Occupational Therapists Salary in the United States
The median annual wage for occupational therapists in the U.S. is $100,330 ($48.24 per hour), according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 estimates.
- Median annual wage
- $100,330
- Mean annual wage
- $101,280
- Median hourly wage
- $48.24
- Employment
- 162,450
162,450 employed
Wage percentiles
| Percentile | Annual wage | Hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $71,690 | $34.47 |
| 25th percentile | $82,510 | $39.67 |
| Median (50th) | $100,330 | $48.24 |
| 75th percentile | $116,670 | $56.09 |
| 90th percentile | $131,950 | $63.44 |
Highest-paying states for occupational therapists
| State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| California | $124,510 | 13,810 |
| Oregon | $112,310 | 1,170 |
| Nevada | $110,520 | 1,080 |
| District of Columbia | $109,170 | 540 |
| Washington | $107,670 | 3,340 |
| Maryland | $106,980 | 2,390 |
| Colorado | $106,720 | 3,390 |
| Arkansas | $106,360 | 2,160 |
| Texas | $106,140 | 13,400 |
| Oklahoma | $104,300 | 1,180 |
Lowest-paying states
- North Dakota: $83,200 median annual wage
- New Hampshire: $83,900 median annual wage
- Maine: $84,310 median annual wage
- South Dakota: $85,050 median annual wage
- Wyoming: $86,170 median annual wage
About this occupation
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.
Typical tasks
- Lay out materials such as puzzles, scissors and eating utensils for use in therapy, and clean and repair these tools after therapy sessions.
- 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.
- Test and evaluate patients' physical and mental abilities and analyze medical data to determine realistic rehabilitation goals for patients.
- Provide training and supervision in therapy techniques and objectives for students or nurses and other medical staff.
- Conduct research in occupational therapy.
Education of the current workforce — typical entry: Master's degree
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| Less than high school diploma | 0.4% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 0.8% |
| Some college, no degree | 0.8% |
| Associate's degree | 2.5% |
| Bachelor's degree | 29.6% |
| Master's degree | 54.5% |
| Doctoral or professional degree | 11.5% |
Occupation profile data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor.
Related occupations
- Registered Nurses$97,550
- Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses$64,400
- Pharmacy Technicians$45,750
- Physicians, All Other$265,930
- Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians$62,930
- Nurse Practitioners$132,300
- Pharmacists$140,910
- Physical Therapists$102,760
About this data
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- CareerOneStop Occupation Profiles — data period 2026-08, retrieved August 14, 2026.
Figures are shown exactly as published by the source or derived by the documented formulas on our methodology page. Where a source suppresses an estimate, we show “—” rather than a substitute value.