SOC 29-1125 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Recreational Therapists — Kansas
Kansas · 2 metro areas compared
At $40,010, this is one of the lower medians recorded for Recreational Therapists, 35.4% beneath the national figure of $61,960.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to grow about as fast as average
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- +3.3%
- Openings per year
- 1,300
- Typical entry-level education
- Bachelor's degree
Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.
Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Kansas.
Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.
Salary overview
At $40,010, this is one of the lower medians recorded for Recreational Therapists, 35.4% beneath the national figure of $61,960. Pay ranges from under $29,720 at the tenth percentile to more than $60,720 at the ninetieth, with the interquartile range running from $34,880 to $50,370.
The area has 710 jobs in this occupation, giving a location quotient of 5.11 — a measure of how concentrated the occupation is here relative to the country as a whole. Kansas ranks number 47th out of 48 states by median pay for this occupation. Within the state, Topeka records the highest median at $42,180. Of the 669 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 549th.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $29,720 | −52.0% |
| 25th | $34,880 | −43.7% |
| Median (50th) | $40,010 | −35.4% |
| 75th | $50,370 | −18.7% |
| 90th | $60,720 | −2.0% |
| Mean | $43,550 | −29.7% |
Highest-paying metro areas in Kansas
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Kansas run 9.9% below the national average, so the median of $40,010 goes as far as $44,406 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 28.3% below the national median in real terms.
Published median
$40,010as reported by BLSLocal price level
90.1US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$44,406US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $40,010 a year, 35.4% below the national median.
- Published pay spans $29,720 to $60,720 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 710 jobs in this occupation.
- It ranks 47th of 48 states for this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Topeka, at $42,180.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Recreational Therapists in Kansas?
The median annual wage is $40,010, or $19.24 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.
Is that higher than the national average?
The national median for this occupation is $61,960, so pay in Kansas is 35.4% lower. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.
What do the top earners make?
The top tenth of this occupation in Kansas earns more than $60,720 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $29,720 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.
Which area nearby pays the most?
The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Topeka, at $42,180 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 710 jobs in this occupation in Kansas. Self-employed workers are not included.
Source and methodology
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.
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