Recreational Therapists vs Recreation Workers AI Risk

Job 1

Job 2

Job 1

Job 2

low risk

Recreational Therapists

63 shared · 20 different

core competencies

low risk

Recreation Workers

Side-by-Side Comparison

Recreational Therapists leads 4–0

Metric	Recreational Therapists	Recreation Workers
Risk Score	22.7%	22.7%
Risk Tier	Low Risk	Low Risk
Risk Percentile	13th	13th
Tasks at Risk (>50%)	2 / 11	4 / 15
Median Salary	$60,280	$35,380
Employment	15K	310K

Skill Comparison

Sorted by largest difference

Psychology

Therapy and Counseling

Assisting and Caring for Others

Processing Information

Public Safety and Security

Sociology and Anthropology

Inductive Reasoning

Written Expression

Documenting/Recording Information

Provide Consultation and Advice to Others

Deductive Reasoning

Monitoring and Controlling Resources

Protective Factors

Higher values indicate stronger protection against AI displacement

Recreational Therapists

36%

total discount

Recreation Workers

34%

total discount

Task Risk Comparison

Tasks sorted by AI automation risk — higher means more automatable

Recreational Therapists

2 of 11 at risk

86%Prepare and submit reports and charts to treatment team to reflect patients' reactions and evidence of progress or regression.

52%Develop treatment plan to meet needs of patient, based on needs assessment, patient interests, and objectives of therapy.

47%Develop discharge plans for patients.

45%Obtain information from medical records, medical staff, family members and the patients themselves to assess patients' capabilities, needs and interests.

43%Counsel and encourage patients to develop leisure activities.

Recreation Workers

4 of 15 at risk

86%Complete and maintain time and attendance forms and inventory lists.

86%Schedule maintenance and use of facilities.

84%Document individuals' progress toward meeting their treatment goals.

51%Assess the needs and interests of individuals and groups and plan activities accordingly, given the available equipment or facilities.

49%Evaluate recreation areas, facilities, and services to determine if they are producing desired results.

Wage Comparison

Recreation Workers earns -$24,900(-41%) vs Recreational Therapists

Recreational TherapistsRecreation Workers

10th

$39,520$25,640

25th

$48,230$30,460

Median

$60,280$35,380

75th

$77,680$41,120

90th

$96,600$49,460

Premium Head-to-Head Analysis

Displacement Timeline Comparison

Recreational Therapists2028–2035

Recreation Workers2028–2035

20242030203520402045

Recreational Therapists has a longer runway before significant displacement, projected 0 years later than Recreation Workers.

Risk-Adjusted Salary

Salary weighted by displacement risk: salary × (1 − risk%)

Recreational Therapists

$46,615

from $60,280

Recreation Workers

$27,335

from $35,380

After adjusting for AI risk, Recreational Therapists offers $19,280 more in risk-adjusted pay.

Transition Feasibility

Skill Overlap

Low overlap — significant retraining needed for transition

Unique to Recreational

Unique to Recreation

Combined Protection Strategy

Regardless of which path you choose, focus on these protective factors

Fine Manipulation

Social Intelligence

Creativity

Decision Complexity

Recreational TherapistsRecreation Workers

Find transitions from Recreational Therapists Find transitions from Recreation Workers