Explore Jobs
Find Specific Jobs
Explore Careers
Explore Professions
Best Companies
Explore Companies
Occupational Therapist salary
Average occupational therapist salary
$75,707
How much does an occupational therapist make?
The average occupational therapist salary in the United States is $75,707. Occupational therapist salaries typically range between $58,000 and $97,000 yearly. The average hourly rate for occupational therapists is $36.4 per hour.
Occupational therapist salary is impacted by location, education, and experience. Occupational therapists earn the highest average salary in California.
Where can an Occupational Therapist earn more?
Occupational Therapist
An occupational therapist with 0-2 years of experience earns an average entry-level salary of $76,265. A mid-career occupational therapist with 3-6 years of experience makes $75,707 a year on average. A senior level occupational therapist with 7-12 years of experience enjoys an average annual salary of $81,668.
According to Dr. Julie Seidle, Instructor & Research Associate at Colorado State University's Department of Occupational Therapy, "As the level of education required to enter the field has risen, so have the costs of becoming a practitioner. Many practitioners then find that their salaries in the field do not necessarily rise to reflect their level of education. Both of these issues have the potential to negatively impact the strength of our field and need to be included in continued conversations around addressing and improving diversity, equity, and inclusion within the field."Occupational Therapist salary estimates from across the web
Average occupational therapist salary by state
The highest-paying states for occupational therapists are California, Alaska, and Nevada. The lowest average occupational therapist salary states are South Dakota, North Dakota, and Michigan.
- State View
- County View
Highest paying states for occupational therapists
| Rank | State | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $105,738 | $50.84 |
| 2 | Washington | $89,446 | $43.00 |
| 3 | Hawaii | $94,336 | $45.35 |
| 4 | Alaska | $98,525 | $47.37 |
| 5 | Nevada | $95,125 | $45.73 |
| 6 | Oregon | $92,211 | $44.33 |
| 7 | Louisiana | $82,500 | $39.66 |
| 8 | Idaho | $78,066 | $37.53 |
| 9 | Oklahoma | $75,222 | $36.16 |
| 10 | Arizona | $82,202 | $39.52 |
| 11 | Rhode Island | $77,832 | $37.42 |
| 12 | Wisconsin | $74,823 | $35.97 |
| 13 | Indiana | $70,802 | $34.04 |
| 14 | Montana | $73,788 | $35.48 |
| 15 | New Hampshire | $73,089 | $35.14 |
| 16 | Iowa | $71,008 | $34.14 |
| 17 | Colorado | $76,096 | $36.58 |
| 18 | Tennessee | $73,937 | $35.55 |
| 19 | Texas | $72,237 | $34.73 |
| 20 | Wyoming | $71,018 | $34.14 |
| 21 | New Jersey | $77,339 | $37.18 |
| 22 | Virginia | $77,073 | $37.05 |
| 23 | Arkansas | $70,601 | $33.94 |
| 24 | Ohio | $71,976 | $34.60 |
| 25 | South Carolina | $70,116 | $33.71 |
| 26 | Nebraska | $69,538 | $33.43 |
| 27 | Massachusetts | $77,732 | $37.37 |
| 28 | Kansas | $68,542 | $32.95 |
| 29 | Maryland | $75,468 | $36.28 |
| 30 | District of Columbia | $85,854 | $41.28 |
| 31 | Utah | $73,396 | $35.29 |
| 32 | New Mexico | $71,432 | $34.34 |
| 33 | Maine | $68,992 | $33.17 |
| 34 | West Virginia | $66,843 | $32.14 |
| 35 | Pennsylvania | $69,889 | $33.60 |
| 36 | Georgia | $68,111 | $32.75 |
| 37 | Illinois | $69,303 | $33.32 |
| 38 | North Dakota | $64,816 | $31.16 |
| 39 | New York | $72,340 | $34.78 |
| 40 | Connecticut | $72,671 | $34.94 |
| 41 | North Carolina | $69,228 | $33.28 |
| 42 | Missouri | $67,618 | $32.51 |
| 43 | Minnesota | $70,407 | $33.85 |
| 44 | South Dakota | $65,421 | $31.45 |
| 45 | Vermont | $61,429 | $29.53 |
| 46 | Mississippi | $67,542 | $32.47 |
| 47 | Delaware | $67,769 | $32.58 |
| 48 | Kentucky | $64,160 | $30.85 |
| 49 | Florida | $68,039 | $32.71 |
| 50 | Alabama | $61,658 | $29.64 |
| 51 | Michigan | $64,386 | $30.95 |
Highest paying cities for occupational therapists
The highest-paying cities for occupational therapists are Salinas, CA, Las Vegas, NV, and Portland, OR.
