The average salary for a occupational therapist in the United States is $96,790, but the range typically falls between $79,290 and $109,480. This corresponds to an average hourly wage of $46.54, with a range between $38.12 and $52.64.
There are approximately 144,840 people employed as a occupational therapist in the United States. With California, Texas, New York employing the highest number of occupational therapists.The state with the best pay for a occupational therapist is California, with an average annual salary of $113,550, while North Dakota has the lowest average annual salary of $82,450.
| Annual Salary | Hourly Wage | |
|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile | $65,210 | $31.35 |
| 25th Percentile | $79,290 | $38.12 |
| Median | $96,370 | $46.33 |
| 75th Percentile | $109,480 | $52.64 |
| 90th Percentile | $129,620 | $62.32 |
The salary of a occupational therapist can vary depending on the state. Below is a map of the United States showing the average annual salary for a occupational therapist in each state. The darker the color, the higher the salary. The best states for occupational therapists are California, New Jersey, Alaska, Oregon, Colorado while the worst states are North Dakota, Maine, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Kentucky.
| State | Low-end | Average | High-end |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $69,240 | $94,680 | $123,690 |
| Alaska | $45,210 | $98,960 | $139,430 |
| Arizona | $51,710 | $93,600 | $122,110 |
| Arkansas | $59,650 | $92,680 | $127,910 |
| California | $79,900 | $113,550 | $148,760 |
| Colorado | $78,990 | $104,950 | $140,230 |
| Connecticut | $63,000 | $96,220 | $128,500 |
| Delaware | $60,710 | $94,180 | $125,800 |
| District of Columbia | $72,010 | $100,430 | $129,840 |
| Florida | $66,640 | $92,820 | $111,740 |
| Georgia | $69,140 | $98,490 | $124,120 |
| Hawaii | $75,980 | $99,490 | $112,960 |
| Idaho | $61,790 | $89,550 | $114,160 |
| Illinois | $66,340 | $96,160 | $130,060 |
| Indiana | $61,940 | $88,700 | $111,720 |
| Iowa | $64,470 | $85,790 | $109,220 |
| Kansas | $61,940 | $92,510 | $120,910 |
| Kentucky | $65,730 | $86,860 | $110,700 |
| Louisiana | $61,370 | $93,110 | $124,800 |
| Maine | $62,240 | $80,590 | $100,480 |
| Maryland | $72,620 | $101,710 | $128,160 |
| Massachusetts | $63,530 | $94,340 | $119,250 |
| Michigan | $60,030 | $84,560 | $102,600 |
| Minnesota | $64,160 | $85,840 | $101,520 |
| Mississippi | $65,780 | $90,510 | $113,800 |
| Missouri | $64,820 | $87,970 | $107,770 |
| Montana | $68,470 | $87,380 | $107,790 |
| Nebraska | $67,920 | $87,710 | $106,870 |
| Nevada | $65,690 | $107,070 | $148,310 |
| New Hampshire | $61,630 | $87,690 | $112,930 |
| New Jersey | $60,530 | $105,880 | $148,140 |
| New Mexico | $64,440 | $100,740 | $138,940 |
| New York | $64,170 | $107,530 | $158,080 |
| North Carolina | $61,810 | $88,510 | $112,170 |
| North Dakota | $66,940 | $82,450 | $103,010 |
| Ohio | $54,580 | $89,490 | $121,620 |
| Oklahoma | $67,790 | $97,850 | $125,500 |
| Oregon | $79,600 | $100,910 | $120,990 |
| Pennsylvania | $66,540 | $92,870 | $123,540 |
| Rhode Island | $70,590 | $95,660 | $119,930 |
| South Carolina | $59,340 | $88,520 | $113,370 |
| South Dakota | $66,080 | $81,610 | $98,730 |
| Tennessee | $70,810 | $92,710 | $115,080 |
| Texas | $72,120 | $101,610 | $132,460 |
| Utah | $48,880 | $85,750 | $110,560 |
| Vermont | $64,650 | $86,370 | $107,430 |
| Virginia | $73,770 | $102,550 | $135,240 |
| Washington | $78,630 | $101,780 | $128,720 |
| West Virginia | $49,360 | $87,460 | $122,560 |
| Wisconsin | $63,130 | $85,030 | $103,870 |
| Wyoming | $63,720 | $84,690 | $110,560 |
Even between cities, the salary of a occupational therapist can vary. For example, the areas with the highest average salary for occupational therapists is San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara area, CA with an average salary of $134,140.The city with the lowest average salary for occupational therapists is Northern Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area, PA with an average salary of $71,530.
Areas with highest average salaries for occupational therapists
Areas with lowest average salaries for occupational therapists
The number of occupational therapists in the United States has been increasing over the years. Since 2020, the number of occupational therapists has increased by 18,230. On average, the number of occupational therapists has been increasing by 3.6% each year. The salary of occupational therapists has been increasing. Since 2020, the salary of occupational therapists has increased by $9,310. On average, the salary of occupational therapists has been increasing by 2.7% each year.
Occupational Therapists are part of the healthcare practitioners and technical occupations group. Below is a comparison of the average annual salary for occupational therapists compared to other jobs in the same occupation group. View all healthcare practitioners and technical occupations jobs here.
$123,840 per year
$278,660 per year
$271,470 per year
$86,600 per year
$62,870 per year
$245,450 per year
