Occupational Therapists: Career Overview
Assess, plan, and organize rehabilitative programs that help build or restore vocational, homemaking, and daily living skills, as well as general independence, to persons with disabilities or developmental delays. Use therapeutic techniques, adapt the individual's environment, teach skills, and modify specific tasks that present barriers to the individual.
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What Tasks Do Occupational Therapists Take On?
The day-to-day responsibilities of occupational therapists include:
- Test and evaluate patients' physical and mental abilities and analyze medical data to determine realistic rehabilitation goals for patients.
- Complete and maintain necessary records.
- Plan, organize, and conduct occupational therapy programs in hospital, institutional, or community settings to help rehabilitate persons with disabilities because of illness, injury or psychological or developmental problems.
- Plan and implement programs and social activities to help patients learn work or school skills and adjust to handicaps.
- Select activities that will help individuals learn work and life-management skills within limits of their mental or physical capabilities.
- Evaluate patients' progress and prepare reports that detail progress.
- Train caregivers in providing for the needs of a patient during and after therapy.
- Lay out materials such as puzzles, scissors and eating utensils for use in therapy, and clean and repair these tools after therapy sessions.
Key Skills and Knowledge
Successful occupational therapists rely on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Key Skills
The competencies most important for this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Types of Occupational Therapists Jobs
This career also goes by job titles like:
- Acute Care OT (Acute Care Occupational Therapist)
- Assistive Technology Trainer
- Certified Hand Therapist (CHT)
- Early Intervention Occupational Therapist
- Home Care Occupational Therapist (Home Care OT)
- Home Health Occupational Therapist
- Independent Living Specialist
- Industrial Rehabilitation Consultant
Employment and Demand
The U.S. employs around 2,446,955 occupational therapists working in the United States today. Employment is projected to decline by -4.2% over the projection horizon.
Occupational Therapists Pay
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $82,501 |
| Hourly median | $39.66 |
| 10th percentile | $55,523 |
| 25th percentile | $69,012 |
| 75th percentile | $95,990 |
| 90th percentile | $109,478 |
Pay can vary substantially based on experience, location, and industry.
Occupational Therapists Salary by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| California | $119,470 |
| Oregon | $106,840 |
| Nevada | $104,770 |
| Colorado | $103,970 |
| Oklahoma | $103,510 |
| New Jersey | $103,340 |
| Washington | $102,360 |
| Arizona | $102,220 |
| Connecticut | $102,080 |
| Maryland | $101,880 |
| Texas | $101,760 |
| Virginia | $100,540 |
| Alaska | $100,070 |
| Arkansas | $99,350 |
| District of Columbia | $99,290 |
| New Mexico | $99,220 |
| Rhode Island | $99,150 |
| Florida | $99,070 |
| Illinois | $98,900 |
| Georgia | $98,690 |
| Massachusetts | $98,420 |
| South Carolina | $97,370 |
| Kansas | $97,000 |
| Delaware | $96,080 |
| Tennessee | $96,030 |
| Ohio | $95,880 |
| Alabama | $95,410 |
| New York | $95,370 |
| North Carolina | $94,580 |
| Hawaii | $94,550 |
| Pennsylvania | $94,120 |
| Louisiana | $94,030 |
| Missouri | $93,600 |
| Indiana | $93,500 |
| Utah | $93,310 |
| West Virginia | $93,260 |
| Mississippi | $92,330 |
| Kentucky | $91,250 |
| Wyoming | $89,370 |
| Iowa | $88,780 |
| Idaho | $88,470 |
| Nebraska | $87,010 |
| Wisconsin | $86,660 |
| Vermont | $86,420 |
| Minnesota | $85,040 |
| New Hampshire | $84,980 |
| Michigan | $84,480 |
| Montana | $84,440 |
| Maine | $82,200 |
| South Dakota | $81,430 |
| North Dakota | $79,910 |
| Puerto Rico | $47,590 |
Top-Paying U.S. Regions
Pay for occupational therapists differ across the country. The following regions pay the most:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $113,703 | 12.2% | 0.74 |
| Southwest | $101,825 | 10.6% | 0.84 |
| Rocky Mountains | $98,296 | 4.1% | 1.11 |
| Middle Atlantic | $97,244 | 17.2% | 1.13 |
| Southeast | $97,018 | 22.9% | 0.94 |
| New England | $96,547 | 8.1% | 1.71 |
| Great Lakes | $92,914 | 17.1% | 1.20 |
| Plains States | $89,024 | 7.6% | 1.14 |
Where the Jobs Cluster
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $134,720 | 700 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | CA | $133,850 | 80 |
| Vallejo, CA | CA | $129,830 | 90 |
| Chico, CA | CA | $128,980 | 80 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $128,960 | 1,510 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | CA | $126,220 | 90 |
| Napa, CA | CA | $124,680 | 40 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | CA | $123,900 | 650 |
Industry Breakdown
The bulk of occupational therapists work in these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 125,010 | $99,190 |
| Educational Services | 20,390 | $83,890 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 2,490 | $87,430 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 500 | $97,760 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 280 | $60,550 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 80 | $84,030 |
| Finance and Insurance | 40 | $104,660 |
Occupational Therapists work in the following industries:
Software Occupational Therapists Use
- Medical software: eClinicalWorks EHR software (hot technology)
- Web page creation and editing software: Facebook (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
What the Workplace Is Like
The on-the-job environment of occupational therapists tends to involve the following characteristics:
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Contact With Others
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals
How to Become Occupational Therapists
Entry-level occupational therapists positions require a doctoral or professional degree as the typical entry-level education. This occupation sits in Extensive Preparation Needed (Job Zone 5), signaling the level of preparation typically expected.
Other Careers to Consider
Similar Occupations
- Mental Health Counselors (Supplemental)
- Rehabilitation Counselors (Primary-Long)
- Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers (Supplemental)
- Low Vision Therapists, Orientation and Mobility Specialists, and Vision Rehabilitation Therapists (Primary-Long)
- Physical Therapists (Primary-Short)
- Recreational Therapists (Primary-Long)
- Respiratory Therapists (Supplemental)
- Registered Nurses (Supplemental)
Top Programs to Study For This Career
Future occupational therapists typically earn programs in:
Health Professions and Related Programs
1 programs across 1 majors
About the Data
This profile draws on the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 29-1122.00 (Occupational Therapists).
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