DOL Filings vs BLS Survey
What Employers File with DOL
This figure comes from 359 employer filings with the US Department of Labor under legal obligation. Employers file this salary when sponsoring workers for PERM green cards or H-1B visas.
What BLS Says the Market Pays
This figure comes from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey of 15,060 establishments. This is an independent survey-based estimate of what all workers in this occupation earn.
Salary Distribution
Top Paying Employers for Recreational Therapists
Ranked by median salary from DOL filings| Rank | Employer | Median Salary | Filings | vs Market |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ATASCADERO STATE HOSPITAL | $75,120 | 10 | +24.6% |
| 2 | Department of State Hospitals - Coalinga | $72,510 | 12 | +20.3% |
| 3 | TEMPLE | $56,867 | 5 | -5.7% |
| 4 | DAHN YOGA & HEALTH CENTERS, INC. | $50,000 | 11 | -17.1% |
| 5 | All About Speech, LLC | $50,000 | 7 | -17.1% |
| 6 | South Shore Mental Health Center, Inc. | $44,990 | 5 | -25.4% |
| 7 | American Medical Inc. | $44,430 | 12 | -26.3% |
| 8 | Body & Brain Yoga and Health Centers, Inc. | $43,000 | 7 | -28.7% |
| 9 | InterFysio, LLC | $41,132 | 6 | -31.8% |
| 10 | BEHAVIOR SERVICES & THERAPY | $39,520 | 6 | -34.4% |
| 11 | MERRIMACK VALLEY HOSPICE | $37,398 | 7 | -38% |
Salary by Metro Area
| Metro Area | Median | vs National | Filings | Employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coalinga, CA | $71,616 | +66.5% | 15 | 3 |
| Brooklyn, NY | $40,170 | -6.6% | 11 | 7 |
| New York, NY | $39,832 | -7.4% | 15 | 11 |
| Flushing, NY | $37,440 | -12.9% | 11 | 8 |
Salary by State
| State | Median | vs National | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Missouri | $178,750 | +233.4% | 2 |
| California | $67,500 | -30.1% | 60 |
| District of Columbia | $67,377 | -26.8% | 3 |
| Minnesota | $54,080 | -19.6% | 1 |
| Nevada | $52,000 | -32.9% | 1 |
| North Carolina | $52,000 | +7% | 1 |
| Alabama | $50,128 | -3.7% | 1 |
| Arizona | $50,000 | -18.2% | 8 |
| Connecticut | $46,000 | -24.6% | 1 |
| Florida | $45,620 | -18.9% | 10 |
| Ohio | $45,167 | -25% | 4 |
| Colorado | $43,680 | -30.3% | 5 |
| Texas | $43,243 | -20.2% | 7 |
| Massachusetts | $43,000 | -25.3% | 17 |
| Oregon | $41,600 | -35% | 2 |
| Arkansas | $41,600 | -7.7% | 1 |
| New York | $41,600 | -34.5% | 55 |
| Nebraska | $41,550 | -25.7% | 12 |
| New Jersey | $40,560 | -37.5% | 8 |
| Maryland | $39,988 | -31.5% | 2 |
| Virginia | $39,600 | -30.9% | 2 |
| Michigan | $39,333 | -37.8% | 3 |
| Pennsylvania | $37,669 | -33.6% | 2 |
| Alaska | $37,045 | N/A | 2 |
| Washington | $35,381 | -55% | 2 |
| Indiana | $34,785 | -33% | 16 |
| Maine | $34,500 | -36.7% | 1 |
| Hawaii | $34,434 | N/A | 2 |
| Illinois | $33,654 | -47.1% | 6 |
| Wisconsin | $29,910 | -45.6% | 3 |
| Louisiana | $27,040 | -42.9% | 3 |
Salary Trend - DOL Data
Education Requirements
From PERM filingsFor Recreational Therapists positions, 79% of PERM filings required a Bachelor's degree, 17% required a Master's degree, and 4% required no formal degree.
Education by Top Employer
Most common minimum education from PERM filings| Employer | Most Common Education | Median Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Department of State Hospitals - Coalinga | Not specified | $72,510 |
| American Medical Inc. | Bachelor's | $44,430 |
| DAHN YOGA & HEALTH CENTERS, INC. | Master's | $50,000 |
| ATASCADERO STATE HOSPITAL | Not specified | $75,120 |
| All About Speech, LLC | Not specified | $50,000 |
| Body & Brain Yoga and Health Centers, Inc. | Not specified | $43,000 |
| MERRIMACK VALLEY HOSPICE | Not specified | $37,398 |
| BEHAVIOR SERVICES & THERAPY | Not specified | $39,520 |
| InterFysio, LLC | Master's | $41,132 |
| South Shore Mental Health Center, Inc. | Not specified | $44,990 |
Salary by Industry
Same occupation, different industries (NAICS)The highest-paying industry for Recreational Therapists is Health Care and Social Assistance at $48,708.
Frequently Asked Questions
Based on 359 DOL filings, the median salary for a Recreational Therapists is $43,000, ranging from $37,440 to $52,000.
The 90th percentile salary is $96,600 according to BLS data.
Based on DOL filings, Coalinga, CA offers the highest median at $71,616.
DOL filing data covers positions where the employer filed for PERM green card sponsorship or an H-1B visa. These filings represent a subset of all Recreational Therapists positions. We compare this data against BLS OEWS data which covers all workers in this occupation.
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