Recreational Therapists Salary
Recreational Therapists in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA make a median of $98,530 a year, or about $47.37 an hour. The range runs from $63K at the entry level to $115K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 111.89), so that salary is closer to $88,060 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $3,001/month, about 48.5% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $99K get you in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad’s Regional Price Parity (111.89). 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 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad sits well above the national pay line for recreational therapists, local pay runs about 59% 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 $3,001/month, which is 49.7% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 12% above the national average (BEA RPP 111.89), 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 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $92K | $81K |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $98K | $92K |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $102K | $89K |
| 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, San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA
Entry-level recreational therapists (10th percentile) start around $63K. Mid-career wages sit at $99K. Top earners bring in $115K or more, a $53K 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 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad numbers change.
Related careers in Healthcare
Frequently asked questions
Can a recreational therapist afford a 2BR apartment alone in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $99K, rent takes 49.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $3,001/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,800/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for recreational therapists in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new recreational therapists typically earn — is $63K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,760/month. At HUD’s $3,001/month FMR, rent would take 80% 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 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad?
Local pay is 59% above the national median — $99K here vs. $62K nationally. Keep in mind cost of living here is 12% above the national average, which offsets some of that premium.
How does San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad compare to the national average for recreational therapists?
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad pays $99K median vs. the U.S. average of $62K — that’s +59%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 111.89), the purchasing-power equivalent is $88K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do recreational therapists make in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA?
The median is $98,530 a year, that works out to about $47 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $62,660, and experienced recreational therapists can clear $115,370. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $99K enough to live in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $6,033/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $3,001/month, which eats 49.7% 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 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad?
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad has a Regional Price Parity of 111.89 (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 $88,060 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.