How much does an occupational therapist make?
a year · about $48 an hour
A typical occupational therapist in the United States makes $100,330 a year, about $48 an hour, about 2× a typical US worker (median, May 2025, US Bureau of Labor Statistics).
What do they do?
They review a client’s history and watch them try everyday tasks, then practice a personal goal, such as getting dressed. They may suggest helpful tools or home changes, teach family members, and record progress.
Did you know? Getting dressed, playing, going to school, and sleeping can all count as “occupations” in U.S. occupational therapy—not just paid jobs.
Is that a lot?
Compared with jobs you knowIf 100 people had this job
Most earn between $71,690 and $131,950How do you become one?
In the U.S., earn a master’s degree (or entry-level doctorate) from an ACOTE-accredited occupational therapy program and complete supervised fieldwork. Then pass the NBCOT exam and get a license from the state where you want to work.
School needed: Graduate degree or long training
Good for people who like helping and teaching and figuring things out
Why does pay differ?
In the United States, pay can change with experience and location. It also varies by workplace: BLS figures differ among home health, nursing homes, hospitals, clinics, and schools. Yearly earnings depend partly on hours worked; most OTs work full time, and some work nights or weekends.
Where does it pay most?
Highest in California ($124,510), lowest in North Dakota ($83,200).
See every state
Top 5 and bottom 3 states, typical (median) yearly pay.
Jobs like this
Data table and sources
| Lower earner (10th from bottom) | Typical person (median) | Higher earner (10th from top) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|---|
| $71,690 | $100,330 | $131,950 | about 162,000 |
| State | Typical person (median) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|
| California | $124,510 | about 14,000 |
| Oregon | $112,310 | about 1,000 |
| Nevada | $110,520 | about 1,000 |
| District of Columbia | $109,170 | about 540 |
| Washington | $107,670 | about 3,000 |
Official definition: 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).
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (bls.gov); descriptions and related jobs from O*NET 31.0. Figures as of May 2025, full-time yearly pay (hourly × 2,080 hours). bls.gov/oes · O*NET OnLine
Pages used for the text
- www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/occupational-therapists.htm
- www.aota.org/career/become-an-ot-ota
- www.aota.org/career/state-licensure/learn-the-steps-to-licensure
- www.aota.org/practice/domain-and-process/occupations-everyday-activities
Data: US BLS OEWS, May 2025 · 1 USD = 150 JPY