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The differences between therapists and occupational therapists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an occupational therapist has an average salary of $75,707, which is higher than the $55,943 average annual salary of a therapist.
The top three skills for a therapist include social work, patients and group therapy sessions. The most important skills for an occupational therapist are patients, rehabilitation, and home health.
| Therapist | Occupational Therapist | |
| Yearly salary | $55,943 | $75,707 |
| Hourly rate | $26.90 | $36.40 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 14% |
| Number of jobs | 159,770 | 78,315 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 47% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Average age | 41 | 40 |
| Years of experience | - | 12 |
A therapist is responsible for improving the patients' health conditions by evaluating their needs and providing physical and mental support. Therapists are licensed, medical professionals who specialize in different areas to perform treatments and bring relief to patients. Some of their duties include diagnosing patient's problems, performing counseling services, monitoring medication progress, customizing therapy activities for pain management, and consulting other health professionals as needed. Therapists must have extensive knowledge with the medical industry to detect patients' conditions easily and provide effective medications.
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.
Therapists and occupational therapists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Therapist | Occupational Therapist | |
| Average salary | $55,943 | $75,707 |
| Salary range | Between $39,000 And $80,000 | Between $58,000 And $97,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Salinas, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Childhelp | Waters |
| Best paying industry | Government | Professional |
There are a few differences between a therapist and an occupational therapist in terms of educational background:
| Therapist | Occupational Therapist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 47% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Occupational Therapy |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | Duke University |
Here are the differences between therapists' and occupational therapists' demographics:
| Therapist | Occupational Therapist | |
| Average age | 41 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 24.4% Female, 75.6% | Male, 16.8% Female, 83.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.0% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 11.3% White, 72.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | 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 | 12% | 14% |