Occupational Employment and Wages, November 2003

29-1125 Recreational Therapists

Plan, direct, or coordinate medically-approved recreation programs for patients in hospitals, nursing homes, or other institutions. Activities include sports, trips, dramatics, social activities, and arts and crafts. May assess a patient condition and recommend appropriate recreational activity.

National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
State profile for this occupation
Metropolitan area profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
22,460 1.7 % $16.25 $33,800 0.5 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $9.58 $12.02 $15.64 $20.03 $24.41
Annual Wage (2) $19,930 $25,010 $32,540 $41,650 $50,760

Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage
Nursing care facilities 6,600 $13.77 $28,640
General medical and surgical hospitals 4,430 $17.88 $37,190
Psychiatric and substance abuse hospitals 2,810 $17.81 $37,050
State government (OES designation) 2,120 $18.36 $38,190
Community care facilities for the elderly 1,260 $13.77 $28,640

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage
Medical and diagnostic laboratories (7) $24.81 $51,610
Federal government (OES designation) 660 $24.30 $50,540
Elementary and secondary schools 100 $22.69 $47,200
Local government (OES designation) 520 $18.45 $38,380
State government (OES designation) 2,120 $18.36 $38,190

State profile for this occupation: Top

States with the highest concentration of workers in this occupation:

State Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage Percent of State employment
Connecticut 740 $19.20 $39,940 0.045%
Nebraska 340 $13.63 $28,350 0.039%
North Dakota 120 $13.66 $28,410 0.038%
Pennsylvania 1,840 $16.26 $33,820 0.033%
Mississippi 360 $13.05 $27,140 0.033%

Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage Percent of State employment
Washington 180 $22.13 $46,030 0.007%
Vermont 50 $20.64 $42,930 0.017%
New York 2,580 $19.56 $40,680 0.031%
California 1,170 $19.51 $40,590 0.008%
Hawaii 50 $19.37 $40,280 0.009%

Metropolitan area profile for this occupation: Top

Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of workers in this occupation:

MSA Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage Percent of MSA employment
Lima, OH MSA 60 $11.76 $24,460 0.082%
Fitchburg-Leominster, MA PMSA 40 $15.64 $32,530 0.078%
New Haven-Meriden, CT PMSA 170 $18.77 $39,050 0.067%
Bridgeport, CT PMSA 120 $17.59 $36,580 0.064%
Bismarck, ND MSA 30 $14.30 $29,750 0.060%

Top paying Metropolitan areas for this occupation:

MSA Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage Percent of MSA employment
San Jose, CA PMSA 70 $24.41 $50,770 0.008%
Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, WA PMSA 90 $23.35 $48,560 0.007%
Danbury, CT PMSA 40 $21.08 $43,850 0.045%
Newburgh, NY-PA PMSA 50 $20.79 $43,240 0.034%
Baton Rouge, LA MSA (7) $20.64 $42,930 (7)

About November 2003 National, State, and Metropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors in metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas in every State and the District of Columbia. The top five employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable Excel files(XLS).

Percentile wage estimates show the percentage of workers in an occupation that earn less than a given wage and the percentage that earn more. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate—50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly mean wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(7) Estimates not released.

All Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Occupations

November 2003 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

November 2003 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

November 2003 Metropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

November 2003 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

List of Occupations in SOC Code Number Order

List of Occupations in Alphabetical Order

Download November 2003 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates in Zipped Excel files

Technical notes

 

Last Modified Date: April 19, 2005