# Recreational Therapists

US SOC code 29-1125. Markdown version of https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/29-1125

Also called: CTRS, Certified therapeutic recreation specialist, Therapeutic recreation specialist, TR specialist, Activity therapist.

## In brief

In May 2025, [BLS](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) counted **14,930** US recreational therapists, with median pay of **$61,960** a year. Of the BLS counts since 2021, the highest was **16,980**, in May 2021. The earliest figure here is [an estimate](https://nctrc.org/statements/nctrc-then-and-now/) of **68** from 1959, not measured the same way as today's count. The last full technology era for recreational therapists: VR therapy platforms as clinical adjuncts, 2015 to 2023. VR platforms do not displace RTs; they expand the clinical programming toolkit available per therapist.

## What the sources say

### Official outlook

BLS projects employment to grow 4.8% from 2025 to 2035. Source: [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=29-1125&ioType=o).

### AI exposure studies

- **36.4%** of this job's tasks are exposed to large language models. Not a forecast of job losses. [Eloundou and others, 2023](https://github.com/openai/GPTs-are-GPTs/blob/main/data/occ_level.csv)

Data as of BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35. BLS publishes these counts as yearly survey snapshots and cautions against reading them as a precise trend.

## Recreational Therapists employment and pay by year

- On record since: 1793
- Latest US employment: 14,930 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [2]
- Latest US median pay: $61,960 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [4]
- Outlook: +4.8% by 2035. Source: BLS Employment Projections 2025-35 [16]

### All 26 years of cited US data

| Year | US employment | Annual pay (median unless marked) | Source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1959 | 68 (estimate) | n/a | Est., NCTRC [1] |
| 1967 | 260 (estimate) | $5,600 (estimate) | Est., NCTRC (employment) [1]; Est., US Department of Veterans Affairs (pay) [3] |
| 1981 | 3,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., NCTRC [1] |
| 2003 | 22,860 | $31,870 | BLS OEWS May 2003 [2] |
| 2004 | 23,050 | $32,900 | BLS OEWS May 2004 [2] |
| 2005 | 23,260 | $33,480 | BLS OEWS May 2005 [2] |
| 2006 | 24,130 | $34,990 | BLS OEWS May 2006 [2] |
| 2007 | 23,240 | $36,940 | BLS OEWS May 2007 [2] |
| 2008 | 22,510 | $38,370 | BLS OEWS May 2008 [2] |
| 2009 | 21,960 | $39,440 | BLS OEWS May 2009 [2] |
| 2010 | 20,830 | $39,410 | BLS OEWS May 2010 [2] |
| 2011 | 19,650 | $41,060 | BLS OEWS May 2011 [2] |
| 2012 | 19,180 | $42,280 | BLS OEWS May 2012 [2] |
| 2013 | 18,640 | $43,180 | BLS OEWS May 2013 [2] |
| 2014 | 17,950 | $44,000 | BLS OEWS May 2014 [2] |
| 2015 | 17,880 | $45,890 | BLS OEWS May 2015 [2] |
| 2016 | 18,100 | $46,410 | BLS OEWS May 2016 [2] |
| 2017 | 18,490 | $47,680 | BLS OEWS May 2017 [2] |
| 2018 | 18,840 | $47,860 | BLS OEWS May 2018 [2] |
| 2019 | 19,070 | $48,220 | BLS OEWS May 2019 [2] |
| 2020 | 20,080 | $47,710 | BLS OEWS May 2020 [2] |
| 2021 | 16,980 | $47,940 | BLS OEWS May 2021 [2] |
| 2022 | 15,920 | $51,330 | BLS OEWS May 2022 [2] |
| 2023 | 15,540 | $57,120 | BLS OEWS May 2023 [2] |
| 2024 | 15,060 | $60,280 | BLS OEWS May 2024 [2] |
| 2025 | 14,930 | $61,960 | BLS OEWS May 2025 [2] |

## Sources (80)

### Employment series

1. [NCTRC -- "NCTRC Then and Now: CTRS Certification History" (credentialing history; CAHR 1959 first registration of 68 hospital recreation personnel)](https://nctrc.org/statements/nctrc-then-and-now/), National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification
2. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2003](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm03nat.zip), [2004](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm04nat.zip), [2005](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm05nat.zip), [2006](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm06nat.zip), [2007](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm07nat.zip), [2008](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm08nat.zip), [2009](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm09nat.zip), [2010](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm10nat.zip), [2011](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm11nat.zip), [2012](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm12nat.zip), [2013](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm13nat.zip), [2014](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm14nat.zip), [2015](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm15nat.zip), [2016](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm16nat.zip), [2017](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm17nat.zip), [2018](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm18nat.zip), [2019](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm19nat.zip), [2020](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm20nat.zip), [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2024](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)

