2021 Occupational Therapists Salary Guide

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.

Occupational Therapists Salary

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Salary

$85K

Growth

16%

Bright Outlook

Bright

Green

Occupational Therapists Job Description

Also known as:

Assistive Technology Trainer, Early Intervention Occupational Therapist, Industrial Rehabilitation Consultant, Occupational Therapist (OT), Pediatric Occupational Therapist, Registered Occupational Therapist, Staff Occupational Therapist, Staff Therapist

How Much Do Occupational Therapists Make ? 2021

Percentile	10%	25%	50% (Median)	75%	90%
Annual Wage	$56,800	$69,710	$84,950	$101,590	$121,490
Hourly Wage	$27.31	$33.51	$40.84	$48.84	$58.41

How Much Do Occupational Therapists Make ? 2021

Percentile

10%

25%

50% (Median)

75%

90%

Annual Wage

$56,800

$69,710

$84,950

$101,590

$121,490

Hourly Wage

$27.31

$33.51

$40.84

$48.84

$58.41

Occupational Therapists Tasks

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

What Activities Do Occupational Therapists Do?

Record patient medical histories.
Analyze patient data to determine patient needs or treatment goals.
Evaluate patient functioning, capabilities, or health.
Train caregivers or other non-medical personnel.
Monitor patient progress or responses to treatments.
Prepare reports summarizing patient diagnostic or care activities.
Design public or employee health programs.
Direct healthcare delivery programs.
Develop treatment plans that use non-medical therapies.
Provide health and wellness advice to patients, program participants, or caregivers.
Design medical devices or appliances.
Fabricate medical devices.
Design public or employee health programs.
Collaborate with healthcare professionals to plan or provide treatment.
Prepare medical supplies or equipment for use.
Clean medical equipment or facilities.
Develop treatment plans that use non-medical therapies.
Train medical providers.
Supervise patient care personnel.
Conduct research to increase knowledge about medical issues.
Advise communities or institutions regarding health or safety issues.
Encourage patients or clients to develop life skills.

Typical Occupational Therapists Knowledge?

Therapy and Counseling - Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
Psychology - Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
Medicine and Dentistry - Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Sociology and Anthropology - Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.
Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

What Are Typical Occupational Therapists Abilities?

Problem Sensitivity - Noticing when problems happen.
Speech Clarity - Speaking clearly.
Deductive Reasoning - Using rules to solve problems.
Oral Expression - Communicating by speaking.
Oral Comprehension - Listening and understanding what people say.
Inductive Reasoning - Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.
Speech Recognition - Recognizing spoken words.
Written Comprehension - Reading and understanding what is written.
Information Ordering - Ordering or arranging things.
Written Expression - Communicating by writing.
Fluency of Ideas - Coming up with lots of ideas.
Originality - Creating new and original ideas.

What Are Typical Occupational Therapists Skills? 2021

Monitoring - Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
Service Orientation - Looking for ways to help people.
Judgment and Decision Making - Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.
Critical Thinking - Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
Reading Comprehension - Reading work-related information.
Social Perceptiveness - Understanding people's reactions.
Speaking - Talking to others.
Active Listening - Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
Writing - Writing things for co-workers or customers.
Active Learning - Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.
Time Management - Managing your time and the time of other people.
Instructing - Teaching people how to do something.
Coordination - Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
Learning Strategies - Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.
Complex Problem Solving - Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
Operations Analysis - Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.
Persuasion - Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.

What Are Typical Occupational Therapists Interests?

Social - Occupations with Social interests frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. Most involve helping or providing service to others.
Investigative - Occupations with Investigative interests frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. They often involve research and figuring out problems mentally.

What Is The Projected Employment For Occupational Therapists ? 2021

Location	2019 Employment	2029 Employment	Percent change	Annual projected job openings
United States	143,300	166,000	16%	10,300

What Is The Projected Employment For Occupational Therapists ? 2021

Location

2019 Employment

2029 Employment

Percent change

Annual projected job openings

United States

143,300

166,000

16%

10,300

What Is The Required Occupational Therapists Education & Experience? 2021

Master's degree
No work experience
No on-the-job training

Occupational Therapists Schools ?

School	Program Name	Location	Length / Graduates
A T Still University of Health Sciences	Occupational Therapy/Therapist	Kirksville, MO	More than 4 years: 23 More than 4 years: 36
Abilene Christian University	Occupational Therapy/Therapist	Abilene, TX	More than 4 years: 25
AdventHealth University	Occupational Therapy/Therapist	Orlando, FL	More than 4 years: 29
Alabama State University	Occupational Therapy/Therapist	Montgomery, AL	More than 4 years: 23
Allen College	Occupational Therapy/Therapist	Waterloo, IA	More than 4 years: 18
Alpena Community College	Occupational Therapy/Therapist	Alpena, MI	2 years: 0
Alvernia University	Occupational Therapy/Therapist	Reading, PA	More than 4 years: 60
Amarillo College	Occupational Therapy/Therapist	Amarillo, TX	2 years: 0
American International College	Occupational Therapy/Therapist	Springfield, MA	4 years: 9 More than 4 years: 36 More than 4 years: 4
Arkansas State University-Main Campus	Occupational Therapy/Therapist	Jonesboro, AR	More than 4 years: 26

Occupational Therapists Schools ?

213 United States

School

Program Name

Location

Length / Graduates

A T Still University of Health Sciences