| Rank | City | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Salinas, CA | $108,453 | $52.14 |
| 2 | Las Vegas, NV | $95,402 | $45.87 |
| 3 | Portland, OR | $92,075 | $44.27 |
| 4 | Vancouver, WA | $90,031 | $43.28 |
| 5 | Washington, DC | $85,893 | $41.29 |
| 6 | Phoenix, AZ | $82,646 | $39.73 |
| 7 | Boston, MA | $77,848 | $37.43 |
| 8 | Jersey City, NJ | $77,309 | $37.17 |
| 9 | Arlington, VA | $77,114 | $37.07 |
| 10 | Colorado Springs, CO | $76,138 | $36.60 |
| 11 | Baltimore, MD | $75,539 | $36.32 |
| 12 | Oklahoma City, OK | $75,307 | $36.21 |
| 13 | Concord, NH | $72,971 | $35.08 |
| 14 | San Antonio, TX | $72,954 | $35.07 |
| 15 | New York, NY | $72,296 | $34.76 |
| 16 | Columbus, OH | $71,983 | $34.61 |
| 17 | Albuquerque, NM | $71,753 | $34.50 |
| 18 | Indianapolis, IN | $70,820 | $34.05 |
| 19 | Austin, MN | $70,382 | $33.84 |
| 20 | Philadelphia, PA | $70,032 | $33.67 |
Occupational Therapists are the most in-demand in these five cities:
Occupational Therapist salary details
An occupational therapist's salary ranges from $58,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $97,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is an occupational therapist's salary?
| Percentile | Annual Salary | Monthly Salary | Hourly 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 occupational therapist jobs
The highest paying types of occupational therapists are pediatric occupational therapist, registered occupational therapist, and early intervention occupational therapist.
| Job Title | Annual Salary | Monthly Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rehabilitation Technician | $29,533 | $2,461 | $14.20 | 31,196 |
| Music Therapy Internship | $36,844 | $3,070 | $17.71 | 111,846 |
| Student Physical Therapist | $73,003 | $6,084 | $35.10 | 92,101 |
| Therapist | $55,943 | $4,662 | $26.90 | 159,770 |
| Physical Therapist | $73,070 | $6,089 | $35.13 | 86,697 |
| Pediatric Occupational Therapist | $82,293 | $6,858 | $39.56 | 90,520 |
Top companies hiring occupational therapists now:
Which companies pay occupational therapists the most?
Occupational therapist salaries at Waters and Mayo Clinic are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average occupational therapist salary at companies like Parkway and Visting Nurse Service & Affiliates are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Waters | $95,375 | $45.85 |
| 2 | Mayo Clinic | $92,293 | $44.37 |
| 3 | Parkway | $91,707 | $44.09 |
| 4 | Visting Nurse Service & Affiliates | $90,996 | $43.75 |
| 5 | Consonus Healthcare | $90,879 | $43.69 |
| 6 | SYNERTX Rehabilitation | $90,625 | $43.57 |
| 7 | Therapy Resources Management | $89,700 | $43.13 |
| 8 | Renewal Rehab | $89,311 | $42.94 |
| 9 | CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield | $89,036 | $42.81 |
| 10 | Reliant Rehabilitation | $88,989 | $42.78 |
| 11 | Concept Rehab | $88,789 | $42.69 |
| 12 | Rehab Pro | $88,609 | $42.60 |
| 13 | Care Ventures Inc | $88,561 | $42.58 |
| 14 | Infinity Rehab | $88,514 | $42.55 |
| 15 | Weinberg Campus | $88,499 | $42.55 |
| 16 | The Osborn | $88,441 | $42.52 |
| 17 | Functional Pathways | $88,415 | $42.51 |
| 18 | Aegis Therapies | $88,395 | $42.50 |
| 19 | The Weston Group | $88,197 | $42.40 |
| 20 | EnduraCare Therapy Management, Inc. | $87,887 | $42.25 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Occupational Therapist salary trends
The average occupational therapist salary has risen by $10,933 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average occupational therapist earned $64,774 annually, but today, they earn $75,707 a year. That works out to a 5% change in pay for occupational therapists over the last decade.
Compare occupational therapist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average occupational therapist salary over time
Compare occupational therapist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Occupational Therapist salary by year
| Year | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $75,700 | $36.40 | +1.5% |
| 2023 | $74,500 | $35.84 | +0.8% |
| 2022 | $73,900 | $35.55 | +1.3% |
| 2021 | $73,000 | $35.10 | +1.6% |
| 2020 | $71,900 | $34.55 | +2.1% |
Recently added occupational therapist salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date Added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Select Rehabilitation LLC | Occupational Therapist/Program Director | Palo Alto, CA | 12/01/2023 | $121,672 |
| Powerback Rehabilitation, LLC | Occupational Therapist | Newcastle, WA | 09/03/2023 | $87,654 |
| Healthpro Heritage LLC | Occupational Therapist | Benton, IL | 09/01/2023 | $73,838 |
| San Joaquin General Hospital | Occupational Therapist | French Camp, CA | 08/03/2023 | $103,327 |
| Rye Therapies of OT, PT & SLP, PLLC | Occupational Therapist | Rye, NY | 08/03/2023 | $125,220 |
| Pharmerica | Level 11 Occupational Therapist | Saginaw, MI | 07/05/2023 | $73,045 |
| Brightspring Health Services | Occupational Therapist | Manchester, NH | 07/05/2023 | $87,654 |
| Amedisys | Occupational Therapist | Marlborough, MA | 07/04/2023 | $132,600 |
| Reliant Rehabilitation | Occupational Therapist | Columbus, OH | 07/04/2023 | $86,548 |
| Healthpro | Occupational Therapist (OT) | Jerseyville, IL | 07/04/2023 | $93,915 |
Occupational Therapist salary FAQs
Search for occupational therapist jobs