What You Need to Know About Art Therapists

Example of an Art Therapist Job Plan or conduct art therapy sessions or programs to improve clients’ physical, cognitive, or emotional well-being.

What do Art Therapists do On a Daily Basis?

• Assess client needs or disorders, using drawing, painting, sculpting, or other artistic processes.
• Coordinate art showcases to display artwork produced by clients.
• Photograph or videotape client artwork for inclusion in client records or for promotional purposes.
• Conduct information sharing sessions, such as in-service workshops for other professionals, potential client groups, or the general community.
• Teach art therapy techniques or processes to artists, interns, volunteers, or others.
• Gather client information from sources such as case documentation, client observation, or interviews of client or family members.

Things an Art Therapist Should Know How to Do

When polled, Art Therapists say the following skills are most frequently used in their jobs:

Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Other Art Therapist Job Titles

• Group Therapist
• Creative Art Therapist
• Expressive Therapist
• Art Therapist
• Certified Art Therapist

What Kind of Art Therapist Job Opportunities Are There?

There were about 19,200 jobs for Recreational Therapists in 2016 (in the United States).

New jobs are being produced at a rate of 6.5% which is lower than average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 1,300 new jobs for Art Therapists by 2026. The BLS estimates 1,200 yearly job openings in this field per year.

The states with the most job growth for Recreational Therapists are New York, Texas, and California.

Watch out if you plan on working in Alabama, Wyoming, or Vermont. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.

Average Art Therapist Salary

Recreational Therapists Make between $29,590 and $77,050 a year. The median salary is $47,860.

Below is a list of the median annual salaries for jobs of this type in different U.S. states.

Annual Mean Salary by State

State	Annual Mean Salary
California	$75,810
District of Columbia	$68,430
Washington	$59,860
Connecticut	$59,450
Nevada	$58,480
New Jersey	$58,220
Massachusetts	$55,570
Hawaii	$55,470
Oregon	$55,410
New York	$55,370
Minnesota	$54,660
Iowa	$52,470
Michigan	$51,280
South Dakota	$50,480
Wyoming	$50,170
Arkansas	$50,170
Arizona	$49,440
Maine	$49,390
Rhode Island	$49,310
Colorado	$49,300
Maryland	$48,690
Florida	$48,290
Utah	$48,230
North Carolina	$47,600
Virginia	$47,590
New Hampshire	$46,660
Illinois	$46,620
Delaware	$46,320
Missouri	$46,000
Pennsylvania	$45,900
Ohio	$45,750
Kentucky	$45,330
Wisconsin	$44,970
Montana	$44,730
Georgia	$43,950
North Dakota	$43,910
Vermont	$43,120
Texas	$43,070
Alabama	$42,860
Indiana	$42,280
South Carolina	$42,240
Tennessee	$41,660
Louisiana	$41,180
Idaho	$40,770
Nebraska	$39,420
New Mexico	$38,680
Mississippi	$38,470
Oklahoma	$37,760
Kansas	$35,850

What Tools do Art Therapists Use?

Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Art Therapists may use on a daily basis:

• Microsoft PowerPoint
• Adobe Systems Adobe Photoshop
• IBM SPSS Statistics
• Trimble SketchUp Pro

Who Employs Art Therapists?

References

Bureau of Labor Statistics

College Factual

O*NET Online

Image Credit: Via Wikimedia Commons