Recreational Therapists

Recreational Therapists score 32 out of 100, which is moderate exposure to AI. That ranks #508 of 923 US occupations, where #1 is the most exposed. Of the 11 tasks in this job, AI could speed up 1 on its own and 5 more with extra software built on top of it. In April–May 2026, 3 of these tasks showed up in real conversations with Claude, Anthropic's AI assistant.

32/ 100

Moderate

Rank: #508of 923 jobs
US workers: 14,930BLS, May 2025
Median pay: $61,960a year
In real AI use: 3 of 11tasks, April–May 2026

Free report

Follow how AI is changing recreational therapists work.

Subscribe to the weekly report and get The AI Job Exposure Report (PDF) right away: the most and least exposed jobs, exposure by field, and the AI-resilient jobs that pay well.

Free · one email a week · unsubscribe anytime

Task by task

Each task this job involves, as listed by O*NET, rated on whether a large language model like GPT-4 could cut the time it takes by at least half at the same quality. Tasks marked Seen in real AI use appeared in conversations with Claude in April–May 2026 (Anthropic Economic Index).

AI can speed this up on its own: 1 (9%)
AI can speed this up with extra software: 5 (45%)
Little or no AI speed-up: 5 (45%)

Prepare and submit reports and charts to treatment team to reflect patients' reactions and evidence of progress or regression.AI can speed this up on its own · core task
Observe, analyze, and record patients' participation, reactions, and progress during treatment sessions, modifying treatment programs as needed.AI can speed this up with extra software · core task
Develop treatment plan to meet needs of patient, based on needs assessment, patient interests, and objectives of therapy.AI can speed this up with extra software · core task · Seen in real AI use
Obtain information from medical records, medical staff, family members and the patients, themselves, to assess patients' capabilities, needs and interests.AI can speed this up with extra software · core task
Confer with members of treatment team to plan and evaluate therapy programs.AI can speed this up with extra software · core task
Develop discharge plans for patients.AI can speed this up with extra software · core task
Instruct patient in activities and techniques, such as sports, dance, music, art, or relaxation techniques, designed to meet their specific physical or psychological needs.Little or no AI speed-up · core task
Conduct therapy sessions to improve patients' mental and physical well-being.Little or no AI speed-up · core task
Plan, organize, direct, and participate in treatment programs and activities to facilitate patients' rehabilitation, help them integrate into the community, and prevent further medical problems.Little or no AI speed-up · core task
Counsel and encourage patients to develop leisure activities.Little or no AI speed-up · core task · Seen in real AI use
Encourage clients with special needs and circumstances to acquire new skills and get involved in health-promoting leisure activities, such as sports, games, arts and crafts, and gardening.Little or no AI speed-up · core task · Seen in real AI use

What you can do about it

Get a personal plan for what to learn next.

Skill Half Life turns this score into a 90-day plan for your situation: your realistic options, the skills that carry over, and training that fits your time and budget. Coming soon.

See your options

Similar jobs, lower exposure

Related occupations that score at least 10 points lower.

Other jobs in this field

Healthcare Practitioners and Technical occupations close to this one.

All healthcare practitioners and technical jobs and AI

Questions about recreational therapists and AI

Will AI replace recreational therapists?

Unlikely. Most of the work is hard for today's AI to speed up. Recreational Therapists score 32 out of 100 (moderate exposure), #508 of 923 US jobs. AI could speed up 6 of the job's 11 tasks, 1 of them on its own, while 5 see little or no speed-up. Exposure means the work is likely to change, not that the job will disappear.

Which recreational therapists tasks can AI do?

The most exposed tasks include "Prepare and submit reports and charts to treatment team to reflect patients' reactions and evidence of progress or regression".

Which recreational therapists tasks are hardest for AI?

Tasks with little or no AI speed-up include "Instruct patient in activities and techniques, such as sports, dance, music, art, or relaxation techniques, designed to meet their specific physical or psychological needs"; "Conduct therapy sessions to improve patients' mental and physical well-being"; "Plan, organize, direct, and participate in treatment programs and activities to facilitate patients' rehabilitation, help them integrate into the community, and prevent further medical problems".

Are people already using AI for this work?

Yes. In April–May 2026, 3 of the 11 tasks showed up in real conversations with Claude, according to the Anthropic Economic Index.

How many people work as recreational therapists, and what do they earn?

About 14,930 people in the US, with median pay of $61,960 a year (BLS, May 2025).

How to read this score. Exposure measures how much of the work AI could speed up, not whether the job will disappear. A highly exposed job can change shape, with people spending less time on routine tasks and more on the rest. The score counts tasks AI can speed up on its own in full, and tasks that need extra software at half weight.

The ratings come from published research based on GPT-4 (2023). To show what's happening now, each task is also checked against the latest Anthropic Economic Index, which records which tasks people actually use AI for. That data is refreshed automatically when Anthropic publishes a new release. Read the full method.