Recreational Therapists Salary
Recreational Therapists in Illinois make a median of $54,910 a year, or about $26.4 an hour. The range runs from $41K at the entry level to $86K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.85), which stretches that salary to about $58,508 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,407/month, about 39% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Illinois. Jump to a metro for precise data:
Where the paycheck goes
What $55K actually covers in Illinois, month by month
About recreational therapists
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What this looks like in Illinois
Pay for recreational therapists in Illinois runs about 11% below the U.S. median of $62K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,407/month, which is 38.9% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 93.85 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 6% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for recreational therapists.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Illinois
Entry-level recreational therapists (10th percentile) start around $41K. Mid-career wages sit at $55K. Top earners bring in $86K or more, a $46K spread from bottom to top.
Recreational Therapists salary by metro in Illinois
1 metro area with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $54K | -1% | 340 |
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BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Illinois numbers change.
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a recreational therapist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Illinois?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $55K, rent takes 38.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,407/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,100/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for recreational therapists in Illinois?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new recreational therapists typically earn — is $41K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,718/month. At HUD’s $1,407/month FMR, rent would take 52% 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 Illinois?
Local pay runs 11% below the national median — $55K here vs. $62K nationally. Cost of living is 6% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Illinois compare to the national average for recreational therapists?
Illinois pays $55K median vs. the U.S. average of $62K — that’s -11%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.85), the purchasing-power equivalent is $59K — below the national median.
How much do recreational therapists make in Illinois?
The median is $54,910 a year, that works out to about $26 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $40,560, and experienced recreational therapists can clear $86,190. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $55K enough to live in Illinois?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,620/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,407/month, which eats 38.9% 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 Illinois?
Illinois has a Regional Price Parity of 93.85 (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 $58,508 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.