Occupational Therapist salary: $55.00/hr$2,200/wk$114,400/yr median.
Pay range $47.00$1,880$97,760–$65.00/hr$2,600/wk$135,200/yr across the middle 50% of active Occupational Therapy Allied Health Professional postings nationwide.
2,156 unique employers · 2,292 cities · 55 states. Pay moved +2.9% over the last 30 days.
How Occupational Therapist pay is distributed.
10% of postings pay under $42.50/hr$1,700/wk$88,400/yr. The top 10% pay above $77.03/hr$3,081/wk$160,222/yr.
How Occupational Therapist pay has moved month over month.
Median pay moved from $54.00 in May 2026 to $54.50 in Oct 2026 (+0.9%). Bars show monthly posting volume; the line tracks the posting-weighted median.
| Month | Median /hr/wk/yr | P25–P75 | Postings |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2026 | $54.00$2,160$112,320 | $46.75$1,870$97,240–$62.50$2,500$130,000 | 2,335 |
| Jun 2026 | $55.00$2,200$114,400 | $46.80$1,872$97,344–$65.00$2,600$135,200 | 2,766 |
| Jul 2026 | $69.00$2,760$143,520 | $51.00$2,040$106,080–$75.27$3,011$156,562 | 543 |
| Aug 2026 | $57.50$2,300$119,600 | $47.50$1,900$98,800–$73.50$2,940$152,880 | 546 |
| Sep 2026 | $52.50$2,100$109,200 | $46.50$1,860$96,720–$62.50$2,500$130,000 | 878 |
| Oct 2026 | $54.50$2,180$113,360 | $47.00$1,880$97,760–$63.50$2,540$132,080 | 1,099 |
Occupational Therapist pay across every state with live data.
Showing all 51 states with live data. Bars scale to the highest-paying state.
The metros writing the biggest Occupational Therapist paychecks.
| City | State | Median /hr/wk/yr | P25–P75 | Postings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ca | US · US | $90.00$3,600$187,200 | $72.25$2,890$150,280–$90.00$3,600$187,200 | 15 |
| salinas | CA · CALIFORNIA | $82.30$3,292$171,184 | $75.00$3,000$156,000–$87.62$3,505$182,250 | 59 |
| havre | MT · MONTANA | $81.00$3,240$168,480 | $77.06$3,082$160,285–$82.71$3,308$172,037 | 31 |
| fort dodge | IA · IOWA | $78.18$3,127$162,614 | $75.00$3,000$156,000–$81.00$3,240$168,480 | 37 |
| syracuse | NY · NEW YORK | $77.85$3,114$161,928 | $72.66$2,906$151,133–$80.33$3,213$167,086 | 18 |
CITY PAY DATA
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Where the top of the market is paying for Occupational Therapist.
| Employer | Median /hr/wk/yr | Range | Postings |
|---|---|---|---|
| A List Therapy Group | $97.50$3,900$202,800 | $97.50$3,900$202,800–$105.00$4,200$218,400 | 7 |
| Abilities Pediatric Physical Therapy | $102.50$4,100$213,200 | $67.50$2,700$140,400–$125.00$5,000$260,000 | 5 |
| Gold Standard Therapy Solutions | $107.50$4,300$223,600 | $105.00$4,200$218,400–$120.00$4,800$249,600 | 8 |
| Human Touch Home Healthcare | $107.50$4,300$223,600 | $67.50$2,700$140,400–$107.50$4,300$223,600 | 14 |
| Independence Health Contractors, LLC | $155.00$6,200$322,400 | $155.00$6,200$322,400–$155.00$6,200$322,400 | 6 |
| Omni Therapy | $100.00$4,000$208,000 | $95.00$3,800$197,600–$110.00$4,400$228,800 | 11 |
| Optimal Home Care | $98.75$3,950$205,400 | $97.50$3,900$202,800–$100.00$4,000$208,000 | 6 |
| Pivot Home Health | $105.00$4,200$218,400 | $100.00$4,000$208,000–$105.00$4,200$218,400 | 5 |
| PLOV Solutions | $97.50$3,900$202,800 | $97.50$3,900$202,800–$97.50$3,900$202,800 | 8 |
| Sobe Innovative Rehab | $97.50$3,900$202,800 | $56.50$2,260$117,520–$105.00$4,200$218,400 | 10 |
Showing all 10 employers with live pay data.
How Occupational Therapist pay shifts by schedule and contract type.
Travel Contract pays the most at $75.00/hr$3,000/wk$156,000/yr median — 61% above Staff at $46.50/hr$1,860/wk$96,720/yr. Fulltime drives the volume with 3,783 active postings.
