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The national median salary for Occupational Therapists is $98,342 per year ($47.28/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2024. The middle 50% of earners make between $80,496 and $110,469 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $129,834 per year. There are approximately 152,280 occupational therapists employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
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.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+13.8%
Much faster than average
Annual openings
10K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
160K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
22% from new growth78% from people leaving the role
Mixed: openings come from both new growth and people exiting the role.
Typical entry requirements
Education
Master's degree
Experience
None
On-the-job training
None
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Offices of Other Health Practitioners
NAICS 621300
44K
$96,090
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
NAICS 622100
34K
$100,860
Elementary and Secondary Schools
NAICS 611100
19K
$83,450
Home Health Care Services
NAICS 621600
13K
$103,010
Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities)
NAICS 623100
11K
$103,210
Wage range across top 5 industries: $83,450 to $103,210 (24% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$32.25
$67,080
P25
$38.70
$80,496
P50MEDIAN
$47.28
$98,342
P75
$53.11
$110,469
P90
$62.42
$129,834
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · health sector
Hot
Openings Rate
5.4%
Quits Rate
1.9%
Health Care & Social Assistance openings rebounded to 1.36M (+87K) in March with rate at 5.4%. Hires rose to 700K (+75K). The sector remains structurally tight; compensation pressure persists for clinical roles.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average occupational therapists salary?
The national median salary for Occupational Therapists is $98,342 per year ($47.28/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2024 data. The middle 50% earn between $80,496 and $110,469 annually.
How much do top-earning occupational therapists make?
The 90th percentile salary for Occupational Therapists is $129,834 per year ($62.42/hr). The 75th percentile is $110,469 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for occupational therapists?
Entry-level Occupational Therapists (10th percentile) earn approximately $67,080 per year ($32.25/hr). The 25th percentile is $80,496 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2024 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
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