### Wage series

3. [VA Rehabilitation and Prosthetic Services -- "A History of Recreation Therapy in the VA" (VA employment and pay context for recreation therapists in the late 1960s federal pay system)](https://www.prosthetics.va.gov/rectherapy/history.asp), US Department of Veterans Affairs
4. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2003](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm03nat.zip), [2004](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm04nat.zip), [2005](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm05nat.zip), [2006](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm06nat.zip), [2007](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm07nat.zip), [2008](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm08nat.zip), [2009](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm09nat.zip), [2010](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm10nat.zip), [2011](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm11nat.zip), [2012](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm12nat.zip), [2013](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm13nat.zip), [2014](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm14nat.zip), [2015](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm15nat.zip), [2016](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm16nat.zip), [2017](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm17nat.zip), [2018](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm18nat.zip), [2019](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm19nat.zip), [2020](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm20nat.zip), [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)
5. [BLS OEWS May 2024, national cross-industry estimates (flat file)](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

### Tool eras

6. [NCBI Bookshelf -- "A Great Source of Amusement: Work Therapy and Recreation in Nineteenth-Century Irish Asylums" (work therapy and recreation as moral treatment from Pinel onward)](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK481806/), National Center for Biotechnology Information / NCBI Bookshelf
7. [Socio.Health -- "19th Century Mental Health Reforms: From Asylums to Moral Therapy" (Pinel 1793, Tuke 1796, moral treatment era)](https://socio.health/public-health-and-nutrition/19th-century-mental-health-reforms-asylums-moral-therapy/), Socio.Health
8. [VA Rehabilitation and Prosthetic Services -- "A History of Recreation Therapy in the VA" (Morale Branch 1918, Special Services WWII, VA as founder and largest federal user of recreation therapy)](https://www.prosthetics.va.gov/rectherapy/history.asp), US Department of Veterans Affairs
9. [PubMed -- Marian Erdman: "Contributions of an American Red Cross Hospital Recreation Worker" (Red Cross hospital recreation history, PMID 10531585)](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10531585/), PubMed / National Library of Medicine
10. [NCTRC -- "NCTRC Then and Now: CTRS Certification History" (NTRS 1966, NCTRC 1981, credentialed growth from 68 in 1959 to 19,000 in 2025)](https://nctrc.org/statements/nctrc-then-and-now/), National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification
11. [ATRA -- American Therapeutic Recreation Association practice standards and ADA implementation guidance (wheelchair sports, accessible aquatic therapy, adapted recreation equipment in RT practice)](https://www.atra-online.com/), American Therapeutic Recreation Association
12. [XRHealth -- FDA-registered VR therapeutic platform; deployed at 50+ US health systems; VR for cognitive rehab, dementia engagement, autism social skills; JMIR Serious Games VR therapy systematic review 2024](https://www.xrhealth.com/), XRHealth
13. [Penumbra REAL System -- FDA-cleared (510(k)) VR neurorehabilitation; 6 published RCTs 2020-2024; JMIR Rehabilitation 2024 evidence synthesis](https://www.penumbrainc.com/immersive-healthcare/), Penumbra Inc.
14. [Therapeutic Recreation Journal Vol. 58, 2024 -- documentation burden as primary RT job stressor; ~2 hours/day on TR progress notes in hospital settings; ATRA Research Symposium 2025](https://js.sagamorepub.com/index.php/trj/), Sagamore Publishing / Therapeutic Recreation Journal
15. [SingFit -- AI-powered music engagement for dementia and cognitive decline; AI song library curation; Cochrane Review evidence for music in dementia (2018, updated 2024); ATRA conference presentations 2024](https://www.singfit.com/), SingFit

### Forecasts and exposure studies

16. [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35, National Employment Matrix: 29-1125 Recreational therapists (2025: 15.6 thousand; 2035: 16.3 thousand; +4.8%)](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=29-1125&ioType=o), Bureau of Labor Statistics
17. [Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin & Rock (2023), "GPTs are GPTs", occupation-level exposure data occ\_level.csv (O\*NET-SOC 29-1125.00, human-rated β 0.364)](https://github.com/openai/GPTs-are-GPTs/blob/main/data/occ_level.csv), OpenAI

### Historical notes

18. [Socio.Health -- "19th Century Mental Health Reforms: From Asylums to Moral Therapy" (Pinel 1793 moral treatment introduction at the Bicetre)](https://socio.health/public-health-and-nutrition/19th-century-mental-health-reforms-asylums-moral-therapy/), Socio.Health
19. [RecreationTherapy.com -- "The Founding Figures of Recreational Therapy: Pioneers Who Changed Healthcare" (Nightingale's Crimean War hospital recreation rooms and clinical rationale)](https://recreationtherapy.com/2025/10/04/the-founding-figures-of-recreational-therapy-pioneers-who-changed-healthcare/), RecreationTherapy.com
20. [VA Rehabilitation and Prosthetic Services -- "A History of Recreation Therapy in the VA" (Morale Branch 1918, Red Cross Hospital Recreation Corps, VA as founder and principal employer of recreation therapy)](https://www.prosthetics.va.gov/rectherapy/history.asp), US Department of Veterans Affairs
21. [TR Historical Timeline (WordPress/Jennie Boyer) -- NTRS 1966 founding, NRPA charter approval October 9 1966, first Board of Directors meeting January 1967](https://jennieboyertr.wordpress.com/about/timeline/), Therapeutic Recreation timeline resource
22. [NCTRC -- "NCTRC Then and Now: CTRS Certification History" (NCTRC founded 1981 as independent body; credentialed population from 260 in 1967 to 3,000 in 1981 to ~19,000 in 2025)](https://nctrc.org/statements/nctrc-then-and-now/), National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification
23. [Quizlet TR History flashcards (UIOWA) -- ATRA founded 1984 by 50 founding members from NTRS, including past-presidents; clinical orientation separate from NTRS/NRPA community recreation scope](https://quizlet.com/439965/intro-to-tr-exam-1-uiowa-19-flash-cards/), University of Iowa therapeutic recreation curriculum

