How much do occupational therapists make?

Occupational Therapist salary 2026 · BLS occupation: Occupational Therapists (SOC 29-1122) · Updated October 28, 2026

Answer

Occupational therapists in the US earned a median of $100,330 a year ($48.24 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned $82,510 to $116,670.

Median annual pay: $100,330; Mean $101,280
Median hourly pay: $48.24; Mean $48.69
Typical range (10th–90th): $71.7K–$132K; $71,690 to $131,950
US jobs: 162,450; +14.8% projected, 2025–35

BLS OEWS, May 2025, released April 30, 2026. Wages include tips, commissions and production bonuses but not overtime premiums, shift differentials, other bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers are not included. Methodology

How to become an occupational therapist: steps, years and cost · Best-paying state after cost of living: Arkansas

Occupational Therapist pay range

Annual wages, May 2025

10th percentile$71,690
25th percentile$82,510
Median$100,330
75th percentile$116,670
90th percentile$131,950

Half of all occupational therapists earned more than $100,330 and half earned less. The lowest-paid 10% made under $71,690; the top 10% made over $131,950. The middle 50%, from the 25th to the 75th percentile, ran from $82,510 to $116,670.

These percentiles describe everyone in the occupation at one time. They are not pay steps by years of experience: they mix new and senior workers, different states, employers and hours. Pay generally rises with experience, credentials and specialization, but BLS does not publish pay by experience.

Percentile	Annual	Hourly	Monthly
10th	$71,690	$34.47	$5,974
25th	$82,510	$39.67	$6,876
Median (50th)	$100,330	$48.24	$8,361
75th	$116,670	$56.09	$9,723
90th	$131,950	$63.44	$10,996
Mean (average)	$101,280	$48.69	$8,440

Occupational Therapist salary by state

Median annual pay; cost of living from BEA regional price parities 2024

Median annual pay for occupational therapists by state. Darker tiles pay more.

Highest-paying states

1. California $124,510
2. Oregon $112,310
3. Nevada $110,520
4. District of Columbia $109,170
5. Washington $107,670

Lowest-paying states

51. North Dakota $83,200
50. New Hampshire $83,900
49. Maine $84,310
48. South Dakota $85,050
47. Wyoming $86,170

Best after cost of living: Arkansas. Its median of $106,360 is worth about $122,341 at national-average prices, more than in California once prices are counted.


