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Occupational Therapist Salary

Occupational Therapist Salary By Percentile
Percentile 10% 25% 50% 75% 90%
Hourly Wage $24.28 $30.06 $36.25 $43.40 $51.47
Annual Wage $50,500 $62,500 $75,400 $90,300 $107,100

Occupational therapists are medically-trained to help patients recovering from injury, illness or a disability. They are charged with helping patients regain the skills necessary for everyday activities. Occupational therapists must have earned at least a master’s degree in occupational therapy, although some go on to obtain their doctoral degree. They must also meet their state’s licensing requirements. A breakdown of the full process of becoming an Occupational Therapist can be found here.

Occupational Therapist Salary

How much does an occupational therapist make? According to figures from the U.S. Department of Labor, the lowest 10% of occupational therapists earn less than $50,500 per year, whereas the top 10% earn up to $107,070 per year. The median annual occupational therapy salary, defined as that figure where half the experienced occupational therapists earn less than that amount and half earn more, is $75,400.

Variables Impacting Salary

There are many variables impacting salary earnings for occupational therapists. Here are a few considerations that someone interested in becoming an occupational therapist may wish to keep in mind.

  • Full vs. Part Time Employment – An occupational therapist who chooses to work part time as opposed to full time will necessarily earn less money. Occupational therapists typically work 40 hours per week; it is sometimes necessary to work evenings or weekends, depending upon the needs of the patient.
  • Specialties – Obtaining certification within a specialized area of practice, such as pediatrics or mental health, may enable a therapist to earn a higher salary.
  • Geographic Area of Practice – Occupational therapists working in Nevada and New Jersey earn the highest average salaries; the lowest annual salaries are earned by occupational therapists practicing in mid-western states like North and South Dakota.

Employment Opportunities

Occupational therapists work in hospitals, physical therapy offices, schools and nursing care facilities. They also work with speech therapists and audiologists. Therapists may expect to help lift patients when necessary. They often spend a great deal of time on their feet and may even need to travel from one location to another during the course of a day. In some instances, occupational therapists may even travel to visit patients in the home. This is often done in cases where the therapist is working with young children who are facing a physical or mental disability.

Job Outlook

The job outlook for occupational therapists is very good, as job opportunities are expected to increase by 29% between 2012 and 2022.

Top Paying Industries

Industry Employment % of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean salary
Home Health Care Services 10,000 0.82 $42.07 $87,500
Other Ambulatory Health Care Services 120 0.04 $41.39 $86,100
Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities) 9,730 0.59 $40.62 $84,490
Insurance Carriers 60 0.01 $39.08 $81,290
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services 180 0.02 $38.51 $80,100

