Salary data
What Occupational Therapists Actually Earn
Median annual salary
$95,530
Half of all OTs earn above this
Top 10% annual salary
$128,000+
Hand therapy and acute care specialists
Entry level (10th pctile)
$67,000
First-year OT — pediatrics or outpatient
Hand therapy premium
+$15–$25K
CHT certification adds significant premium
Occupational Therapy opens one of the most varied and personally fulfilling career paths in healthcare — pediatrics, mental health, hand therapy, acute care, SNF, home health, schools, and workplace ergonomics. Median salary: $95,530 from a master’s-level credential.
Sources: BLS OES May 2024 · AOTA 2024 Salary Survey.
Florida median OT salary
$88,000
Below national — strong pediatric and SNF market
Florida top 10%
$118,000+
Hand therapy and acute care OTs
Entry level in Florida
$62,000
First-year OT — FL market
FL pediatric OT
High demand
FL school systems actively recruiting OTs
Florida-specific: Florida licenses OTs through the Florida Board of Occupational Therapy Practice. Requirements include a master’s from an ACOTE-accredited program, passing the NBCOT exam, and state licensure. Florida’s school system is one of the largest OT employers in the state.
Sources: BLS OES May 2024 FL state data · CareerOneStop · AOTA. City estimates are approximations.
Texas median OT salary
$90,000
Below national — no state income tax
Texas top 10%
$122,000+
Hand therapy and SNF specialists
Entry level in Texas
$64,000
First-year OT — TX market
TX OT growth
Strong
TX school districts reporting OT shortages
Texas-specific: Texas licenses OTs through TDLR. NBCOT exam required. Texas school districts are among the largest OT employers, with suburban growth areas especially active in pediatric OT recruiting.
Sources: BLS OES May 2024 TX state data · CareerOneStop · AOTA. City estimates are approximations.
Training paths
How to Become an Occupational Therapist
01
Master of Occupational Therapy — MOT (2–3 Years Post-Baccalaureate)
Standard entry path
The standard path to OT licensure: a bachelor’s degree in any field, followed by an ACOTE-accredited MOT program. Competitive admission — strong science GPA, OT observation hours, and letters of recommendation required.
- Program cost: $40,000–$100,000 for the master’s component
- 2–3 years of graduate study including fieldwork placements
- NBCOT exam required after graduation for OTR designation
- Competitive admissions — most programs require 40–100+ OT observation hours
- Federal NHSC Loan Repayment available for OTs in underserved settings
02
Doctor of Occupational Therapy — OTD (3–4 Years Post-Baccalaureate)
The OTD is an entry-level clinical doctorate some programs now offer. ACOTE has set 2027 as the target year to require doctoral-level degrees for new OT programs.
- 3–4 years post-baccalaureate
- No significant salary premium over MOT in clinical practice
- ACOTE transition: doctoral will become the entry-level standard by 2027
- MOT graduates practicing before 2027 are not affected
03
Certified Hand Therapist — CHT (Post-Licensure Specialty)
Highest-paying OT specialty
After 5 years of practice and 4,000 hours of direct hand therapy experience, OTs can sit for the CHT exam. Hand therapy is consistently one of the highest-paying OT specialties.
- Requires 5 years licensed practice + 4,000 hours hand/UE therapy
- CHT exam through Hand Therapy Certification Commission (HTCC)
- Works in hand surgery practices, outpatient ortho, and burn units
- Median CHT salary: $110,000–$120,000+ in most major markets
Day in the life
A Day in the Life of an Occupational Therapist
Day in the life
A Day in the Life of an Occupational Therapist
8:00
AM
Patient evaluations
Assess new patients’ functional status — ADLs, fine motor skills, cognitive function, and environmental factors affecting independence.
9:30
AM
Treatment sessions — pediatric setting
Sensory integration activities, handwriting intervention, fine motor skill development, and self-care training.
11:00
AM
Treatment sessions — adult rehabilitation
Post-stroke ADL retraining, upper extremity strengthening, adaptive equipment training, and cognitive rehabilitation.
12:30
PM
Documentation and care plan updates
OTs document evaluations, treatment sessions, and outcomes to support billing and track functional progress.
2:00
PM
Home assessment or school-based services
Home health OTs assess fall risks and recommend adaptive equipment. School OTs support students with fine motor, sensory, and self-care needs.
4:00
PM
Caregiver and family training
Teach family members how to assist patients with ADLs safely. Caregiver training is one of the highest-impact interventions in OT.
What you will need
Skills That Make a Great Occupational Therapist
What you will need
Skills That Make a Great Occupational Therapist
Functional activity analysis
Breaking down everyday tasks into their component movements and identifying exactly where the breakdown occurs.
Adaptive reasoning
Finding creative ways to help patients accomplish goals despite limitations through modified tasks, environments, and equipment.
Pediatric development knowledge
Understanding typical developmental milestones — fine motor, sensory processing, self-care acquisition — is foundational for pediatric OT.
Mental health integration
OT is one of the few allied health fields with deep roots in mental health treatment.
Client-centered practice
OT is built on the principle that the client’s own goals matter most. Great OTs build treatment plans around what the patient actually wants to do.
Documentation and billing literacy
Clinical excellence without documentation skills leads to billing problems and denied claims.
Job market outlook
The Market for Occupational Therapists in 2025
Job market outlook
The Market for Occupational Therapists in 2025
Projected growth 2024–2034
+12%
BLS — much faster than average
New openings per year
15,400
BLS projection — growth plus replacement
Current OT jobs in the US
140,000+
BLS · 2024
AI displacement risk
Very Low
Therapeutic relationship and adaptive reasoning are irreplaceable
Occupational therapy demand is driven by an aging population requiring post-surgical and chronic disease rehabilitation, growing recognition of pediatric sensory and developmental needs, and an expanding mental health sector.
The school-based OT market is one of the most consistently undersupplied sectors in the profession. Every school district serving students with IEPs is legally required to provide OT services when needed.
Telehealth OT is an emerging and growing practice area. Remote ADL coaching, caregiver training, and home modification consultation can be delivered via video for many patient populations.
Common questions
Occupational Therapist FAQs
Common questions
Occupational Therapist FAQs
OTs help people perform the activities that are meaningful to them — work, self-care, leisure, and family participation. After illness, injury, or developmental challenges, OTs assess functional limitations and design interventions to restore or adapt the ability to perform these activities.
Yes. Entry-level OT practice requires at minimum a master’s degree from an ACOTE-accredited program. The OTD is emerging as the new entry-level standard — ACOTE has set 2027 as the target year.
The NBCOT exam is the national certification exam required for OT licensure in all US states. Passing earns the OTR (Occupational Therapist Registered) designation.
Certified Hand Therapists (CHTs) consistently earn the highest OT salaries — $110,000–$120,000+ in most markets. CHT requires 5 years of practice and 4,000 hours of direct hand/upper extremity experience.
Yes — pediatric occupational therapy is one of the most popular OT specialties. School-based OTs support students with disabilities. Clinic-based pediatric OTs treat children with sensory processing disorders, autism, and developmental delays.
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