SalariesWhat the occupation covers
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. Excludes “Rehabilitation Counselors” (21-1015).
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 29-1122.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $71,690 | $5,974 | $1,379 | $34.47 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $82,510 | $6,876 | $1,587 | $39.67 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $100,330 | $8,361 | $1,929 | $48.24 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $116,670 | $9,722 | $2,244 | $56.09 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $131,950 | $10,996 | $2,538 | $63.44 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Occupational Therapists is $100,330, which is 97% higher. Among the 71 occupations of the field Healthcare Practitioners and Technical, it ranks number 36 by median pay. With 162,450 jobs, it makes up about 10 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Occupational Therapists pay by state
The highest median pay was in California ($124,510), Oregon ($112,310) and Nevada ($110,520). The lowest was in Puerto Rico ($51,850), North Dakota ($83,200) and New Hampshire ($83,900). The most jobs were in California (13,810), Texas (13,400) and New York (11,690). The occupation is most concentrated in Connecticut, where its share of all jobs is 1.8 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 13,810 | $124,510 | $121,920 | $59.86 |
| Oregon | 1,170 | $112,310 | $112,000 | $54.00 |
| Nevada | 1,080 | $110,520 | $112,290 | $53.13 |
| District of Columbia | 540 | $109,170 | $110,850 | $52.49 |
| Washington | 3,340 | $107,670 | $110,100 | $51.77 |
| Maryland | 2,390 | $106,980 | $106,300 | $51.43 |
| Colorado | 3,390 | $106,720 | $111,620 | $51.31 |
| Arkansas | 2,160 | $106,360 | $104,940 | $51.14 |
| Texas | 13,400 | $106,140 | $107,630 | $51.03 |
| Oklahoma | 1,180 | $104,300 | $104,370 | $50.14 |
| Georgia | 3,650 | $104,010 | $101,460 | $50.01 |
| Alaska | 410 | $103,680 | $108,000 | $49.85 |
| Arizona | 2,680 | $103,660 | $104,960 | $49.84 |
| New Jersey | 6,290 | $103,410 | $110,150 | $49.72 |
| Hawaii | 390 | $102,870 | $100,280 | $49.46 |
| Connecticut | 3,150 | $102,440 | $102,140 | $49.25 |
| Delaware | 490 | $102,130 | $105,190 | $49.10 |
| South Carolina | 1,840 | $101,130 | $97,180 | $48.62 |
| Massachusetts | 6,510 | $100,930 | $99,730 | $48.53 |
| Virginia | 4,150 | $100,710 | $102,130 | $48.42 |
| Rhode Island | 770 | $100,040 | $99,380 | $48.10 |
| Illinois | 7,710 | $99,700 | $99,570 | $47.93 |
| Ohio | 6,760 | $99,390 | $97,390 | $47.78 |
| Florida | 10,650 | $99,360 | $95,620 | $47.77 |
| Kansas | 1,560 | $99,170 | $96,150 | $47.68 |
| New Mexico | 1,030 | $99,170 | $101,800 | $47.68 |
| Louisiana | 2,060 | $98,490 | $92,940 | $47.35 |
| Pennsylvania | 6,560 | $98,440 | $98,460 | $47.33 |
| Idaho | 840 | $97,760 | $100,000 | $47.00 |
| Tennessee | 2,490 | $97,700 | $95,080 | $46.97 |
| Kentucky | 2,190 | $97,650 | $95,450 | $46.95 |
| Missouri | 3,400 | $97,290 | $95,200 | $46.77 |
| Utah | 1,030 | $97,150 | $97,210 | $46.71 |
| Indiana | 3,830 | $97,020 | $96,090 | $46.65 |
| New York | 11,690 | $96,390 | $97,650 | $46.34 |
| West Virginia | 700 | $96,190 | $95,810 | $46.25 |
| Mississippi | 1,340 | $94,930 | $93,430 | $45.64 |
| Alabama | 1,500 | $94,050 | $95,760 | $45.21 |
| Nebraska | 1,500 | $93,740 | $91,620 | $45.07 |
| Vermont | 320 | $93,340 | $92,960 | $44.87 |
| Minnesota | 3,670 | $93,050 | $91,450 | $44.74 |
| North Carolina | 4,490 | $92,940 | $91,360 | $44.68 |
| Wisconsin | 3,710 | $92,390 | $91,150 | $44.42 |
| Iowa | 1,290 | $89,910 | $89,720 | $43.22 |
| Michigan | 5,120 | $89,910 | $89,150 | $43.23 |
| Montana | 420 | $88,990 | $92,310 | $42.79 |
| Wyoming | 350 | $86,170 | $90,790 | $41.43 |
| South Dakota | 490 | $85,050 | $88,150 | $40.89 |
| Maine | 1,120 | $84,310 | $87,900 | $40.53 |
| New Hampshire | 1,240 | $83,900 | $89,080 | $40.34 |
| North Dakota | 570 | $83,200 | $87,670 | $40.00 |
| Puerto Rico | 170 | $51,850 | $58,060 | $24.93 |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Radiation Therapists$105,310 a year
- Physical Therapists$102,760 a year
- Nuclear Medicine Technologists$101,370 a year
- Genetic Counselors$100,040 a year
- Dental Hygienists$98,100 a year
- Speech-Language Pathologists$97,870 a year
Common questions
How much do Occupational Therapists earn in the United States?
The median pay was $100,330 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $71,690 and the highest-paid 10% more than $131,950.
How many people work as Occupational Therapists?
About 162,450 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.
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