Salary Data

Salary By State

State 10% 25% Median 75% 90% Jobs (2010) Jobs (2020) Outlook
Alabama $39,500 $54,500 $70,000 $86,200 $98,600 1,120 1,580 +41%
Alaska $52,700 $61,300 $74,400 $88,800 $99,800 190 240 +28%
Arizona $44,900 $60,300 $77,300 $90,200 $105,700 1,630 2,050 +26%
Arkansas $47,300 $59,300 $75,300 $89,500 $104,300 1,020 1,140 +12%
California $60,300 $75,900 $87,500 $100,600 $114,100 9,000 11,200 +24%
Colorado $54,400 $63,600 $74,500 $87,500 $96,900 2,170 2,860 +32%
Connecticut $59,400 $69,600 $82,900 $94,500 $115,800 1,970 2,340 +19%
Delaware $53,100 $63,400 $73,400 $87,900 $103,100 360 440 +24%
District of Columbia $62,400 $70,000 $83,200 $99,600 $115,100 160 190 +20%
Florida $51,400 $66,100 $79,500 $90,900 $108,200 6,880 8,590 +25%
Georgia $49,400 $62,300 $75,900 $89,300 $100,600 1,680 2,080 +24%
Hawaii $52,900 $62,200 $72,100 $82,300 $90,000 380 460 +20%
Idaho $18,700 $51,900 $69,000 $81,700 $93,000 440 600 +37%
Illinois $37,900 $60,500 $75,500 $90,400 $106,100 4,190 5,000 +19%
Iowa $51,400 $60,500 $69,500 $81,000 $96,600 870 1,100 +26%
Kansas $53,200 $64,300 $77,600 $90,800 $106,000 990 1,320 +33%
Kentucky $57,400 $65,900 $76,900 $91,600 $109,000 1,430 1,950 +36%
Louisiana $46,400 $56,500 $71,100 $86,100 $97,200 1,430 1,860 +31%
Maine $42,800 $52,800 $65,700 $76,500 $92,800 1,000 1,140 +13%
Maryland $56,200 $66,200 $79,500 $95,200 $111,100 2,510 3,270 +31%
Massachusetts $52,000 $62,500 $75,200 $88,000 $97,100 4,570 5,580 +22%
Michigan $44,900 $54,000 $64,900 $75,100 $94,500 4,100 4,980 +22%
Minnesota $48,100 $55,400 $65,200 $73,900 $87,500 1,960 2,470 +26%
Mississippi $49,300 $59,700 $74,400 $89,000 $103,300 1,060 1,230 +17%
Missouri $49,100 $58,800 $70,600 $83,600 $94,000 2,600 3,040 +17%
Montana $49,500 $58,400 $67,000 $74,400 $85,900 260 350 +34%
Nebraska $49,800 $58,700 $71,000 $86,900 $102,800 870 1,060 +21%
Nevada $39,200 $71,400 $97,400 $117,600 $187,200+ 740 910 +23%
New Hampshire $45,800 $55,200 $67,200 $78,000 $89,200 870 1,040 +20%
New Jersey $60,900 $71,000 $86,700 $104,300 $117,800 3,540 3,910 +11%
New Mexico $35,200 $54,200 $71,900 $87,700 $98,100 560 710 +27%
New York $49,900 $61,800 $71,900 $87,400 $107,400 8,770 10,220 +17%
North Carolina $49,400 $61,200 $73,200 $86,700 $96,300 2,470 2,910 +18%
North Dakota $35,500 $48,200 $56,100 $67,100 $79,700 370 440 +20%
Ohio $56,100 $66,200 $78,200 $90,600 $104,500 4,750 5,800 +22%
Oklahoma $29,700 $41,700 $64,200 $86,500 $100,700 1,240 1,630 +32%
Oregon $57,400 $66,600 $77,700 $87,200 $93,000 960 1,230 0%
Pennsylvania $49,600 $57,600 $68,800 $82,400 $97,000 6,240 7,410 +19%
Rhode Island $52,500 $64,000 $74,000 $90,000 $112,300 520 630 +21%
South Carolina $51,200 $62,000 $74,400 $86,700 $94,800 1,270 1,640 +29%
South Dakota $48,900 $53,600 $61,300 $72,700 $83,100 350 400 +16%
Tennessee $55,600 $65,300 $75,500 $88,500 $97,900 2,130 2,820 +33%
Texas $55,300 $66,700 $81,700 $96,900 $126,000 7,590 10,210 +34%
Utah $54,000 $63,800 $75,200 $87,700 $95,500 500 690 +39%
Vermont $50,200 $57,700 $68,300 $83,900 $133,600 240 270 +14%
Virginia $53,100 $68,600 $83,300 $94,700 $112,000 2,470 3,240 +31%
Washington $53,800 $65,600 $78,400 $88,400 $94,800 2,130 2,640 +24%
West Virginia $30,200 $53,700 $73,400 $102,400 $115,600 620 760 +24%
Wisconsin $49,400 $56,500 $66,200 $74,600 $87,900 2,940 3,540 +20%
Wyoming $43,600 $52,600 $66,400 $80,000 $94,400 260 350 +32%

 

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