Occupational therapists

Detailed Occupation

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2021 Workforce

125k

Average Age

40.8

Estimated Job Growth

15.8%

10-year projection

Average Salary

$67,418

Average Male Salary

$83,937

Average Female Salary

$65,224

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 $67,418 in 2021.

The locations that employ the most Occupational therapists are Orangetown, Clarkstown (South) & Ramapo (Southeast) Towns PUMA, NY, Penobscot County PUMA, ME, and Strafford, Rockingham (Northern) & Carroll (Southeastern) Counties PUMA, NH. The locations with a relatively high concentration of Occupational therapists are Orangetown, Clarkstown (South) & Ramapo (Southeast) Towns PUMA, NY, Shreveport City (South) PUMA, LA, and Steuben (North & West), Schuyler & Chemung (North) Counties 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 2021 was 125,013 people, of which 88.3% were women and 11.7% were men. Occupational therapists are paid most in Carbon & Lehigh (North) Counties PUMA, PA but are relatively concentrated in Orangetown, Clarkstown (South) & Ramapo (Southeast) Towns PUMA, NY.

Employment Over Time

Metric

Grouping

14,657

Male Workforce

± 2.97k

110,356

Female Workforce

± 8.15k

The Occupational therapists workforce in 2021 was 125,013 people (88.3% women and 11.7% men). This implies an average annual growth of 35.8% between 2014 (92,044) and 2021 (125,013).

Employment by Location

Level

Metric

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

During 2021, the states that concentrated the best average annual wage were Nevada ($81,018), Utah ($78,651), and South Dakota ($76,648).

Yearly Wage Ranking

$67,418

AVERAGE WAGE

#164 in the ranking (2021)

$59,596

NATIONAL AVERAGE WAGE

For all occupations across the US

In 2021, Occupational therapists earned an average of $67,418, $7,823 more than the average national salary of $59,596

The graph shows the ranking of Occupational therapists in relation to all Detailed Occupation in 2021.

Wage Distribution

Gender

0.249

WAGE GINI

In 2021, Occupational therapists had a wage GINI coefficient of 0.249, which is lower than the national average of 0.478. 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 ($76,434).

Occupations by Industries

Metric

Value

125k

2021 Workforce

± 8,677

4.82%

1 YEAR GROWTH

± 9.48%

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 41.5%, followed by Outpatient care centers with 33.7% and Elementary & secondary schools with 24.8%.

Diversity

Demographic information on Occupational therapists in the US. The workforce of Occupational therapists in 2021 was 125,013 people, with 88.3% woman, and 11.7% men. The average age of male Occupational therapists in the workforce is 41.4 and of female Occupational therapists is 40.7, and the most common race/ethnicity for Occupational therapists is White.

Gender and Age

Metric

The workforce of Occupational therapists in 2021 was 125,013 people, with 88.3% woman, and 11.7% men.

The age ranges that concentrated the largest workforce were 30 to 34 years (22,301 people), 25 to 29 years (21,551 people), and 35 to 39 years (17,685 people). Among them they concentrated 49.4% of the total workforce.

Ethnicity

Gender

In 2021, 5.54% of Occupational therapists workers were Hispanic and 94.5% non-Hispanic.

The treemap shows the distribution of Hispanic workers according to their origin, highlighting Mexican (57%), Puerto Rican (28.2)%, and Colombian (14.9)%

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

Races

In 2021, 82.4% of the Occupational therapists workforce were White, of which 89.4% were women and 10.6% men. Other races that concentrated a significant number of workers were Asian (6.93%) and Black (5.4%).

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 2021 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 Technology Design.

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 2021 (counting all academic degrees) were Health (62,443 people), Psychology (14,296 people), and Biology (6,342 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 (75,893 people), Bachelors Degree (41,165 people), and Associates Degree (5,679 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, Monitoring, Speaking.

Projections

Projections on job growth for Occupational Therapists from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The 10-year national workforce is projected to grow 3.71%, but Occupational Therapists are expected to see a growth of 15.8% over the same period. This occupation is expected to grow more than the national average.

Job Growth

15.8%

Estimated Job Growth

10-year Projection

3.71%

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 3.71%, the average rate of national job growth.