Occupational Therapists Career, Salary and Skills
Occupational Therapists have a BLS-reported national median annual wage of $100,330 based on the 2025 OEWS dataset, with reported national employment of 162,450. Wage data is published for 417 locations.
Occupation description
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.
O*NET code
29-1122.00
Job zone
5
Typical education
Master's Degree
Experience
Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year
National salary and employment
Median annual
$100,330
Hourly median
$48.24
Employment
162,450
Data year
2025
National salary distribution
Top skills
| Skill | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Active Listening | 4.12 | 4.00 |
| Service Orientation | 4.12 | 4.00 |
| Monitoring | 4.12 | 4.00 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 4.00 | 4.00 |
| Writing | 4.00 | 4.00 |
| Critical Thinking | 4.00 | 4.00 |
| Speaking | 4.00 | 4.00 |
| Reading Comprehension | 4.00 | 4.00 |
| Instructing | 4.00 | 4.00 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 4.00 | 3.88 |
Typical tasks
- 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.
- Test and evaluate patients' physical and mental abilities and analyze medical data to determine realistic rehabilitation goals for patients.
Technology
- Bizmatics PrognoCIS EMR
- Casamba Smart
- Computer drawing software
- Crick Software Clicker 4
- Duxbury Braille Translator
- eClinicalWorks EHR software
- Email software
- Fifth Walk BillingTracker
- FileMaker Pro
- HMS
- Language arts educational software
- Lexrotech LxPediatric
- Math educational software
Occupational Therapists salary by location
Areas with the highest reported employment for this occupation.
- Occupational Therapists Salary in CAMedian $124,510 · Employment 13,810
- Occupational Therapists Salary in TXMedian $106,140 · Employment 13,400
- Occupational Therapists Salary in NYMedian $96,390 · Employment 11,690
- Occupational Therapists Salary in New York, NYMedian $101,460 · Employment 11,640
- Occupational Therapists Salary in FLMedian $99,360 · Employment 10,650
- Occupational Therapists Salary in ILMedian $99,700 · Employment 7,710
- Occupational Therapists Salary in OHMedian $99,390 · Employment 6,760
- Occupational Therapists Salary in PAMedian $98,440 · Employment 6,560
- Occupational Therapists Salary in MAMedian $100,930 · Employment 6,510
- Occupational Therapists Salary in NJMedian $103,410 · Employment 6,290
- Occupational Therapists Salary in Chicago, ILMedian $99,860 · Employment 5,960
- Occupational Therapists Salary in MIMedian $89,910 · Employment 5,120
Related careers
- Mental Health CounselorsNational median not published
- Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social WorkersNational median $60,280
- Acute Care NursesNational median $97,550
- Respiratory TherapistsNational median $82,280
- Family Medicine PhysiciansNational median $244,180
- PsychiatristsNational median $281,870
- Registered NursesNational median $97,550
- Advanced Practice Psychiatric NursesNational median $97,550
Career and skills data: O*NET 31.0 (onetcenter.org). Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, 2025 (bls.gov/oes). Figures are published survey estimates, not real-time market data.