Recreational Therapists Salary
Recreational Therapists in Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY make a median of $61,830 a year, or about $29.73 an hour. The range runs from $47K at the entry level to $94K for experienced workers.
So what does $62K get you in Albany-Schenectady-Troy?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Albany-Schenectady-Troy’s Regional Price Parity (99.6). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About recreational therapists
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Albany-Schenectady-Troy
Recreational therapists pay in Albany-Schenectady-Troy tracks closely to the national median, $62K locally vs. $62K nationwide, a 0% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,702/month, which is 41.7% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 99.6) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for recreational therapists in metros near Albany-Schenectady-Troy, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City | $66K | , |
| Rochester | $59K | , |
| Syracuse | $63K | , |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga | $65K | , |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY
Entry-level recreational therapists (10th percentile) start around $47K. Mid-career wages sit at $62K. Top earners bring in $94K or more, a $48K spread from bottom to top.
Recreational Therapists pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Recreational Therapists salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $98K | +58% | 1,920 |
| District of Columbia | $96K | +54% | 50 |
| New Hampshire | $82K | +33% | 70 |
| Nevada | $79K | +27% | 400 |
| Washington | $78K | +26% | 240 |
| Minnesota | $76K | +23% | 250 |
| Colorado | $67K | +7% | 200 |
| Oregon | $67K | +7% | 250 |
| New York | $66K | +6% | 1,230 |
| Hawaii | $65K | +4% | 40 |
| Maryland | $64K | +4% | 290 |
| Vermont | $63K | +2% | 40 |
| Connecticut | $63K | +2% | 380 |
| Nebraska | $63K | +2% | 150 |
| Massachusetts | $63K | +1% | 210 |
| Arizona | $63K | +1% | 170 |
| Texas | $62K | +1% | 800 |
| Michigan | $62K | -0% | 590 |
| Virginia | $61K | -1% | 570 |
| Ohio | $61K | -2% | 310 |
| New Jersey | $60K | -3% | 430 |
| Wisconsin | $59K | -4% | 350 |
| Kentucky | $59K | -4% | 100 |
| Pennsylvania | $59K | -5% | 720 |
| Missouri | $59K | -5% | 140 |
| North Dakota | $58K | -6% | 80 |
| Florida | $58K | -6% | 640 |
| Maine | $58K | -7% | 40 |
| Alabama | $57K | -7% | 160 |
| Utah | $57K | -9% | 210 |
| Iowa | $56K | -9% | 230 |
| Illinois | $55K | -11% | 440 |
| Indiana | $54K | -13% | 190 |
| Georgia | $52K | -16% | 530 |
| Tennessee | $52K | -16% | 150 |
| Louisiana | $51K | -17% | 190 |
| Delaware | $51K | -18% | 70 |
| Montana | $51K | -18% | 40 |
| North Carolina | $51K | -18% | 440 |
| Oklahoma | $50K | -19% | 120 |
| Idaho | $50K | -20% | 90 |
| New Mexico | $49K | -21% | 100 |
| West Virginia | $49K | -21% | 130 |
| South Carolina | $49K | -21% | 190 |
| South Dakota | $47K | -24% | 40 |
| Arkansas | $43K | -31% | 70 |
| Kansas | $40K | -35% | 710 |
| Mississippi | $40K | -36% | 140 |
Showing 1–10 of 48 states
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track recreational therapists salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Albany-Schenectady-Troy numbers change.
Related careers in Healthcare
Frequently asked questions
Can a recreational therapist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Albany-Schenectady-Troy?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $62K, rent takes 41.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,702/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,200/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for recreational therapists in Albany-Schenectady-Troy?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new recreational therapists typically earn — is $47K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,805/month. At HUD’s $1,702/month FMR, rent would take 61% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is recreational therapist a high-paying job in Albany-Schenectady-Troy?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $62K locally vs. $62K nationally, a 0% difference.
How does Albany-Schenectady-Troy compare to the national average for recreational therapists?
Albany-Schenectady-Troy pays $62K median vs. the U.S. average of $62K — that’s +0%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 99.6), the purchasing-power equivalent is $62K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do recreational therapists make in Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY?
The median is $61,830 a year, that works out to about $30 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $46,750, and experienced recreational therapists can clear $94,260. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $62K enough to live in Albany-Schenectady-Troy?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,077/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,702/month, which eats 41.7% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a recreational therapists salary go in Albany-Schenectady-Troy?
Albany-Schenectady-Troy has a Regional Price Parity of 100 (100 is the national average). That's right at the national average. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median recreational therapists salary is worth about $62,078 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do recreational therapists get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.