Last updated: 2025 BLS data · Page refreshed:
How much does a Recreational Therapists actually take home in Massachusetts?
5.0% flat rate — 21.7% effective total tax rateData: BLS OEWS 2025 + IRS/State Tax Brackets 2024 • Updated 2026-05-19
Detailed line-by-line tax calculation for a Recreational Therapists earning $62,820 in Massachusetts (single filer, standard deduction).
| Tax Component | Annual Amount | Effective Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Gross Salary (Median) | $62,820 | — |
| Federal Income Tax | -$5,661 | 9.0% |
| Massachusetts State Income Tax | -$3,141 | 5.0% |
| Social Security (OASDI) | -$3,894 | 6.2% |
| Medicare | -$910 | 1.4% |
| Total Taxes | -$13,608 | 21.7% |
| Take-Home Pay | $49,211 | 78.3% |
Take-home pay varies significantly across experience levels. Here is the after-tax breakdown for each salary percentile of Recreational Therapists in Massachusetts.
| Percentile | Gross Salary | Total Taxes | Take-Home Pay | Tax Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile (P10) | $49,090 | -$10,116 | $38,973 | 20.6% |
| 25th Percentile (P25) | $53,260 | -$11,144 | $42,115 | 20.9% |
| Median (P50) | $62,820 | -$13,608 | $49,211 | 21.7% |
| 75th Percentile (P75) | $72,760 | -$17,052 | $55,707 | 23.4% |
| 90th Percentile (P90) | $94,890 | -$24,720 | $70,169 | 26.1% |
After federal income tax ($5,661), state tax ($3,141), and FICA ($4,805), a Recreational Therapists in Massachusetts takes home $49,211 per year — or $4,100 per month. The effective tax rate of 21.7% is relatively low compared to the national range.
With an effective total rate of 21.7%, a Recreational Therapists in Massachusetts keeps $49,212 of $62,820 gross — roughly typical for U.S. middle-income earners once federal, FICA and state taxes are combined.
Massachusetts applies a flat state income tax — every dollar of wage income is taxed at the same rate. For this Recreational Therapists salary that contributes $3,141 to the 5.0% effective state-tax burden.
Federal tax on this Recreational Therapists salary is $5,661 (42%), but combined state ($3,141, 23%) + FICA ($4,806, 35%) make up the other 58% of the bill.
Moving this same Recreational Therapists salary to a zero-state-tax state would yield around $52,353 net — a gain of $3,141 (6.4%) per year versus Massachusetts.
Massachusetts ranks #17 of 48 states for Recreational Therapists after-tax pay — comfortably in the upper half.
Translated into paycheck cadences, $49,212 net/year works out to $4,101/month or $1,893/bi-weekly for this Recreational Therapists in Massachusetts — the numbers that actually hit a checking account after every deduction.
Where does a Recreational Therapists keep the most of their paycheck? Top 10 states ranked by after-tax take-home pay.
Massachusetts ranks #17 out of 48 states for Recreational Therapists after-tax take-home pay.
A Recreational Therapists in Massachusetts earning a median salary of $62,820 will take home approximately $49,211 per year after federal income tax ($5,661), state income tax ($3,141), and FICA ($4,805). That is $4,100 per month or $1,892 per bi-weekly paycheck.
The effective total tax rate for a Recreational Therapists in Massachusetts is 21.7%, broken down as: federal income tax 9.0%, Massachusetts state tax 5.0%, and FICA (Social Security + Medicare) 7.6%. This assumes a single filer with the standard deduction for 2024.
Massachusetts has a 5.0% flat rate. On a Recreational Therapists's median salary of $62,820, the state income tax amounts to $3,141 per year, which is an effective state rate of 5.0%.
After all taxes, a Recreational Therapists in Massachusetts takes home approximately $4,100 per month, or about $23.66 per hour (based on a standard 2,080-hour work year). These figures assume a single filer, standard deduction, and no additional pre-tax deductions.
We start with the 2025 BLS median salary of $62,820 for Recreational Therapists in Massachusetts, then subtract: federal income tax using 2024 IRS brackets ($14,600 standard deduction), Massachusetts state income tax (5.0% flat rate), Social Security (6.2% up to $168,600), and Medicare (1.45%). The result — $49,211/yr — does not include local taxes, pre-tax deductions (401k, HSA), or tax credits.
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This estimate assumes a single filer using the 2024 standard deduction ($14,600), with W-2 employment income only. It does not account for: itemized deductions, tax credits (e.g. earned income credit, child tax credit), local/city taxes, pre-tax contributions (401k, HSA, FSA), self-employment tax, or additional income sources. Actual take-home pay may differ. Consult a tax professional for personalized advice.
Our Methodology · Data Sources · Salary: BLS OEWS · Tax: IRS + State DOR