Recreation/creative Arts Therapist
Federal headcount, average salary, length of service, and pay comparison for the Recreation/creative Arts Therapist occupation series (code 0638), drawn directly from the OPM FedScope dataset (June 2026).
The verdict
With 1,057 employees (0.1% of the federal civilian workforce), Recreation/creative Arts Therapist ranks as a smaller, specialized federal occupation within the Medical, Hospital, Dental, and Public Health Group family. Its average salary of $95,020 pays below the $117,339 federal average.
- Employees
- 1,057
- Share of workforce
- 0.1%
- Avg salary
- $95,020
- Avg tenure
- 11.6 yrs
FedScope read on Recreation/creative Arts Therapist (dense series)
Federal agencies employ 1,057 people in the Recreation/creative Arts Therapist occupation (OPM code 0638), accounting for 0.1% of the total federal civilian workforce of 1,953,300 for the June 2026 reporting window. Headcount in this occupation moved sideways by 0.0% versus the prior period, a modest but trackable signal for anyone considering this specialized federal career path.
The average salary for Recreation/creative Arts Therapist is $95,020 per year. Salaries moved up by 0.2% from the prior period, a small shift, within the range of normal year-to-year rounding rather than a broad pay-table change. Average length of service in this role is 11.6 years, a mid-length average tenure, reflecting a mix of career employees and those who transfer or exit mid-career.
Code 06, the Medical, Hospital, Dental, and Public Health Group family, is where the federal government classifies Recreation/creative Arts Therapist alongside 44 related occupations. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Recreation/creative Arts Therapist postings should also review these sibling occupations in the Medical, Hospital, Dental, and Public Health Group family.
Recreation/creative Arts Therapist makes up 0.3% of the 339,162 employees across the Medical, Hospital, Dental, and Public Health Group family, ranking #29 of 45 occupations in that family by headcount. Its average salary ranks in the bottom half (40th percentile) of pay among Medical, Hospital, Dental, and Public Health Group occupations.
Salary Context
How Recreation/creative Arts Therapist pay compares to the federal average of $117,339
Occupation Average
$95,020
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
-19.0%
Where Recreation/creative Arts Therapist ranks on federal pay
Its average salary of $95,020 is higher than 50% of federal occupation series (268 of 541). The highlighted bar marks where Recreation/creative Arts Therapist sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 541 federal occupation series; Recreation/creative Arts Therapist ranks higher than 50%.
Related Occupations in Medical, Hospital, Dental, and Public Health Group
10 other occupations in the same family
| Occupation | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nurse | 106,218 | $132,267 | 10.2 yrs |
| Medical Support Assistance | 39,856 | $58,279 | 8.2 yrs |
| Medical Officer | 34,687 | $301,569 | 11.6 yrs |
| General Health Science | 17,434 | $133,765 | 11.9 yrs |
| Practical Nurse | 16,755 | $75,898 | 10.4 yrs |
| Pharmacist | 14,529 | $167,390 | 11.1 yrs |
| Nursing Assistant | 14,498 | $55,851 | 7.8 yrs |
| Health Aid and Technician | 12,490 | $61,276 | 10.8 yrs |
| Health System Specialist | 7,966 | $110,534 | 15.9 yrs |
| Pharmacy Technician | 7,658 | $70,794 | 9.5 yrs |
Nationwide peers near this dense headcount
Two peer sets for Recreation/creative Arts Therapist outside the Medical, Hospital, Dental, and Public Health Group family, on headcount and average salary axes that vary across all OPM occupation series.
Similar dense headcount
Nearest employee counts in other occupation families (1,057 here).
Similar average salary
Nearest average salaries in other occupation families ($95,020 here).
Key takeaways
- Recreation/creative Arts Therapist pays below the federal average by 19.0% ($95,020 vs $117,339 federal-wide), at the 50th percentile for pay among 541 tracked occupation series.
- A smaller, specialized federal occupation by headcount: 1,057 employees, 0.1% of the federal civilian workforce.
- According to OPM FedScope June 2026, Recreation/creative Arts Therapist ranks #207 of 663 federal occupation series by headcount (the same employee_count ordering as our occupations directory).
- Recreation/creative Arts Therapist makes up 0.3% of the 339,162 employees across the Medical, Hospital, Dental, and Public Health Group family, ranking #29 of 45 occupations in that family by headcount.
OPM FedScope and Federal Workforce Data figures are federal civilian headcounts, average salaries, and length-of-service statistics - not job-quality scores, hiring advice, or a live vacancy listing. A larger or higher-paid agency is not a better employer.