |
| 39 | Missouri | $45,670 |
$30,570 | 520 |
| 40 | Arkansas | $45,260 |
$35,020 | 60 |
| 41 | Indiana | $44,560 |
$27,640 | 340 |
| 42 | Delaware | $44,270 |
$37,320 | 70 |
| 43 | New Mexico | $42,430 |
$32,640 | 140 |
| 44 | Georgia | $41,330 |
$29,840 | 420 |
| 45 | South Carolina | $41,040 |
$28,480 | 250 |
| 46 | Vermont | $40,880 |
$29,860 | 40 |
| 47 | West Virginia | $40,460 |
$28,310 | 80 |
| 48 | Tennessee | $39,340 |
$35,360 | 170 |
| 49 | Oklahoma | $35,010 |
$28,650 | 190 |
| 50 | Kansas | $34,850 |
$27,550 | 670 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $33,050 |
$25,690 | 190 |
| 52 | Puerto Rico | $24,200 |
$19,370 | 90 |