Updated April 6, 2023

Staff Occupational Therapist Salary Estimate

$73,477

$35.33 hourly

Entry level Salary
$56,000 yearly

How much does a Staff Occupational Therapist make?

The average salary for a staff occupational therapist in the United States is $73,477. Staff occupational therapist salaries typically range between $56,000 and $96,000 a year. The average hourly rate for staff occupational therapists is $35.33 per hour.

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

Research Summary.
  • The average salary for a staff occupational therapist is $73,477 in the US.
  • The average staff occupational therapist salary ranges between $56,000 and $96,000 in the US.
  • Hourly rates for staff occupational therapists in the US typically range between $26 and $46 an hour.
  • The average staff occupational therapist salary is $115,629 in California, $97,661 in Hawaii, and $97,315 in Alaska. These are the three highest-paying states for staff occupational therapists in the US.
  • New York University has the highest average salary for staff occupational therapists.
  • Health care is the highest-paying industry for staff occupational therapists in the US.

Highest Paying States For Staff Occupational Therapists

Throughout the U.S., the average salary for a staff occupational therapist is roughly $73,477 per year, which boils down to $35.33 per hour. Interestingly enough, staff occupational therapists have the highest salaries in Pacifica, CA at about $118,209 per year. For those who are just starting out, the average entry-level salary in Pacifica, CA is $87,000. Additionally, staff occupational therapists make more than the average salary in Las Vegas, NV, Washington, DC, Stoughton, MA, Houston, TX, and Lafayette, IN. On a more broad level, staff occupational therapist salaries are highest in California, Hawaii, Alaska, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, and New Jersey. On the contrary, South Dakota, Kentucky, and North Dakota offer the lowest staff occupational therapist salaries.
  • State View
  • County View
Average Salary:

Staff Occupational Therapist average salary by State

RankStateAvg. SalaryHourly RateJob Count
1California$115,629$55.597,953
2Nevada$93,255$44.83466
3Washington$87,223$41.931,754
4Oregon$90,599$43.56910
5New Jersey$83,360$40.081,912
6Louisiana$81,799$39.33664
7Rhode Island$77,046$37.04269
8Alaska$97,315$46.79135
9Hawaii$97,661$46.95158
10Tennessee$73,531$35.351,264
11Oklahoma$74,916$36.02637
12Texas$72,703$34.954,773
13Arizona$80,681$38.79981
14New Hampshire$72,432$34.82410
15Indiana$70,206$33.751,568
16Idaho$75,941$36.51305
17Ohio$71,328$34.292,156
18Wisconsin$74,192$35.671,069
19Massachusetts$76,954$37.001,888
20Montana$71,488$34.37256
21Pennsylvania$69,355$33.343,113
22Virginia$76,632$36.841,858
23Colorado$74,567$35.851,264
24Iowa$70,480$33.88751
25Nebraska$69,055$33.20581
26Arkansas$70,315$33.81520
27Maryland$74,938$36.031,364
28District of Columbia$85,245$40.98267
29Maine$68,266$32.82348
30Kansas$68,121$32.75728
31Wyoming$69,301$33.32120
32Utah$71,311$34.28557
33Illinois$68,730$33.042,824
34New York$69,955$33.632,810
35South Carolina$69,701$33.51780
36New Mexico$69,988$33.65391
37Missouri$67,413$32.411,376
38West Virginia$66,389$31.92327
39North Carolina$68,830$33.091,866
40Minnesota$69,751$33.531,155
41Georgia$67,586$32.492,222
42Connecticut$72,135$34.68488
43North Dakota$64,124$30.83214
44Vermont$60,988$29.32243
45Mississippi$67,157$32.29300
46Delaware$67,205$32.31232
47Kentucky$64,188$30.86687
48South Dakota$64,772$31.14174
49Florida$67,419$32.412,329
50Michigan$63,824$30.681,450
51Alabama$61,276$29.46915

