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Recreational Therapists

Uses sports, games, art and outings to help people recover.

Typical education to startBachelor's degree
Job outlook2025–2035: +5%
Median pay$61,960 a year (2025)
Interest codeSI Social, Investigative

Read the full guide

Recreational therapists plan activities like adapted sports, games, crafts, music and community outings to help people with illness, injury or disability build skills and confidence. They work in hospitals, rehab centers, nursing homes and camps.

Open the recreational therapist guide

The guide checks the courses against your plan, with things to try each year. Free account needed.

High school courses that build toward it

  • Child Development · Career and Technical

    Builds teaching and training, which this job uses.

  • Psychology · Social Studies

    Builds psychology, which this job uses.

  • Health and Wellness · Health and PE

    Builds psychology, which this job uses.

  • English 10 · English

    Builds reading and writing, which this job uses.

  • Band · Arts

    Builds art and music, which this job uses.

  • Anatomy and Physiology · Science

    Builds health and medicine, which this job uses.

Ranked by how much the job relies on what each course teaches, from O*NET's knowledge ratings. Your school's own courses and the counselor have the final word.

Recreational Therapists on O*NET OnLine · O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0); BLS Employment Projections 2025.