Occupational Therapists Salary
Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations · 162K employed in the U.S.
Median annual
$100,330
Median hourly
$48
Average annual
$101,280
Typical range
$71,690–$131,950
Pay distribution
10th to 90th percentile, with the median marked.
What this role pays
The median annual salary for Occupational Therapists is $100,330 as of May 2025, based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. That works out to about $48 an hour at a full-time schedule.
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..
Most earn between $71,690 and $131,950 a year. There are roughly 162K people employed as occupational therapists in the United States. Use the state and metro pages below to see how pay changes by location, and the calculator to convert any hourly or annual figure.
Salary calculator
Convert your pay and see where it lands for Occupational Therapists.
- Hourly
- $48.24
- Daily
- $386
- Weekly
- $1,929
- Bi-weekly
- $3,859
- Monthly
- $8,361
- Annual
- $100,330
$100,330 a year is around the 50th percentile for Occupational Therapistss. The median is $100,330.
Highest-paying states
Median annual wage by state.
- 1California$124,510
- 2Oregon$112,310
- 3Nevada$110,520
- 4District of Columbia$109,170
- 5Washington$107,670
- 6Maryland$106,980
- 7Colorado$106,720
- 8Arkansas$106,360
- 9Texas$106,140
- 10Oklahoma$104,300
- 11Georgia$104,010
- 12Alaska$103,680
Top-paying metro areas
Median annual wage by metro area.
- 1San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$136,870
- 2San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$136,770
- 3Vallejo, CA$135,000
- 4Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA$130,420
- 5Chico, CA$129,260
- 6Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA$128,010
- 7Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA$125,890
- 8Napa, CA$124,490
- 9Boulder, CO$123,490
- 10Bakersfield-Delano, CA$123,200
- 11Salinas, CA$123,180
- 12Stockton-Lodi, CA$122,990
Related job titles
Employers advertise Occupational Therapists roles under these titles.
- Assistive Technology Trainer
- Certified Hand Therapist (CHT)
- Certified Low Vision Therapist (CLVT)
- Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist (COMS)
- Certified Vision Rehabilitation Therapist (CVRT)
- Early Intervention Occupational Therapist
- Global Mobility Specialist
- Home Health Occupational Therapist
- Independent Living Specialist
- Industrial Rehabilitation Consultant
- Industrial Therapist
- Inpatient Occupational Therapist (Inpatient OT)
- Job Trainer
- Low Vision Therapist
- Mobility Professional
- Mobility Specialist
Related occupations
What a Occupational Therapists does
- Teach cane skills, including cane use with a guide, diagonal techniques, and two-point touches.
- Recommend appropriate mobility devices or systems, such as human guides, dog guides, long canes, electronic travel aids (ETAs), and other adaptive mobility devices (AMDs).
- Train clients with visual impairments to use mobility devices or systems, such as human guides, dog guides, electronic travel aids (ETAs), and other adaptive mobility devices (AMDs).
- Develop rehabilitation or instructional plans collaboratively with clients, based on results of assessments, needs, and goals.
- Write reports or complete forms to document assessments, training, progress, or follow-up outcomes.
- Train clients to use tactile, auditory, kinesthetic, olfactory, and proprioceptive information.
- Teach clients to travel independently, using a variety of actual or simulated travel situations or exercises.
- Teach self-advocacy skills to clients.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Occupational Therapists make?
- The median annual wage for Occupational Therapists is $100,330 ($48 per hour). Pay ranges from about $71,690 at the 10th percentile to $131,950 at the 90th percentile.
- What is the average salary for a Occupational Therapists?
- The average (mean) annual salary is $101,280, which is higher than the median because a small number of high earners pull the average up.
- Which state pays Occupational Therapistss the most?
- California has the highest median annual wage for this occupation at $124,510.
- Is Occupational Therapists a growing occupation?
- BLS employment data for May 2025 counts about 162K people in this occupation. Projected growth is published separately in the BLS Employment Projections program.
- What does a Occupational Therapists do?
- Teach cane skills, including cane use with a guide, diagonal techniques, and two-point touches.; Recommend appropriate mobility devices or systems, such as human guides, dog guides, long canes, electronic travel aids (ETAs), and other adaptive mobility devices (AMDs).; Train clients with visual impairments to use mobility devices or systems, such as human guides, dog guides, electronic travel aids (ETAs), and other adaptive mobility devices (AMDs)..