Department of Labor Logo United States Department of Labor
Dot gov

The .gov means it's official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you're on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2020

29-1122 Occupational Therapists

Assess, plan, and organize rehabilitative programs that help build or restore vocational, homemaking, and daily living skills, as well as general independence, to persons with disabilities or developmental delays. Use therapeutic techniques, adapt the individual's environment, teach skills, and modify specific tasks that present barriers to the individual. Excludes "Rehabilitation Counselors" (21-1015).


National estimates for Occupational Therapists
Industry profile for Occupational Therapists
Geographic profile for Occupational Therapists

National estimates for Occupational Therapists:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Occupational Therapists:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
126,610 1.2 % $ 42.06 $ 87,480 0.4 %

Percentile wage estimates for Occupational Therapists:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $ 27.56 $ 34.08 $ 41.48 $ 49.55 $ 58.98
Annual Wage (2) $ 57,330 $ 70,880 $ 86,280 $ 103,060 $ 122,670


Industry profile for Occupational Therapists:

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Occupational Therapists are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in Occupational Therapists, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in Occupational Therapists:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Offices of Other Health Practitioners 33,830 3.75 $ 42.41 $ 88,220
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals 28,300 0.51 $ 42.40 $ 88,200
Elementary and Secondary Schools 15,560 0.19 $ 37.93 $ 78,890
Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities) 11,370 0.74 $ 44.14 $ 91,810
Home Health Care Services 10,620 0.71 $ 45.32 $ 94,270

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Occupational Therapists:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Offices of Other Health Practitioners 33,830 3.75 $ 42.41 $ 88,220
Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals 6,850 2.56 $ 42.46 $ 88,330
Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities) 11,370 0.74 $ 44.14 $ 91,810
Home Health Care Services 10,620 0.71 $ 45.32 $ 94,270
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals 28,300 0.51 $ 42.40 $ 88,200

Top paying industries for Occupational Therapists:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Child Day Care Services 490 0.06 $ 51.00 $ 106,070
Management of Companies and Enterprises 420 0.02 $ 48.00 $ 99,850
Continuing Care Retirement Communities and Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly 1,200 0.13 $ 45.36 $ 94,360
Home Health Care Services 10,620 0.71 $ 45.32 $ 94,270
Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities) 11,370 0.74 $ 44.14 $ 91,810


Geographic profile for Occupational Therapists:

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Occupational Therapists are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in Occupational Therapists, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in Occupational Therapists:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York 10,560 1.22 1.34 $ 43.83 $ 91,170
California 9,840 0.60 0.66 $ 48.59 $ 101,080
Texas 8,790 0.73 0.80 $ 42.99 $ 89,410
Pennsylvania 7,070 1.28 1.41 $ 40.00 $ 83,200
Florida 6,820 0.81 0.89 $ 41.19 $ 85,670




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Occupational Therapists:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New Hampshire 1,000 1.61 1.77 $ 38.81 $ 80,720
Connecticut 2,470 1.60 1.76 $ 44.23 $ 92,000
Maine 810 1.41 1.55 $ 34.86 $ 72,500
Colorado 3,380 1.31 1.44 $ 44.06 $ 91,650
Massachusetts 4,350 1.30 1.43 $ 40.94 $ 85,150




Top paying states for Occupational Therapists:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Nevada 850 0.68 0.75 $ 53.50 $ 111,270
California 9,840 0.60 0.66 $ 48.59 $ 101,080
Arizona 2,190 0.77 0.85 $ 48.05 $ 99,950
New Jersey 4,070 1.07 1.18 $ 47.48 $ 98,750
District of Columbia 360 0.52 0.58 $ 46.31 $ 96,330





