Recreational Therapists Salary
Recreational Therapists in Napa, CA make a median of $107,810 a year, or about $51.83 an hour. The range runs from $108K at the entry level to $125K for experienced workers.
So what does $108K get you in Napa?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Napa’s Regional Price Parity (112.6). 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 Napa
Napa sits well above the national pay line for recreational therapists, local pay runs about 74% 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 $2,773/month, which is 42.6% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 13% above the national average (BEA RPP 112.6), 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 Napa, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $92K | , |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $98K | , |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $102K | , |
| Fresno | $98K | , |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Napa, CA
Entry-level recreational therapists (10th percentile) start around $108K. Mid-career wages sit at $108K. Top earners bring in $125K or more, a $17K 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 Napa numbers change.
Related careers in Healthcare
Frequently asked questions
Can a recreational therapist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Napa?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $108K, rent takes 42.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,773/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $2,000/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for recreational therapists in Napa?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new recreational therapists typically earn — is $108K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $6,461/month. At HUD’s $2,773/month FMR, rent would take 43% 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 Napa?
Local pay is 74% above the national median — $108K here vs. $62K nationally. Keep in mind cost of living here is 13% above the national average, which offsets some of that premium.
How does Napa compare to the national average for recreational therapists?
Napa pays $108K median vs. the U.S. average of $62K — that’s +74%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 112.6), the purchasing-power equivalent is $96K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do recreational therapists make in Napa, CA?
The median is $107,810 a year, that works out to about $52 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $107,690, and experienced recreational therapists can clear $124,820. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $108K enough to live in Napa?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $6,506/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,773/month, which eats 42.6% 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 Napa?
Napa 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 $95,746 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.