Occupations · Healthcare Practitioners and Technical

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.

O*NET 30.3 Database (USDOL/ETA) · occupation code 29-1122.00

$98,340median annual wage, May 2024

152,280people employed, United States

▲ 13.8%projected change, 2024→2034

10,200openings a year, incl. replacements

What it pays

A single “average salary” hides the spread. This is the whole distribution — the gap between the bottom and top bar is usually the number that matters.

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 · national, cross-industry · annual wage

Pay over time

Median up 87% between 2003 and 2024, before inflation. The band shows the 10th to 90th percentile.

BLS OEWS, one release per year. Before May 2011 only national estimates were published, so geography detail starts there.

Where the jobs are

Metro area	Median wage	Employed
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA	$102,750	9,630
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI	$100,940	5,890
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH	$98,790	4,650
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	$115,380	4,500
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD	$100,910	3,350
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX	$102,140	3,160
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX	$101,050	2,610
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL	$99,670	2,310
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA	$104,120	2,260
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV	$105,010	2,250
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI	$85,570	2,240
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI	$86,310	2,240

BLS OEWS May 2024, metropolitan estimates · the 12 areas with the most people in this occupation

Typical education to enter: Master's degree · BLS Employment Projections 2024–34

What people in this job actually do

Ordered by how important the work is rated.

Test and evaluate patients' physical and mental abilities and analyze medical data to determine realistic rehabilitation goals for patients.
Complete and maintain necessary records.
Plan, organize, and conduct occupational therapy programs in hospital, institutional, or community settings to help rehabilitate persons with disabilities because of illness, injury or psychological or developmental problems.
Plan and implement programs and social activities to help patients learn work or school skills and adjust to handicaps.
Train caregivers in providing for the needs of a patient during and after therapy.
Select activities that will help individuals learn work and life-management skills within limits of their mental or physical capabilities.
Evaluate patients' progress and prepare reports that detail progress.
Lay out materials such as puzzles, scissors and eating utensils for use in therapy, and clean and repair these tools after therapy sessions.
Consult with rehabilitation team to select activity programs or coordinate occupational therapy with other therapeutic activities.
Design and create, or requisition, special supplies and equipment, such as splints, braces, and computer-aided adaptive equipment.
Recommend changes in patients' work or living environments, consistent with their needs and capabilities.
Provide training and supervision in therapy techniques and objectives for students or nurses and other medical staff.

O*NET 30.3 task ratings, importance scale

Skills that matter most

Importance, rated 1 to 5.

Active Listening4.1

Monitoring4.1

Critical Thinking4.0

Reading Comprehension4.0

Writing4.0

Speaking4.0

Learning Strategies3.9

Active Learning3.9

Science2.8

Mathematics2.0

O*NET 30.3 skills, importance scale

Software and tools

A dot marks what O*NET flags as in demand.

Facebook●Microsoft Excel●Microsoft Office software●Microsoft Word●eClinicalWorks EHR software●Bizmatics PrognoCIS EMRCasamba SmartComputer drawing softwareCrick Software Clicker 4Duxbury Braille TranslatorEmail softwareFifth Walk BillingTrackerFileMaker ProHMSLanguage arts educational softwareLexrotech LxPediatricMath educational softwareMayer-Johnson BoardmakerMusic softwareOpenOffice WRITERPhysical education educational softwareRehab Documentation Company ReDoc SuiteScience educational softwareScreen magnification softwareScreen reader softwareSocial studies educational softwareSpecial education educational softwareSpeech recognition software

O*NET 30.3 software skills · hot-technology flag

What this work is actually like

Conditions rated against the average across all occupations — only what makes this job different is listed.

5 / 5Extensive preparation — graduate school, and often a licence on top.

O*NET 30.3 Job Zones

Working conditions that stand out

Exposed to Disease or Infections+2.4 above average

Exposed to Contaminants−1.1 below average

Physical Proximity+1.0 above average

Exposed to Hazardous Conditions−1.0 below average

Spend Time Making Repetitive Motions−1.0 below average

Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment−0.9 below average

Degree of Automation−0.9 below average

O*NET 30.3 work context, frequency scale · observed 2021-08

How people actually get in

Share of workers by the education they hold.

Master's Degree86%

Bachelor's Degree14%

O*NET 30.2 education, training and experience · observed 2021-08

What kind of person the work suits

Occupational interest profile, rated 1 to 7.

Social6.1

Investigative4.2

Realistic3.6

O*NET 30.2 occupational interests (RIASEC)

Tasks O*NET flags as emerging

Recommend adaptive equipment to individuals to increase independence in daily living activities.

O*NET 30.3 emerging tasks

What you take with you

Skills rated for how well they transfer into other occupations.

Service Orientation4.1

Social Perceptiveness4.0

Instructing4.0

Judgment and Decision Making4.0

Time Management3.8

Coordination3.8

Complex Problem Solving3.2

Systems Analysis3.1

O*NET 30.3 transferable skills, importance scale

Knowledge the work draws on

Therapy and CounselingPsychologyCustomer and Personal ServiceMedicine and DentistryEnglish LanguageEducation and Training

Abilities it leans on

Oral ExpressionProblem SensitivityInductive ReasoningWritten ExpressionDeductive ReasoningSpeech Clarity

O*NET 30.3 abilities and knowledge, importance scale

How this job is advertised

The same work is posted under many titles — this is what to search for.

Job TrainerVocational TrainerIndustrial TherapistRehabilitation EngineerOccupational Therapist (OT)Assistive Technology TrainerIndependent Living SpecialistCertified Hand Therapist (CHT)Home Health Occupational TherapistIndustrial Rehabilitation ConsultantVocational Rehabilitation SpecialistRegistered Occupational Therapist (OTR)School Occupational Therapist (School OT)Travel Occupational Therapist (Travel OT)

O*NET 30.3 job titles reported for this occupation

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What changed since 2015

Comparing O*NET release 20.1 (2015-10-01) with 30.3 (2026-05-01). Signs, not colour alone, carry the meaning. 2 entries that were only relabelled between releases are left out.

Now listed 5

+Mayer-Johnson Boardmaker+Fifth Walk BillingTracker+Bizmatics PrognoCIS EMR+Facebook+eClinicalWorks EHR software

No longer listed 5

−Word processing software−BillingTracker software−Spreadsheet software−Boardmaker Software−Internet browser software

Diff across the O*NET releases held here in full since October 2015, following occupations through merges and retirements. O*NET re-surveys occupations on a rolling cycle, so “no change” can also mean “not re-surveyed”.

O*NET 30.3 related occupations

Also called

Job TrainerStaff TherapistVocational TrainerIndustrial TherapistRehabilitation EngineerRehabilitation SupervisorOccupational Therapist (OT)Assistive Technology TrainerStaff Occupational TherapistIndependent Living SpecialistCertified Hand Therapist (CHT)Pediatric Occupational Therapist

O*NET 30.3 alternative titles

The same work in Europe

ESCO occupation	ISCO	Match
occupational therapist	2269.4	exact
occupational therapy assistant	2269.5	broader

Official ESCO ↔ O*NET crosswalk (ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA)

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