Updated April 6, 2023

Occupational Therapist Salary Estimate

$75,707

$36.40 hourly

Entry level Salary
$58,000 yearly

How much does an Occupational Therapist make?

The average salary for an occupational therapist in the United States is $75,707. Occupational therapist salaries typically range between $58,000 and $97,000 a year. The average hourly rate for occupational therapists is $36.4 per hour.

Location, education, and experience impacts how much an occupational therapist can expect to make. Occupational therapists make the most in California, Alaska, Nevada, Hawaii, and Oregon.

Research Summary.
  • The average salary for an occupational therapist is $75,707 in the US.
  • The average occupational therapist salary ranges between $58,000 and $97,000 in the US.
  • Hourly rates for occupational therapists in the US typically range between $27 and $46 an hour.
  • The average occupational therapist salary is $105,738 in California, $98,525 in Alaska, and $95,125 in Nevada. These are the three highest-paying states for occupational therapists in the US.
  • Waters has the highest average salary for occupational therapists.
  • Professional is the highest-paying industry for occupational therapists in the US.

Highest Paying States For Occupational Therapists

If both location and money are important to you, then you might want to check out moving to California, Alaska and Nevada, as these three states offer the highest salaries throughout the U.S. for occupational therapists. Quite opposite of that list is the lowest paying states, which are South Dakota, North Dakota, and Michigan.
  • State View
  • County View
Average Salary:

Occupational Therapist average salary by State

RankStateAvg. SalaryHourly RateJob Count
1California$105,738$50.844,120
2Washington$89,446$43.001,052
3Hawaii$94,336$45.35142
4Alaska$98,525$47.3797
5Nevada$95,125$45.73208
6Oregon$92,211$44.33446
7Louisiana$82,500$39.66396
8Idaho$78,066$37.53214
9Oklahoma$75,222$36.16405
10Arizona$82,202$39.52609
11Rhode Island$77,832$37.42143
12Wisconsin$74,823$35.97710
13Indiana$70,802$34.041,129
14Montana$73,788$35.48163
15New Hampshire$73,089$35.14267
16Iowa$71,008$34.14531
17Colorado$76,096$36.58848
18Tennessee$73,937$35.55700
19Texas$72,237$34.732,872
20Wyoming$71,018$34.1486
21New Jersey$77,339$37.18990
22Virginia$77,073$37.051,139
23Arkansas$70,601$33.94340
24Ohio$71,976$34.601,134
25South Carolina$70,116$33.71647
26Nebraska$69,538$33.43366
27Massachusetts$77,732$37.37762
28Kansas$68,542$32.95529
29Maryland$75,468$36.28794
30District of Columbia$85,854$41.28115
31Utah$73,396$35.29239
32New Mexico$71,432$34.34241
33Maine$68,992$33.17203
34West Virginia$66,843$32.14235
35Pennsylvania$69,889$33.601,352
36Georgia$68,111$32.751,510
37Illinois$69,303$33.321,712
38North Dakota$64,816$31.16154
39New York$72,340$34.781,388
40Connecticut$72,671$34.94269
41North Carolina$69,228$33.281,025
42Missouri$67,618$32.51825
43Minnesota$70,407$33.85532
44South Dakota$65,421$31.45137
45Vermont$61,429$29.53178
46Mississippi$67,542$32.47195
47Delaware$67,769$32.58157
48Kentucky$64,160$30.85471
49Florida$68,039$32.711,428
50Alabama$61,658$29.64553
51Michigan$64,386$30.95819

Highest Paying Cities For Occupational Therapists

RankCityAvg. SalaryHourly RateJob Count
1Salinas, CA$108,453$52.1419
2Las Vegas, NV$95,402$45.8742
3Portland, OR$92,075$44.2753
4Vancouver, WA$90,031$43.2818
5Washington, DC$85,893$41.2933
6Phoenix, AZ$82,646$39.7364
7Boston, MA$77,848$37.4350
8Jersey City, NJ$77,309$37.173
9Arlington, VA$77,114$37.0715
10Colorado Springs, CO$76,138$36.6032
11Baltimore, MD$75,539$36.3248
12Oklahoma City, OK$75,307$36.2125
13Concord, NH$72,971$35.087
14San Antonio, TX$72,954$35.07115
15New York, NY$72,296$34.76152

Here Are The Five Most In Demand Cities Right Now:

  1. Salinas, CA
  2. Las Vegas, NV
  3. Portland, OR
  4. Vancouver, WA
  5. Washington, DC

Occupational Therapist Salary by Years of Experience

The salary for an occupational therapist can vary depending on the years of experience that a person has, from entry level to senior level. An accountant with 0-2 years of experience earns an average salary of $76,265, a mid-career professional with 3-6 years of experience makes $75,707 a year on average, and a senior level accountant with 7-12 years of experience enjoys an average annual salary of $81,668. Data on how experience level affects total compensation is provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) as part of their National Compensation Survey, which is based on factors such as knowledge, complexity, contacts, and environment.

