Recreational Therapists Salary
Recreational Therapists in Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV make a median of $78,730 a year, or about $37.85 an hour. The range runs from $42K at the entry level to $100K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 100.22), that's roughly $78,557 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,735/month, about 31.7% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $79K get you in Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas’s Regional Price Parity (100.22). 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 Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas
Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas sits well above the national pay line for recreational therapists, local pay runs about 27% higher than the U.S. median of $62K. Rent runs $1,735/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 32.6% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 100.22) 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 Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Reno | $58K | $57K |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $92K | $81K |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $98K | $92K |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $102K | $89K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV
Entry-level recreational therapists (10th percentile) start around $42K. Mid-career wages sit at $79K. Top earners bring in $100K or more, a $58K 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 Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a recreational therapist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $79K, rent takes 32.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,735/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,600/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for recreational therapists in Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new recreational therapists typically earn — is $42K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,521/month. At HUD’s $1,735/month FMR, rent would take 69% 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 Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas?
Local pay is 27% above the national median — $79K here vs. $62K nationally.
How does Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas compare to the national average for recreational therapists?
Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas pays $79K median vs. the U.S. average of $62K — that’s +27%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 100.22), the purchasing-power equivalent is $79K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do recreational therapists make in Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV?
The median is $78,730 a year, that works out to about $38 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $42,020, and experienced recreational therapists can clear $100,430. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $79K enough to live in Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,314/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,735/month, which eats 32.6% 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 Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas?
Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas has a Regional Price Parity of 100.22 (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 $78,557 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.