Occupational Therapists

Job Zone 5 - Extensive preparation needed

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.

Pay & job outlook

Median pay: $100,330/yr (U.S. national, May 2025)

$71,690$131,950

Typical range nationwide (10th–90th percentile). This is a population snapshot, not a personal prediction - actual pay varies by location, employer, and experience.

Job outlook: +13.8% projected growth, 2024–2034 — much faster than average.

About 10,200 openings per year, on average, over the decade.

Typical entry-level education: Master's degree.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS and Employment Projections.

Top skills

Active ListeningService OrientationMonitoringSocial PerceptivenessWritingCritical ThinkingSpeakingReading ComprehensionInstructingJudgment and Decision Making

Top knowledge areas

Therapy and CounselingPsychologyCustomer and Personal ServiceMedicine and DentistryEnglish LanguageEducation and TrainingBiologySociology and Anthropology

Core tasks

• Test and evaluate patients' physical and mental abilities and analyze medical data to determine realistic rehabilitation goals for patients.

• 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.

Frequently asked questions

What's the median pay for Occupational Therapists?

The median pay for Occupational Therapists is $100,330 per year, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

What's the job outlook for Occupational Therapists?

Employment for Occupational Therapists is projected to change +13.8% from 2024 to 2034 - much faster than average.

What education is typically required for Occupational Therapists?

Typical entry-level education: Master's degree.

How many job openings are there each year for Occupational Therapists?

About 10,200 openings per year, on average, over the decade.