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Occupational Therapists:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 9,800 1.11 1.22 $ 47.15 $ 98,080
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 4,670 1.07 1.18 $ 41.12 $ 85,540
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 3,390 0.58 0.64 $ 51.25 $ 106,610
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 3,140 1.21 1.33 $ 40.89 $ 85,050
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 3,100 1.15 1.26 $ 42.79 $ 89,000
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 2,560 0.71 0.78 $ 43.20 $ 89,860
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD 2,110 1.64 1.80 $ 40.15 $ 83,500
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 2,100 0.69 0.76 $ 46.33 $ 96,370
Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO 2,050 1.41 1.55 $ 44.72 $ 93,010
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 1,920 0.65 0.71 $ 44.52 $ 92,600




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Occupational Therapists:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Bloomsburg-Berwick, PA 130 3.43 3.77 $ 40.71 $ 84,680
Cumberland, MD-WV 100 2.97 3.26 $ 47.60 $ 99,010
Johnstown, PA 130 2.82 3.10 $ 35.99 $ 74,860
New Bedford, MA 150 2.54 2.79 $ 41.33 $ 85,970
Saginaw, MI 180 2.34 2.58 $ 39.59 $ 82,350
Tyler, TX 230 2.33 2.56 $ 44.56 $ 92,680
Rochester, MN 270 2.30 2.53 $ 35.85 $ 74,560
Elmira, NY 70 2.10 2.31 $ 37.50 $ 78,010
Lewiston-Auburn, ME 100 2.07 2.27 $ 36.33 $ 75,570
Pocatello, ID 70 2.02 2.22 $ 41.22 $ 85,730




Top paying metropolitan areas for Occupational Therapists:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
The Villages, FL 40 1.26 1.38 $ 55.73 $ 115,920
Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV 660 0.73 0.80 $ 55.32 $ 115,060
Modesto, CA 90 0.52 0.57 $ 54.26 $ 112,870
Vallejo-Fairfield, CA (8) (8) (8) $ 54.14 $ 112,610
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 470 0.42 0.46 $ 53.71 $ 111,720
Salinas, CA 230 1.37 1.50 $ 53.02 $ 110,290
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA 50 0.27 0.29 $ 52.45 $ 109,090
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 3,390 0.58 0.64 $ 51.25 $ 106,610
Bakersfield, CA 100 0.34 0.37 $ 51.16 $ 106,420
Laredo, TX 50 0.55 0.61 $ 50.60 $ 105,240

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in Occupational Therapists:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
South Illinois nonmetropolitan area 370 4.41 4.84 $ 27.61 $ 57,430
North Northeastern Ohio nonmetropolitan area (noncontiguous) 340 1.08 1.19 $ 34.83 $ 72,440
Kansas nonmetropolitan area 260 0.68 0.75 $ 43.96 $ 91,440
Southern Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area 250 1.40 1.54 $ 42.35 $ 88,100
Southern Ohio nonmetropolitan area 250 1.67 1.83 $ 43.74 $ 90,980

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Occupational Therapists:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
South Illinois nonmetropolitan area 370 4.41 4.84 $ 27.61 $ 57,430
Central New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area 200 2.21 2.42 $ 40.11 $ 83,430
Northeast Maine nonmetropolitan area 120 1.74 1.91 $ 36.19 $ 75,280
Southern Ohio nonmetropolitan area 250 1.67 1.83 $ 43.74 $ 90,980
Northwestern Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area 70 1.43 1.57 $ 36.39 $ 75,680

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Occupational Therapists:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
North Texas Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area 150 0.56 0.61 $ 52.06 $ 108,290
Southwest Virginia nonmetropolitan area 100 0.88 0.97 $ 51.77 $ 107,680
South Arkansas nonmetropolitan area 60 0.62 0.68 $ 50.14 $ 104,300
Eastern Ohio nonmetropolitan area 160 1.30 1.42 $ 49.87 $ 103,720
Northeast Oklahoma nonmetropolitan area 40 0.34 0.38 $ 49.05 $ 102,030


About May 2020 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate—50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OEWS estimates and related information:

May 2020 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2020 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2020 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2020 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2020 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 31, 2021