Alabama	$94,050	38	$105,885	18	$45.21	1,500	0.71
Alaska	$103,680	12	$101,291	27	$49.85	410	1.25
Arizona	$103,660	13	$102,963	22	$49.84	2,680	0.83
Arkansas	$106,360	8	$122,341	1	$51.14	2,160	1.66
California	$124,510	1	$112,455	3	$59.86	13,810	0.76
Colorado	$106,720	7	$103,559	21	$51.31	3,390	1.18
Connecticut	$102,440	16	$98,871	33	$49.25	3,150	1.85
Delaware	$102,130	17	$102,326	25	$49.10	490	1.00
District of Columbia	$109,170	4	$99,335	32	$52.49	540	0.78
Florida	$99,360	24	$96,080	38	$47.77	10,650	1.07
Georgia	$104,010	11	$108,014	11	$50.01	3,650	0.75
Hawaii	$102,870	15	$93,560	45	$49.46	390	0.63
Idaho	$97,760	29	$102,373	24	$47.00	840	0.97
Illinois	$99,700	22	$99,742	30	$47.93	7,710	1.26
Indiana	$97,020	34	$103,955	20	$46.65	3,830	1.20
Iowa	$89,910	44	$102,448	23	$43.22	1,290	0.82
Kansas	$99,170	25	$110,106	6	$47.68	1,560	1.09
Kentucky	$97,650	31	$108,309	10	$46.95	2,190	1.09
Louisiana	$98,490	27	$111,658	4	$47.35	2,060	1.06
Maine	$84,310	49	$86,873	50	$40.53	1,120	1.75
Maryland	$106,980	6	$101,926	26	$51.43	2,390	0.86
Massachusetts	$100,930	19	$95,436	40	$48.53	6,510	1.79
Michigan	$89,910	45	$93,445	47	$43.23	5,120	1.16
Minnesota	$93,050	41	$94,351	43	$44.74	3,670	1.25
Mississippi	$94,930	37	$109,174	8	$45.64	1,340	1.15
Missouri	$97,290	32	$107,128	16	$46.77	3,400	1.16
Montana	$88,990	46	$94,025	44	$42.79	420	0.82
Nebraska	$93,740	39	$104,036	19	$45.07	1,500	1.47
Nevada	$110,520	3	$110,543	5	$53.13	1,080	0.70
New Hampshire	$83,900	50	$80,545	51	$40.34	1,240	1.82
New Jersey	$103,410	14	$95,042	42	$49.72	6,290	1.47
New Mexico	$99,170	26	$107,546	13	$47.68	1,030	1.19
New York	$96,390	35	$89,315	49	$46.34	11,690	1.21
North Carolina	$92,940	42	$98,531	34	$44.68	4,490	0.91
North Dakota	$83,200	51	$93,526	46	$40.00	570	1.32
Ohio	$99,390	23	$107,131	15	$47.78	6,760	1.22
Oklahoma	$104,300	10	$118,735	2	$50.14	1,180	0.69
Oregon	$112,310	2	$108,658	9	$54.00	1,170	0.59
Pennsylvania	$98,440	28	$100,890	28	$47.33	6,560	1.08
Rhode Island	$100,040	21	$97,810	37	$48.10	770	1.53
South Carolina	$101,130	18	$107,873	12	$48.62	1,840	0.80
South Dakota	$85,050	48	$96,008	39	$40.89	490	1.07
Tennessee	$97,700	30	$106,346	17	$46.97	2,490	0.76
Texas	$106,140	9	$109,358	7	$51.03	13,400	0.95
Utah	$97,150	33	$98,266	35	$46.71	1,030	0.59
Vermont	$93,340	40	$95,286	41	$44.87	320	1.07
Virginia	$100,710	20	$99,610	31	$48.42	4,150	1.01
Washington	$107,670	5	$100,614	29	$51.77	3,340	0.94
West Virginia	$96,190	36	$107,478	14	$46.25	700	1.00
Wisconsin	$92,390	43	$98,188	36	$44.42	3,710	1.26
Wyoming	$86,170	47	$92,965	48	$41.43	350	1.25

BLS OEWS, May 2025, state estimates. Adjusted pay = median ÷ (state price level ÷ 100), using BEA regional price parities for 2024; it ignores taxes. Figures for states with few workers in the occupation have larger survey errors and can change sharply from one year to the next. “—” means BLS did not publish the figure. State names link to each state’s highest-paying jobs.

Best-paying metro areas for occupational therapists

364 metro areas with published pay

Highest median pay
Metro area	Median	Adjusted	Jobs
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA	$136,870	$123,951	840
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA	$136,770	$118,300	1,560
Vallejo, CA	$135,000	$124,448	100
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA	$130,420	$118,676	100
Chico, CA	$129,260	$127,731	70
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA	$128,010	$118,765	130
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA	$125,890	$115,710	170
Napa, CA	$124,490	$110,605	40
Boulder, CO	$123,490	$117,384	260
Bakersfield-Delano, CA	$123,200	$122,118	170

Most jobs
Metro area	Jobs	Median	Adjusted
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	11,640	$101,460	$90,136
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN	5,960	$99,860	$96,395
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	4,950	$122,040	$107,462
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH	4,790	$101,940	$94,157
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX	3,450	$106,110	$102,929
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD	3,410	$103,140	$100,571
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX	2,700	$103,580	$105,020
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV	2,640	$102,960	$94,559
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI	2,590	$93,600	$89,294
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL	2,550	$101,480	$88,897

BLS OEWS, May 2025, metropolitan statistical areas; adjusted with BEA metro price parities (2024).

What moves occupational therapist pay: employers and settings

Work setting moves OT pay noticeably. Home health care services have the highest median in our data at $106,300; nursing care facilities pay $105,850; specialty hospitals pay $103,050. General hospitals are at $102,920; offices of other health practitioners, the largest employer, pay $97,600; elementary and secondary schools are lowest at $85,610. School jobs usually follow the academic calendar rather than a full year.

