Recreational Therapists Salary
Recreational Therapists in Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO make a median of $66,840 a year, or about $32.13 an hour. The range runs from $45K at the entry level to $88K for experienced workers.
So what does $67K get you in Denver-Aurora-Centennial?
About recreational therapists
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Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for recreational therapists in metros near Denver-Aurora-Centennial, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Wichita | $37K | , |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler | $63K | , |
| Salt Lake City-Murray | $64K | , |
| Topeka | $42K | , |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO
Entry-level recreational therapists (10th percentile) start around $45K. Mid-career wages sit at $67K. Top earners bring in $88K or more, a $44K 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 Denver-Aurora-Centennial numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
What’s the entry-level salary for recreational therapists in Denver-Aurora-Centennial?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new recreational therapists typically earn — is $45K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,672/month.
Is recreational therapist a high-paying job in Denver-Aurora-Centennial?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $67K locally vs. $62K nationally, a 8% difference.
How does Denver-Aurora-Centennial compare to the national average for recreational therapists?
Denver-Aurora-Centennial pays $67K median vs. the U.S. average of $62K — that’s +8%.
How much do recreational therapists make in Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO?
The median is $66,840 a year, that works out to about $32 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $44,530, and experienced recreational therapists can clear $88,120. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $67K enough to live in Denver-Aurora-Centennial?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,372/month after taxes. Rent data is not available for this area.
How far does a recreational therapists salary go in Denver-Aurora-Centennial?
Denver-Aurora-Centennial 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 $66,840 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.