Recreation therapist

Duties and responsibilities: Recreation therapists assist patients in leisure activities to engage and improve their minds, bodies and spirits. Their goal is to help patients adjust to life with a disease, injury or disability.

Salary: median annual salary of $43,180*

Education: Most recreation therapist jobs require a bachelor's degree in therapeutic recreation. These are typically Bachelor of Science programs that teach students to both understand their patients' conditions and engage those patients physically and mentally to keep them refreshed. The programs often include a significant amount of field work so students can gain hands-on experience for their future career. As an alternative to a therapeutic recreation study, some schools offer a bachelor's degree in recreation with a therapeutic concentration.

Demand for this profession: As noted by the BLS, in May 2013, recreational therapists earned a median annual salary of $43,180. Skilled nursing care facilities employed the largest number of recreational therapists at that time, followed by medical and surgical hospitals (BLS). Employment of recreational therapists was predicted to grow 13% from 2012-2022, according to the BLS.

Reflection:i would like to be one because i like to help people and this is an amazing way to do it and help them improve their minds, bodies and spirit.