Recreational Therapists Salary
Recreational Therapists in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA make a median of $91,740 a year, or about $44.11 an hour. The range runs from $62K at the entry level to $112K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 113.57), so that salary is closer to $80,778 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,601/month, about 45.2% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $92K get you in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim’s Regional Price Parity (113.57). 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 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim sits well above the national pay line for recreational therapists, local pay runs about 48% higher than the U.S. median of $62K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,601/month, which is 45.7% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 14% above the national average (BEA RPP 113.57), so groceries and services cost more too. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for recreational therapists in metros near Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $98K | $92K |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $102K | $89K |
| Fresno | $98K | $96K |
| Napa | $108K | $96K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
Entry-level recreational therapists (10th percentile) start around $62K. Mid-career wages sit at $92K. Top earners bring in $112K or more, a $50K 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 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim numbers change.
Related careers in Healthcare
Frequently asked questions
Can a recreational therapist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $92K, rent takes 45.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,601/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,700/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for recreational therapists in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new recreational therapists typically earn — is $62K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,737/month. At HUD’s $2,601/month FMR, rent would take 70% 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 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim?
Local pay is 48% above the national median — $92K here vs. $62K nationally. Keep in mind cost of living here is 14% above the national average, which offsets some of that premium.
How does Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim compare to the national average for recreational therapists?
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim pays $92K median vs. the U.S. average of $62K — that’s +48%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 113.57), the purchasing-power equivalent is $81K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do recreational therapists make in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA?
The median is $91,740 a year, that works out to about $44 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $62,290, and experienced recreational therapists can clear $112,050. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $92K enough to live in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,688/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,601/month, which eats 45.7% 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 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim?
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim has a Regional Price Parity of 113.57 (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 $80,778 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.