Occupational therapists

Detailed Occupation

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2024 Workforce

149k

Average Age

40.5

Estimated Job Growth

13.8%

10-year projection

Average Salary

$74,625

Average Male Salary

$94,442

Average Female Salary

$72,072

About

Occupational therapists are most often employed by the General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals industry. The average yearly wage for Occupational therapists was $74,625 in 2024.

The locations that employ the most Occupational therapists are Chicago City (North)--Lake View & Lincoln Park PUMA, IL, Johnson County (Northeast)--Overland Park (North), Prairie Village & Merriam PUMA, KS, and Montgomery County (Northeastern Lower)--Willow Grove & Horsham PUMA, PA. The locations with a relatively high concentration of Occupational therapists are Rockland County (South)--Orangetown, Clarkstown (South) & Ramapo (Southeast) Towns PUMA, NY, White, Lonoke & Woodruff Counties PUMA, AR, and Acadiana Regional Development District 4--Lafayette Parish (South) PUMA, LA.

Photo by Robert Bejil

Management, business, science, & arts occupations Healthcare practitioners & technical occupations

Employment

Employment and salary information for the Occupational therapists workforce. Occupational therapists workforce in 2024 was 148,685 people, of which 88.6% were women and 11.4% were men.

Occupational therapists are paid most in Middlesex County--Watertown, Arlington & Belmont PUMA, MA but are relatively concentrated in Rockland County (South)--Orangetown, Clarkstown (South) & Ramapo (Southeast) Towns PUMA, NY.

Employment Over Time

Metric

Grouping

16,974

Male Workforce

± 3.2k

131,711

Female Workforce

± 8.91k

The Occupational therapists workforce in 2024 was 148,685 people (88.6% women and 11.4% men). This implies an average annual growth of 60.5% between 2014 (92,610) and 2024 (148,685).

Employment by Location

Level

Metric

This map shows the states in the United States shaded by average wage for Occupational therapists.

During 2024, the states that concentrated the best average annual wage were California ($84,984), Nevada ($84,721), and Maine ($83,988).

Yearly Wage Ranking

$74,625

AVERAGE WAGE

#127 in the ranking (2014)

$69,878

NATIONAL AVERAGE WAGE

For all occupations across the US

In 2024, Occupational therapists earned an average of $74,625, $4,748 more than the average national salary of $69,878

The graph shows the ranking of Occupational therapists in relation to all Detailed Occupation in 2014.

In 2024, Occupational therapists had a wage GINI coefficient of 0.256, which is lower than the national average of 0.474. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly for Occupational therapists (shown in red) than for the overall labor force (shown in gray).

The graphic shows the distribution of average salaries by buckets for Occupational therapists compared to the entire workforce in the country.

Industry

Information on the industries that employ Occupational therapists and on wages for those in the field. General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals is the industry that employs the most Occupational therapists, both by share and by number, though the highest paid industry for Occupational therapists, by average wage, is Administration of human resource programs ($104,574).

Occupations by Industries

Metric

Value

149k

2024 Workforce

± 9,462

3.87%

1 YEAR GROWTH

± 8.75%

This graphic shows the share of Occupational therapists employed by various industries. General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals employs the largest share of Occupational therapists at 36.8%, followed by Outpatient care centers with 32.2% and Elementary & secondary schools with 21.5%.

Diversity

Demographic information on Occupational therapists in the US. The workforce of Occupational therapists in 2024 was 148,685 people, with 88.6% woman, and 11.4% men. The average age of male Occupational therapists in the workforce is 42.2 and of female Occupational therapists is 40.2, and the most common race/ethnicity for Occupational therapists is White.

Gender and Age

Metric

The workforce of Occupational therapists in 2024 was 148,685 people, with 88.6% woman, and 11.4% men.

The age ranges that concentrated the largest workforce were 30 to 34 years (28,884 people), 25 to 29 years (28,780 people), and 35 to 39 years (19,487 people). Among them they concentrated 51.9% of the total workforce.

Ethnicity

Gender

In 2024, 6.59% of Occupational therapists workers were Hispanic and 93.4% non-Hispanic.

The treemap shows the distribution of Hispanic workers according to their origin, highlighting Mexican (36.9%), Puerto Rican (22.9)%, and Cuban (8.6)%

You can review this information by gender using the selectors above.

Races

In 2024, 79.5% of the Occupational therapists workforce were White, of which 89.9% were women and 10.1% men. Other races that concentrated a significant number of workers were Asian (7.38%) and Two or More Races (6.23%).

Education & Skills

Data on higher education choices for Occupational therapists from The Department of Education and Census Bureau. The most common major for Occupational therapists is Health but the most specialized major according to RCA in 2024 were Health.

Among the necessary skills for Occupational therapists, Active Listening stands, but the revealed comparative advantage (RCA) shows that Occupational therapists need more than the average amount of Instructing.

Majors

ACS PUMS data only shows the major for bachelor's degrees. However, we can filter the data based on highest degree obtained.

Type of Majors

Degree

The most common majors achieved by Occupational therapists in 2024 (counting all academic degrees) were Health (72,254 people), Psychology (16,627 people), and Biology (9,122 people).

You can review this information for different academic grades by modifying the option selected in the selector above.

Education Levels

Metric

The main educational levels achieved by the Occupational therapists workers were Graduate Degree (97,783 people), Bachelors Degree (42,502 people), and Associates Degree (4,924 people).

The graphic shows the Occupational therapists workforce by gender and educational level.

Skills

Chart

Value

Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for Occupational therapists from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational therapists need many skills, but most especially Active Listening, Speaking, Reading Comprehension.

Projections

Projections on job growth for Occupational Therapists from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The 10-year national workforce is projected to grow 3.07%, but Occupational Therapists are expected to see a growth of 13.8% over the same period. This occupation is expected to grow more than the national average.

Job Growth

13.8%

Estimated Job Growth

10-year Projection

3.07%

National Growth

10-year Projection

This line chart shows the projected 10-year growth in the number of jobs for Occupational therapists. This profession is expected to grow more than than 3.07%, the average rate of national job growth.