Recreational Therapists Salary
Recreational Therapists in Virginia make a median of $61,270 a year, or about $29.46 an hour. The range runs from $50K at the entry level to $87K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 94.79), which stretches that salary to about $64,638 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,646/month, about 40.9% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Virginia. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $61K get you in Virginia?
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What this looks like in Virginia
Recreational therapists pay in Virginia tracks closely to the national median, $61K locally vs. $62K nationwide, a 1% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,646/month, which is 40.9% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 94.79 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 5% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Virginia
Entry-level recreational therapists (10th percentile) start around $50K. Mid-career wages sit at $61K. Top earners bring in $87K or more, a $37K spread from bottom to top.
Recreational Therapists salary by metro in Virginia
2 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Richmond | $61K | +0% | 110 |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk | $60K | -3% | 120 |
Compare to other states
Track recreational therapists salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Virginia numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a recreational therapist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Virginia?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $61K, rent takes 40.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,646/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,200/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for recreational therapists in Virginia?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new recreational therapists typically earn — is $50K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,975/month. At HUD’s $1,646/month FMR, rent would take 55% 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 Virginia?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $61K locally vs. $62K nationally, a 1% difference.
How does Virginia compare to the national average for recreational therapists?
Virginia pays $61K median vs. the U.S. average of $62K — that’s -1%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 94.79), the purchasing-power equivalent is $65K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do recreational therapists make in Virginia?
The median is $61,270 a year, that works out to about $29 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $49,580, and experienced recreational therapists can clear $87,020. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $61K enough to live in Virginia?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,022/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,646/month, which eats 40.9% 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 Virginia?
Virginia has a Regional Price Parity of 94.79 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median recreational therapists salary is worth about $64,638 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.