Recreational Therapists Salary
Recreational Therapists in Cleveland, OH make a median of $67,390 a year, or about $32.4 an hour. The range runs from $48K at the entry level to $95K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.92), which stretches that salary to about $71,753 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,279/month, or 28.9% of estimated take-home pay.
Where the paycheck goes
What $67K actually covers in Cleveland, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Cleveland’s Regional Price Parity (93.92). 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
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What this looks like in Cleveland
Recreational therapists pay in Cleveland tracks closely to the national median, $67K locally vs. $62K nationwide, a 9% difference. Rent runs $1,279/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 28.1% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 93.92 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 6% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for recreational therapists in metros near Cleveland, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Columbus | $61K | $63K |
| Cincinnati | $64K | $67K |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | $59K | $58K |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn | $63K | $62K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Cleveland, OH
Entry-level recreational therapists (10th percentile) start around $48K. Mid-career wages sit at $67K. Top earners bring in $95K or more, a $47K 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 with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track recreational therapists salary changes
BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Cleveland numbers change.
Related careers in Healthcare
Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a recreational therapist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Cleveland?
Yes — at the median salary of $67K, rent takes 28.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,279/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for recreational therapists in Cleveland?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new recreational therapists typically earn — is $48K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,316/month. At HUD’s $1,279/month FMR, rent would take 39% 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 Cleveland?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $67K locally vs. $62K nationally, a 9% difference.
How does Cleveland compare to the national average for recreational therapists?
Cleveland pays $67K median vs. the U.S. average of $62K — that’s +9%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.92), the purchasing-power equivalent is $72K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do recreational therapists make in Cleveland, OH?
The median is $67,390 a year, that works out to about $32 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $47,740, and experienced recreational therapists can clear $95,200. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $67K enough to live in Cleveland?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,553/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,279/month, which eats 28.1% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a recreational therapists salary go in Cleveland?
Cleveland has a Regional Price Parity of 93.92 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median recreational therapists salary is worth about $71,753 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.