Highest Paying Cities For Staff Occupational Therapists

RankCityAvg. SalaryHourly RateJob Count
1Pacifica, CA$118,209$56.83
2Las Vegas, NV$93,429$44.92
3Washington, DC$85,285$41.00
4Stoughton, MA$77,105$37.07
5Houston, TX$72,571$34.89
6Lafayette, IN$70,222$33.76
7New York, NY$70,073$33.693
8Fremont, NE$69,094$33.22
9Chicago, IL$68,790$33.071
10Fort Lauderdale, FL$66,971$32.201
11Detroit, MI$63,852$30.702

Staff Occupational Therapist Salary by Years of Experience

The salary for a staff 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 $74,018, a mid-career professional with 3-6 years of experience makes $73,477 a year on average, and a senior level accountant with 7-12 years of experience enjoys an average annual salary of $79,262. 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.

Staff Occupational Therapists Salary Details

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

What is a Staff Occupational Therapist's Salary?

PercentileAnnual SalaryMonthly SalaryHourly Rate
90th Percentile$96,000$8,000$46
75th Percentile$84,000$7,000$40
Average$73,477$6,123$35
25th Percentile$63,000$5,250$30
10th Percentile$56,000$4,667$27

Highest Paying Types of Staff Occupational Therapists

Job TitleAnnual SalaryMonthly SalaryHourly RateJob Openings
Music Therapy Internship$36,844$3,070$17.71111,846
Therapist$55,943$4,662$26.90159,770
Physical Therapist$73,070$6,089$35.1386,697
Student Physical Therapist$73,003$6,084$35.1092,101
Pediatric Occupational Therapist$82,293$6,858$39.5690,520
Occupational Therapist$75,707$6,309$36.4078,315

Which Companies Pay Staff Occupational Therapists The Most?

According to our most recent salary estimates, New York University and Southeastern Lifestyle Fitness Center Lumberton are the highest paying companies for staff occupational therapists.

Staff Occupational Therapist Pay Trends

Average Staff Occupational Therapist Salary Over Time

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

    Staff Occupational Therapist Salary By Year

    YearAvg. SalaryHourly Rate% Change
    2023$73,500$35.33+1.5%
    2022$72,300$34.78+0.8%
    2021$71,800$34.50+1.3%
    2020$70,900$34.06+1.6%
    2019$69,800$33.54+2.1%

    Recently Added Staff Occupational Therapist Salaries

    CompanyJobLocationDate AddedSalary
    Washington Hospital Healthcare SystemStaff Occupational Therapist-Occupational Therapy-Per Diem Variable ShiftsFremont, CA04/17/2023$104,350
    NYU Langone Medical CenterStaff Occupational Therapist (1109950_Rr00074716)New York, NY04/06/2023$80,730
    Washington Hospital Healthcare SystemStaff Occupational Therapist-Occupational Therapy-Per Diem Variable ShiftsFremont, CA03/23/2023$104,350
    Washington Hospital Healthcare SystemStaff Occupational Therapist-Occupational Therapy-Per Diem Variable ShiftsFremont, CA03/23/2023$104,350
    Washington Hospital Healthcare SystemStaff Occupational Therapist-Occupational Therapy-Per Diem Variable ShiftsFremont, CA02/04/2023$104,350
    NYU Langone Medical CenterStaff Occupational Therapist, Manhattan (1107154_Rr00072579)New York, NY01/27/2023$80,730
    Indian Health ServiceStaff Occupational TherapistPeridot, AZ01/27/2023$70,000
    Sinai Health SystemSchwab Rehab Occupational Staff TherapistChicago, IL01/03/2023$74,000
    NYU Langone HealthStaff Occupational TherapistNew York, NY12/03/2022$80,730
    NYU Langone Medical CenterStaff Occupational Therapist, Bellevue Hospital (1105043_Rr00070997)New York, NY11/30/2022$53,457

    Staff Occupational Therapist Salaries FAQs

    What State Pays Staff Occupational Therapists The Most?

    California pays Staff Occupational Therapists the most in the United States, with an average salary of $115,629 per year, or $55.59 per hour.

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

    You know if you are being paid fairly as a Staff Occupational Therapist if your pay is close to the average pay for the state you live in. For example, if you live in Hawaii you should be paid close to $97,661 per year.

    Search For Staff Occupational Therapist Jobs