Geography matters too. California leads with a median of $124,510, followed by Oregon at $112,310, Nevada at $110,520, the District of Columbia at $109,170, and Washington at $107,670. Maine at $84,310, New Hampshire at $83,900, and North Dakota sit at the bottom. After adjusting for living costs, Arkansas comes out best.

Among public employers, the federal government pays a median of $109,300; state government pays $102,820; local government, which includes school districts, pays $94,340. Across all OTs, pay runs from $71,690, the 10th percentile, to $131,950, the 90th. Those percentiles describe the spread across all OTs, not pay at particular experience levels.

Where occupational therapists work
Industry	Share of jobs	Median pay
Offices of Other Health Practitioners	29.7%	$97,600
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals	21%	$102,920
Elementary and Secondary Schools	12.6%	$85,610
Home Health Care Services	8.1%	$106,300
Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities)	7.4%	$105,850
Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals	4.9%	$103,050

Private employers and government
Employer type	Jobs	Median pay
Private employers	132,890	$100,760
Federal government (incl. Postal Service)	1,500	$109,300
State government (incl. schools and hospitals)	3,930	$102,820
Local government (incl. schools and hospitals)	24,120	$94,340

BLS OEWS, May 2025, national industry-specific and ownership estimates (4-digit NAICS).

Occupational Therapist pay over time

Median annual pay, 2015–2025

$100K $80.2K

2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025

Nominal median (dollars of each year)In May 2025 dollars (adjusted with CPI-U)

The median rose from $80,150 in 2015 to $100,330 in 2025, up 25% in nominal dollars. After inflation, the 2015 median is worth $108,347 in May 2025 dollars, so real pay fell 7% over the period.

BLS OEWS, May 2025 and earlier May releases; inflation from the CPI-U, US city average, May of each year.

What occupational therapists do

An occupational therapist (OT) helps people get back to, or learn for the first time, the everyday tasks that matter to them: dressing, bathing, cooking, writing, working, driving or playing. Where a physical therapist focuses on movement itself, an OT focuses on function, working out why a task is hard and then retraining the skill, changing the method or adapting the environment.

OTs work with a wide range of people. In hospitals and rehab units they help stroke, brain injury and joint-replacement patients relearn self-care. In schools they work with children who have trouble with handwriting, sensory processing or using classroom tools. In home health they visit older adults to make bathrooms and kitchens safe, and in outpatient clinics some OTs specialize in hand therapy. They work with physical therapists, speech-language pathologists, nurses, teachers and families, and often supervise occupational therapy assistants. The job involves lifting and transferring patients, standing for long periods and a steady load of documentation for insurers and schools.

A typical day

Evaluate how a patient handles tasks like dressing, bathing, cooking or handwriting
Set treatment goals with the patient and family and write a care plan
Practice self-care and work tasks with patients, breaking them into manageable steps
Recommend and train people to use equipment such as reachers, shower chairs and adapted utensils
Visit homes or workplaces to suggest changes like grab bars or a different desk setup
Run exercises for hand strength, coordination and fine motor control
Document progress for insurers, schools and the rest of the care team

Also called: occupational therapy, assistive technology trainer, certified hand therapist (cht), early intervention occupational therapist, home health occupational therapist, industrial rehabilitation consultant, occupational therapist (ot), pediatric occupational therapist (pediatric ot).

How to become an occupational therapist

Full guide

To become an occupational therapist, you earn a bachelor's degree, complete an ACOTE-accredited entry-level master's (usually 2-3 years) or doctoral OT program with supervised fieldwork, pass the NBCOT certification exam for the OTR credential, and get a state license. Most people take 6-7 years after high school.

Typical time: 6-7 years; Fastest: About 5-6 years (combined bachelor's/master's program)
Minimum education: Entry-level master's degree in occupational therapy from an ACOTE-accredited program (entry-level doctorates are also accepted)
License: Required in all 50 states
Typical training cost: $61.5K–$117K; See the guide for what it includes

Read the step-by-step guide to becoming an occupational therapist: each step with its time and cost, education options, exams, licensing and advancement.

