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The differences between occupational health nurses and occupational therapists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become an occupational health nurse, becoming an occupational therapist takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, an occupational therapist has an average salary of $75,707, which is higher than the $67,887 average annual salary of an occupational health nurse.
The top three skills for an occupational health nurse include patients, OSHA and CPR. The most important skills for an occupational therapist are patients, rehabilitation, and home health.
| Occupational Health Nurse | Occupational Therapist | |
| Yearly salary | $67,887 | $75,707 |
| Hourly rate | $32.64 | $36.40 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 14% |
| Number of jobs | 328,501 | 78,315 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 44% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Average age | 44 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 12 |
An Occupational Health Nurse provides and delivers health and safety programs and services to workers and community groups. They manage employee health records and statistics as well as develop and manage emergency procedures.
An occupational therapist specializes in treating patients who are recovering from illnesses or disabilities to help them adapt and overcome the physical and mental difficulties they face in their daily lives. The responsibilities of an occupational therapist revolve around examining a patient's medical history and conducting different kinds of assessments to determine what type of treatment a patient should receive. Furthermore, an occupational therapist must build rapport with a patient to make them feel at ease and coordinate with their guardian or family to discuss the recommended ways to help the patient adjust and recuperate.
Occupational health nurses and occupational therapists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Occupational Health Nurse | Occupational Therapist | |
| Average salary | $67,887 | $75,707 |
| Salary range | Between $49,000 And $93,000 | Between $58,000 And $97,000 |
| Highest paying City | Cupertino, CA | Salinas, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Apple | Waters |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Professional |
There are a few differences between an occupational health nurse and an occupational therapist in terms of educational background:
| Occupational Health Nurse | Occupational Therapist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 44% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Most common major | Nursing | Occupational Therapy |
| Most common college | Duke University | Duke University |
Here are the differences between occupational health nurses' and occupational therapists' demographics:
| Occupational Health Nurse | Occupational Therapist | |
| Average age | 44 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 11.0% Female, 89.0% | Male, 16.8% Female, 83.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 12.1% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 9.1% Asian, 8.9% White, 65.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 4.8% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 6.2% Asian, 9.6% White, 75.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 14% |