Occupational therapists

Detailed Occupation

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2023 Workforce

143k

Average Age

40.6

Estimated Job Growth

11.2%

10-year projection

Average Salary

$73,367

Average Male Salary

$94,833

Average Female Salary

$70,738

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 $73,367 in 2023.

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

Photo by Robert Bejil

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

Employment and salary information for the Occupational therapists workforce. Occupational therapists workforce in 2023 was 143,151 people, of which 89.1% were women and 10.9% were men. Occupational therapists are paid most in Sandusky, Ottawa & Lucas (East) Counties--Oregon City PUMA, OH but are relatively concentrated in White, Lonoke & Woodruff Counties PUMA, AR.

Employment Over Time

Metric

Grouping

15,624

Male Workforce

± 3.07k

127,527

Female Workforce

± 8.76k

The Occupational therapists workforce in 2023 was 143,151 people (89.1% women and 10.9% men). This implies an average annual growth of 54.6% between 2014 (92,610) and 2023 (143,151).

Employment by Location

Level

Metric

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

During 2023, the states with the highest specialization for Occupational therapists (based on the RCA) were New Hampshire (2.4), Maine (2.06), and Vermont (1.57).

Yearly Wage Ranking

$73,367

AVERAGE WAGE

#171 in the ranking (2023)

$67,727

NATIONAL AVERAGE WAGE

For all occupations across the US

In 2023, Occupational therapists earned an average of $73,367, $5,640 more than the average national salary of $67,727

The graph shows the ranking of Occupational therapists in relation to all Detailed Occupation in 2023.

Wage Distribution

Gender

0.257

WAGE GINI

In 2023, Occupational therapists had a wage GINI coefficient of 0.257, which is lower than the national average of 0.476. 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 ($91,609).

Occupations by Industries

Metric

Value

143k

2023 Workforce

± 9,285

7.11%

1 YEAR GROWTH

± 8.71%

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 36.2%, followed by Outpatient care centers with 32.9% and Elementary & secondary schools with 20.9%.

Diversity

Demographic information on Occupational therapists in the US. The workforce of Occupational therapists in 2023 was 143,151 people, with 89.1% woman, and 10.9% men. The average age of male Occupational therapists in the workforce is 41.5 and of female Occupational therapists is 40.4, and the most common race/ethnicity for Occupational therapists is White.

Gender and Age

Metric

The workforce of Occupational therapists in 2023 was 143,151 people, with 89.1% woman, and 10.9% men.

The age ranges that concentrated the largest workforce were 25 to 29 years (27,598 people), 30 to 34 years (25,867 people), and 35 to 39 years (18,824 people). Among them they concentrated 50.6% of the total workforce.

Ethnicity

Gender

In 2023, 6.53% of Occupational therapists workers were Hispanic and 93.5% non-Hispanic.

The treemap shows the distribution of Hispanic workers according to their origin, highlighting Mexican (36.5%), Puerto Rican (24.1)%, and Cuban (9.38)%

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

Races

In 2023, 80.7% of the Occupational therapists workforce were White, of which 90.4% were women and 9.59% men. Other races that concentrated a significant number of workers were Asian (7.19%) and Two or More Races (5.28%).

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 2023 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 2023 (counting all academic degrees) were Health (69,872 people), Psychology (16,162 people), and Biology (8,330 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 (92,480 people), Bachelors Degree (42,155 people), and Associates Degree (5,449 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 4.02%, but Occupational Therapists are expected to see a growth of 11.2% over the same period. This occupation is expected to grow more than the national average.

Job Growth

11.2%

Estimated Job Growth

10-year Projection

4.02%

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 4.02%, the average rate of national job growth.