Occupational Therapists Salary Details

Average Occupational Therapist Salary Graph
Average Occupational Therapist Salary Graph, Trends, and Summary

What is an Occupational Therapist's Salary?

PercentileAnnual SalaryMonthly SalaryHourly Rate
90th Percentile$97,000$8,083$47
75th Percentile$86,000$7,167$41
Average$75,707$6,309$36
25th Percentile$66,000$5,500$32
10th Percentile$58,000$4,833$28

Highest Paying Types of Occupational Therapists

Job TitleAnnual SalaryMonthly SalaryHourly RateJob Openings
Rehabilitation Technician$29,533$2,461$14.2031,196
Music Therapy Internship$36,844$3,070$17.71111,846
Student Physical Therapist$73,003$6,084$35.1092,101
Therapist$55,943$4,662$26.90159,770
Physical Therapist$73,070$6,089$35.1386,697
Pediatric Occupational Therapist$82,293$6,858$39.5690,520

Here are the five companies hiring the most now:

  1. Aegis Therapies Jobs (537)
  2. ONR Jobs (177)
  3. Kindred at Home Jobs (89)
  4. Encompass Health Jobs (230)
  5. Integrated Resources Jobs (280)

Which Companies Pay Occupational Therapists The Most?

The highest paying companies for occupational therapists are Waters and Mayo Clinic according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, companies like Parkway and Visting Nurse Service & Affiliates report highly competitive wages for occupational therapists.

Occupational Therapist Pay Trends

Average Occupational Therapist Salary Over Time

Compare salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.

    Occupational Therapist Salary By Year

    YearAvg. SalaryHourly Rate% Change
    2023$75,700$36.40+1.5%
    2022$74,500$35.84+0.8%
    2021$73,900$35.55+1.3%
    2020$73,000$35.10+1.6%
    2019$71,900$34.55+2.1%

    Recently Added Occupational Therapist Salaries

    CompanyJobLocationDate AddedSalary
    Bethesda HealthPool Occupational Therapist, Acute Inpatient Rehabilitation, Per Diem, 8A PBoca Raton, FL05/04/2023$104,350
    Easterseals Southern CaliforniaOccupational TherapistWhittier, CA05/04/2023$93,000
    Baptist HealthPool Occupational Therapist, Acute Inpatient Rehabilitation, Per Diem, 8A PBoca Raton, FL05/04/2023$104,350
    State of OhioForensic Occupational TherapistCincinnati, OH05/04/2023$62,673
    Reliant RehabilitationOccupational TherapistUrban Honolulu, HI05/04/2023$98,089
    Erickson LivingOccupational Therapist (PRN)Dallas, TX05/03/2023$112,698
    Mas Medical StaffingOccupational Therapist (OT), Jesup, Georgia | Up To 2Jesup, GA05/03/2023$143,481
    Mas Medical StaffingOccupational Therapist (OT), Memphis, Tennessee | Up To 2Memphis, TN05/03/2023$127,829
    Brightspring Health ServicesOccupational Therapist-OTReno, NV05/03/2023$108,524
    Brightspring Health ServicesLevel 11 Occupational TherapistSaginaw, MI05/03/2023$73,045

    Occupational Therapist Salaries FAQs

    What State Pays Occupational Therapists The Most?

    California pays Occupational Therapists the most in the United States, with an average salary of $105,738 per year, or $50.84 per hour.

    How Do I Know If I'm Being Paid Fairly As An Occupational Therapist?

    You know if you are being paid fairly as an Occupational Therapist if your pay is close to the average pay for the state you live in. For example, if you live in Alaska you should be paid close to $98,525 per year.

    Can Occupational Therapists Make Six Figures?

    Yes, occupational therapists can make six figures. However, it depends strongly on industry, location, and experience.

    According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the highest-paid industry in 2020 is Child Day Care Services, with the annual mean wage at $106,070. The second and third highest-paid industries are Management of Companies and Enterprises ($99,850) and Continuing Care Retirement Communities and Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly ($94,360).

    Do Occupational Therapists Make Good Money?

    Yes, occupational therapists generally make good money. Most occupational therapists make above the typical national wages of $56,000.

    An entry-level position roughly makes 58,000 in yearly salary and continues to make more depending on industry, location, and experience. For example, California and Nevada are among the top-paying states.

    What Is The Highest-paying Occupational Therapy Job?

    The highest paying occupational therapy job varies depending on industry, location, and experience.

    According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, occupational therapists working in nursing care facilities (or skilled nursing facilities) make about $92,260 in median annual wages in 2020. Home healthcare services are a close second at about $91,830.

    Search For Occupational Therapist Jobs