Recreational Therapists Salary
Recreational Therapists in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI make a median of $62,600 a year, or about $30.1 an hour. The range runs from $42K at the entry level to $74K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 100.3), that's roughly $62,413 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,411/month, about 34.3% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $63K get you in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Detroit-Warren-Dearborn’s Regional Price Parity (100.3). 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 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn
Recreational therapists pay in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn tracks closely to the national median, $63K locally vs. $62K nationwide, a 1% difference. Rent runs $1,411/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 34.1% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 100.3) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. 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 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Ann Arbor | $71K | $70K |
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood | $55K | $58K |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha | $64K | $66K |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood | $53K | $55K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI
Entry-level recreational therapists (10th percentile) start around $42K. Mid-career wages sit at $63K. Top earners bring in $74K or more, a $32K 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 quarterly. We'll email you when Detroit-Warren-Dearborn numbers change.
Related careers in Healthcare
Frequently asked questions
Can a recreational therapist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $63K, rent takes 34.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,411/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 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new recreational therapists typically earn — is $42K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,546/month. At HUD’s $1,411/month FMR, rent would take 55% 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 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $63K locally vs. $62K nationally, a 1% difference.
How does Detroit-Warren-Dearborn compare to the national average for recreational therapists?
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn pays $63K median vs. the U.S. average of $62K — that’s +1%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 100.3), the purchasing-power equivalent is $62K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do recreational therapists make in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI?
The median is $62,600 a year, that works out to about $30 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $42,440, and experienced recreational therapists can clear $74,490. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $63K enough to live in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,140/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,411/month, which eats 34.1% 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 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn?
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn has a Regional Price Parity of 100.3 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median recreational therapists salary is worth about $62,413 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.