Is it worth it? Training cost against pay

Compare careers

Training time: 6-7 years; Typical path in our guide
Training cost: $61.5K–$117K; Tuition and exam fees, before aid
Median pay: $100,330; $49,350 above the all-jobs median ($50,980)
Cost vs. one year's pay: 61–117%; Training cost as a share of a year at the median

Once qualified, the pay difference over the typical US job at the median ($49,350 a year before tax) would repay the training cost in about 1.2–2.4 years after training ends (6-7 years in our guide). This is a rough guide: it ignores taxes, financial aid, interest, earnings given up while training and how pay changes over a career. How we calculate ROI.

Job outlook for occupational therapists

BLS Employment Projections 2025–35

Projected growth: +14.8%; All occupations +3.5%
Jobs in 2025: 169,600; 194,800 projected for 2035
Openings each year: 10,000; New jobs plus replacements
Self-employed: 2.5%; Not in the pay figures above

BLS projects occupational therapist jobs to grow 14.8% from 2025 to 2035, from 169,600 to 194,800, much faster than the 3.5% for all occupations, with about 10,000 openings a year. Demand comes from a growing older population, since older adults more often struggle with daily tasks and need help staying independent. OT also remains a standard part of care for conditions such as stroke, Alzheimer's disease, cerebral palsy and limb loss, and for children with developmental disorders such as autism.

Related careers and their pay

Related occupations from O*NET 31.0; median annual pay from BLS OEWS, May 2025.

Occupational Therapist salary FAQ

How much do occupational therapists make an hour?

The median hourly wage for occupational therapists was $48.24 in May 2025. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $34.47 an hour and the highest-paid 10% more than $63.44. Hourly figures are BLS estimates for all workers in the occupation, full-time and part-time.

Which state pays occupational therapists the most?

California has the highest median pay for occupational therapists, $124,510 a year, followed by Oregon ($112,310) and Nevada ($110,520). After adjusting for each state's price level, Arkansas comes out ahead at about $122,341 in national-average dollars.

Do occupational therapists make $200,000 a year?

Few do: based on the BLS percentiles, fewer than 10% of occupational therapists earn more than $200,000 a year. The median is $100,330, and the top 10% earn more than $131,950. Pay generally rises with experience, specialization and location.

Do occupational therapists earn more in home health or schools?

Home health pays more in our data. Home health care services have a median of $106,300; elementary and secondary schools are at $85,610. Home health OTs drive between patients' homes and manage their own visit schedules. School OTs usually work the academic year, with summers and school holidays off, a trade-off against the lower annual median.

Has occupational therapist pay kept up with inflation?

Not quite. The median rose from $80,150 in 2015 to $100,330 in 2025. In 2025 dollars, the 2015 median works out to $108,347 and so, after inflation, the typical OT earns about 7% less than a decade earlier. Nominal pay rose, but more slowly than prices; our data does not show why.

Which states have the most occupational therapist jobs?

California has the most, with 13,810 OTs, followed by Texas with 13,400, New York with 11,690, Florida with 10,650, and Illinois with 7,710. These large states have many hospitals, school districts and home health agencies. Each state licenses OTs separately, so check the new state's license requirements before you move.

Sources

Data updated October 28, 2026 · Text checked against its sources October 28, 2026

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates, released April 30, 2026, SOC 29-1122
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035, released September 2026
O*NET 31.0 Database (29-1122.00), U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0; tasks rewritten by Careers and Salaries
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state and metro area, 2024
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, May values
U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard field-of-study and institution data, most recent cohorts, released 2026-10-15
Occupational Therapists, Occupational Outlook Handbook, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · checked October 28, 2026
Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education, ACOTE / American Occupational Therapy Association · checked October 28, 2026
Fees, National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy · checked October 28, 2026
Eligibility; Apply for your exam, National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy · checked October 28, 2026
License Finder, CareerOneStop (U.S. Department of Labor) · checked October 28, 2026
ACOTE Standards FAQ, Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education · checked October 28, 2026
Certification Renewal Handbook, National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy · checked October 28, 2026
2023 ACOTE Standards (D standards), Standard D.1.5, Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education, via AOTA · checked October 28, 2026

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