### Predecessors & successors

24. [PubMed -- Marian Erdman: "Contributions of an American Red Cross Hospital Recreation Worker" (Red Cross hospital recreation worker role, pre-NTRS era)](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10531585/), PubMed / National Library of Medicine

### Present-day analysis

- [O\*NET 30.3 — Recreational Therapists (29-1125.00): tasks, work activities, technology skills, knowledge domains, employment data](https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/29-1125.00), accessed 2026-05-24
- [BLS OOH — Recreational Therapists: ~18,000 employed 2024; +2% growth 2024-2034; ~1,200 annual openings; median annual wage $56,040; largest settings: nursing/residential care facilities, hospitals, community mental health](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/recreational-therapists.htm), accessed 2026-05-24
- [ATRA — AI and Technology Bulletin (2025): AI emerging for documentation and activity-planning augmentation; therapeutic use of activity and therapeutic use of self identified as irreducible RT clinical core; ATRA Practice Guidelines 2025](https://www.atra-online.com/), accessed 2026-05-24
- [NCTRC — ~19,000 active CTRSs in the U.S. (NCTRC 2025 Annual Report); AI and technology in TR is an emerging CE category; recertification requires 50 CE hours per 5-year cycle](https://nctrc.org/), accessed 2026-05-24
- [XRHealth — FDA-registered VR therapeutic platform; deployed at 50+ U.S. health systems (Boston Children's Hospital, Moss Rehabilitation); VR for cognitive rehab, dementia engagement, autism social skills, and physical activity in RT settings; JMIR Serious Games VR therapy review 2024](https://www.xrhealth.com/), accessed 2026-05-24
- [Penumbra REAL System — FDA-cleared VR neurorehabilitation platform; Class II 510(k) clearance; used by RTs and OTs for cognitive-motor engagement goals; 6 published RCTs and observational studies 2020-2024; JMIR Rehabilitation 2024 evidence synthesis](https://www.penumbrainc.com/immersive-healthcare/), accessed 2026-05-24
- [SingFit — AI-powered music engagement platform for dementia and cognitive decline; AI curates personalized song libraries by birth decade; structured group music activity sessions; Cochrane Review evidence for music in dementia (2018, updated 2024); used by RTs in memory care and SNF settings nationally; ATRA conference presentations 2024](https://www.singfit.com/), accessed 2026-05-24
- [Applied VR — EaseVRx FDA Breakthrough Device authorization for chronic pain VR treatment; VR pain distraction and relaxation programs used in RT palliative care and pain management settings; Journal of Pain 2021 RCT: 30% reduction in pain intensity vs. sham VR](https://www.appliedvr.io/), accessed 2026-05-24
- [JMIR Serious Games / JMIR Rehabilitation 2024 — systematic reviews of VR in therapeutic recreation: VR effectively augments TR programming for dementia (12 RCTs), neurological rehab, and autism social skills; strongest evidence for VR as RT-supervised adjunct, not standalone replacement for therapeutic relationship](https://games.jmir.org/), accessed 2026-05-24
- [Therapeutic Recreation Journal Vol. 58, 2024 — technology in TR practice reviews: VR for dementia and neurological rehab; documentation burden (~2 hrs/day in hospital settings) identified as primary RT job stressor; ATRA Research Symposium 2025](https://js.sagamorepub.com/index.php/trj/), accessed 2026-05-24
- [Eloundou et al. 2024 — GPTs are GPTs (Science): occupational LLM exposure framework; RT moderate LLM exposure with tools β1=0.55; low exposure without tools α1=0.09; primarily via documentation and planning tasks](https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.10130), accessed 2026-05-24
- [Net Health Therapy AI — documentation compliance checking and AI-generated TR note templates in SNF and hospital settings; deployed for PT/OT/SLP/TR disciplines; Net Health press releases 2024-2025](https://www.nethealth.com/rehab-therapy-software-solutions/), accessed 2026-05-24
- [Dragon Copilot (Microsoft, formerly Nuance DAX Copilot) — ambient clinical documentation deployed at 750+ U.S. health systems; used by RTs in hospital-based inpatient rehab settings at enterprise Dragon Copilot sites for TR session note generation; Microsoft 2025](https://www.nuance.com/healthcare/dragon-copilot.html), accessed 2026-05-24

How to read these figures: https://futurehistory.earth/methodology. Every figure links to its own source; gaps stay gaps.