How to become a Occupational Therapist.
Occupational Therapists help patients develop, recover, or maintain daily living and work skills after injury, illness, or disability.
OTs complete a bachelor's degree, then a master's or doctoral OT program accredited by ACOTE. Programs include extensive fieldwork. After graduation, must pass NBCOT exam for licensure.
| Degree | Duration | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Master of Occupational TherapyMOT/MSOT | 2-3 years post-bachelor's | Entry-level professional degree. Required minimum for OT licensure. Most common pathway. |
| Doctor of Occupational TherapyOTD | 3-4 years post-bachelor's | Entry-level doctorate becoming more common. May offer clinical advantages and leadership preparation. |
| Post-Professional OTDPPOTD | 1-2 years post-master's | Advanced degree for practicing OTs with master's degrees seeking doctoral credentials. |
State license required in all 50 states. Requirements vary but typically include NBCOT certification.
National certification required for initial licensure. Must pass OTR exam.
CPR certification required for most clinical positions.
| Credential | Issued by | Pay impact |
|---|---|---|
| CHT Certified Hand Therapist Premier certification for hand and upper extremity therapy. Requires 4,000 hours of hand therapy experience. | HTCC | +10-20% |
| BCPR Board Certification in Physical Rehabilitation Specialty certification for OTs in physical rehabilitation settings. | AOTA | +5-10% |
| BCP Board Certification in Pediatrics Specialty certification validating pediatric OT expertise. | AOTA | +5-10% |
| CAPS Certified Aging in Place Specialist Credential for OTs specializing in home modifications for aging adults. | NAHB | +3-8% |
| SIPT Certified Sensory Integration and Praxis Tests Certification Required to administer SIPT. Valuable for pediatric sensory integration practice. | WPS | +5-10% |
- 0-3 yearsStaff Occupational Therapist
Entry-level OT developing clinical skills. Often rotates through various settings or populations.
- 3-7 yearsSenior Occupational Therapist
Experienced clinician with developing specialty expertise. May mentor fieldwork students.
- 5-10 yearsSpecialty OT (Hand Therapy, Pediatrics, etc.)
Expert-level practice in specialty area. Often board certified (CHT, BCP, etc.).
- 7-12 yearsRehab Manager / OT Lead
Supervises OT staff, coordinates services, manages productivity and quality metrics.
- 12+ yearsDirector of Rehabilitation
Oversees OT, PT, and SLP services. Strategic leadership role with budget responsibility.
- 10+ yearsOT Educator / Program Director
Academic role teaching in OT programs. OTD or PhD often required.
Schedule. Typically Monday-Friday, 8-hour days in outpatient and schools. Acute care and SNFs may require weekend coverage. Home health offers flexible scheduling.
Physical demands. Moderate physical demands. Demonstrating activities, assisting with transfers, and positioning patients. Less physically demanding than PT but still active.
OT is among the fastest-growing healthcare professions. Aging population and expanded pediatric services drive demand. Travel OT positions pay $1,800-2,500+/week.
What clinicians ask about Occupational Therapist pay.
What is the average Occupational Therapist salary in 2026?
The median Occupational Therapist salary is $55.00/hr (approximately $114,400/yr) based on 8,847 active job postings.
What is the pay range for Occupational Therapist?
Hourly pay ranges from $47.00 at the 25th percentile to $65.00 at the 75th percentile, with the top 10% earning above $77.03/hr.
Which state pays Occupational Therapist roles the most?
Montana currently leads with a median of $75.63/hr across 135 postings.
How many employers are hiring Occupational Therapists?
Our dataset shows 2,156 unique employers posting Occupational Therapist roles across 55 states.
Where does TrueRounds get Occupational Therapist salary data?
All salary figures are computed from active US healthcare job postings with listed pay ranges, collected over a rolling 6-month window and weighted by posting volume.
Explore other Allied Health Professional tracks.
Occupational Therapist sits inside the Occupational Therapy track. Here are sibling tracks across Allied Health Professional — same category, different clinical focus and pay envelope.
Active US healthcare postings. Weighted by volume. Refreshed daily.
Pay benchmarks are computed from active job postings with listed pay ranges, collected on a rolling 6-month window. Each role's percentiles are weighted by posting volume so a metro with two postings doesn't outweigh a metro with two hundred. Outliers (postings priced more than 4× the role median) are dropped to avoid contract-line distortion.
Use the data, then push back.
Bring these numbers into your next contract conversation. Recruiters know what the market pays — now you do too.