Occupational therapist vs social worker

The differences between occupational therapists and social workers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become an occupational therapist, becoming a social worker takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, an occupational therapist has an average salary of $75,707, which is higher than the $50,102 average annual salary of a social worker.

The top three skills for an occupational therapist include patients, rehabilitation and home health. The most important skills for a social worker are social work, patients, and patient care.

Occupational therapist vs social worker overview

	Occupational Therapist	Social Worker
Yearly salary	$75,707	$50,102
Hourly rate	$36.40	$24.09
Growth rate	14%	9%
Number of jobs	78,315	77,340
Job satisfaction	4	4.5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 55%	Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Average age	40	45
Years of experience	12	2

What does an occupational therapist do?

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.

What does a social worker do?

Social workers help their clients get through problems that they may be facing. Social workers help identify individuals or groups of people, usually families, who may need assistance, generally through a set of pre-determined criteria. They then determine the best ways to help their clients by interviewing them, getting to know them, and understanding the context of their lives. They create plans that will help their clients become better, such as integrating into a new environment, assisting them in their needs, or even rescuing them from their current place. Social workers have good interpersonal skills and communication skills.

Occupational therapist vs social worker salary

Occupational therapists and social workers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Occupational Therapist	Social Worker
Average salary	$75,707	$50,102
Salary range	Between $58,000 And $97,000	Between $37,000 And $67,000
Highest paying City	Salinas, CA	Portland, OR
Highest paying state	California	Oregon
Best paying company	Waters	Health Advocates
Best paying industry	Professional	Government

Differences between occupational therapist and social worker education

There are a few differences between an occupational therapist and a social worker in terms of educational background:

	Occupational Therapist	Social Worker
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 55%	Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Most common major	Occupational Therapy	Social Work
Most common college	Duke University	University of Pennsylvania

Occupational therapist vs social worker demographics

Here are the differences between occupational therapists' and social workers' demographics:

	Occupational Therapist	Social Worker
Average age	40	45
Gender ratio	Male, 16.8% Female, 83.2%	Male, 19.5% Female, 80.5%
Race ratio	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%	Black or African American, 19.9% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.3% Asian, 3.3% White, 58.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage	14%	13%

Differences between occupational therapist and social worker duties and responsibilities

Occupational therapist example responsibilities.

Achieve advance clinical competency in UE splinting.
Manage outpatient occupational therapy rehabilitation program.
Provide home assessment and recommend adaptive equipment and/or home modification needs to maximize safety of patients in their own environment.
General debility, CVA, joint replacement, upper extremity weakness, ADL 's
Founder of TLC program to educate patients, staff and family about CVA.
Complete evaluations and IEP's for home school children and perform on-going therapy for the kids.

Social worker example responsibilities.

Assist clients in achieving treatment goals such as anger, ADHD, grief, social skills, and manners.
Lead and co-le CBT and DBT skills-base groups with participants, as well as relapse prevention, mindfulness and process groups.
Support patient questions and issues regarding Medicare ESRD entitlement and Medicaid and assist in the completion of the appropriate documentation.
Coordinate IPU discharge planning patients to SNF, ALF, PCH or in-home care with necessary support for care.
Facilitate relationships with AKF and other patient assistance programs, VA, Medicare, Medicaid and other insurance providers.
Complete Medicaid and Medicare applications as needed.

Occupational therapist vs social worker skills

Common occupational therapist skills

Patients, 23%
Rehabilitation, 12%
Home Health, 12%
Patient Care, 9%
COTA, 7%
Occupational Therapy, 4%

Common social worker skills

Social Work, 30%
Patients, 15%
Patient Care, 5%
MSW, 4%
Discharge Planning, 4%
Home Health, 4%

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Occupational Therapist
Occupational Therapist vs Social Worker

Updated January 8, 2025

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