Recreational Therapists Salary
Recreational Therapists in New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ make a median of $66,050 a year, or about $31.75 an hour. The range runs from $50K at the entry level to $96K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 112.56), so that salary is closer to $58,680 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,910/month, about 67.5% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $66K get you in New York-Newark-Jersey City?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by New York-Newark-Jersey City’s Regional Price Parity (112.56). 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 New York-Newark-Jersey City
Recreational therapists pay in New York-Newark-Jersey City tracks closely to the national median, $66K locally vs. $62K nationwide, a 7% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,910/month, which is 67.4% 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 112.56), so groceries and services cost more too. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for recreational therapists in metros near New York-Newark-Jersey City, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Rochester | $59K | $61K |
| Syracuse | $63K | $66K |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga | $65K | $68K |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy | $62K | $62K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
Entry-level recreational therapists (10th percentile) start around $50K. Mid-career wages sit at $66K. Top earners bring in $96K or more, a $46K 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 New York-Newark-Jersey City numbers change.
Related careers in Healthcare
Frequently asked questions
Can a recreational therapist afford a 2BR apartment alone in New York-Newark-Jersey City?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $66K, rent takes 67.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,910/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,300/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for recreational therapists in New York-Newark-Jersey City?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new recreational therapists typically earn — is $50K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,015/month. At HUD’s $2,910/month FMR, rent would take 97% 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 New York-Newark-Jersey City?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $66K locally vs. $62K nationally, a 7% difference.
How does New York-Newark-Jersey City compare to the national average for recreational therapists?
New York-Newark-Jersey City pays $66K median vs. the U.S. average of $62K — that’s +7%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 112.56), the purchasing-power equivalent is $59K — below the national median.
How much do recreational therapists make in New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ?
The median is $66,050 a year, that works out to about $32 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $50,250, and experienced recreational therapists can clear $95,830. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $66K enough to live in New York-Newark-Jersey City?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,319/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,910/month, which eats 67.4% 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 New York-Newark-Jersey City?
New York-Newark-Jersey City has a Regional Price Parity of 112.56 (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 $58,680 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.