The median Occupational Therapist salary is $55.00 per hour, or $114,400 per year, based on 13,412 job postings across 104 states. Compare pay by location, employer, shift, and contract type.
$55.00
Median hourly
$114,400
Annual salary
$43-$78
Pay range
104
States tracked
Salary guide
A typical Occupational Therapist earns $55.00/hr, with most posted roles landing between $47.50 and $67.50/hr.
Recent posted pay is steady, with the last 30 days showing 0% movement versus the prior period.
Location matters: Juneau, ALASKA is currently among the highest-paying cities, while Pittsburgh, PENNSYLVANIA sits near the lower end.
30-day market pulse
Compare the most recent 30 days of job postings against the previous 30 days. Use this as a quick read on whether pay and hiring volume are moving together.
Posted pay
0%
Current median: $55.00/hr
Prior period: $55.00/hr
Job openings
-6.4%
2,889 recent postings
Previous period: 3,088 postings
Daily pay signal
$51.00/hr latest
Year-over-year
Building
We are collecting enough historical Occupational Therapist postings to show a reliable year-over-year pay comparison.
Pay is holding steady across recent listings at about $55.00/hr.
Pay range
The middle band is usually the most useful offer benchmark. The 10th and 90th percentiles show the broader market floor and ceiling.
Entry / low
$42.50
$88,400/yr
Median
$55.00
$114,400/yr
Top earners
$77.50
$161,200/yr
MARKET TRENDS
Month-over-month median hourly pay and posting volume.
| Month | Median Hourly | Postings |
|---|---|---|
Apr 2026Current | $55.00/hr | 2,744 |
Mar 2026 | $55.00/hr | 3,233 |
Feb 2026 | $56.00/hr | 1,567 |
Jan 2026 | $59.00/hr | 1,617 |
Dec 2025 | $53.50/hr | 2,833 |
Nov 2025 | $53.00/hr | 1,418 |
BY LOCATION
See how pay varies across the country. Ranked by job volume.
67 postings · 23 companies
$47.50
$43-$54
133 postings · 56 companies
$74.03
$59-$86
486 postings · 116 companies
$48.50
$47-$60
36 postings · 13 companies
$47.50
$47-$54
2,431 postings · 567 companies
$65.00
$58-$72
427 postings · 133 companies
$49.00
$47-$55
110 postings · 35 companies
$52.50
$46-$58
32 postings · 11 companies
$47.25
$45-$58
33 postings · 26 companies
$69.53
$52-$73
667 postings · 230 companies
$48.50
$45-$63
222 postings · 73 companies
$52.00
$46-$59
50 postings · 27 companies
$53.00
$49-$57
71 postings · 44 companies
$54.43
$46-$64
542 postings · 150 companies
$48.00
$45-$55
140 postings · 51 companies
$47.50
$45-$55
72 postings · 33 companies
$56.25
$45-$71
128 postings · 49 companies
$55.00
$48-$72
64 postings · 26 companies
$48.50
$46-$50
36 postings · 17 companies
$49.00
$48-$55
34 postings · 12 companies
$42.50
$40-$43
294 postings · 80 companies
$53.50
$47-$61
397 postings · 139 companies
$51.50
$46-$60
142 postings · 69 companies
$52.25
$45-$69
274 postings · 89 companies
$45.00
$41-$55
21 postings · 11 companies
$47.50
$45-$53
150 postings · 48 companies
$52.25
$47-$59
127 postings · 57 companies
$73.75
$55-$79
51 postings · 32 companies
$64.00
$46-$70
84 postings · 40 companies
$54.50
$51-$65
49 postings · 23 companies
$45.50
$43-$53
411 postings · 116 companies
$60.00
$48-$70
93 postings · 41 companies
$55.00
$48-$71
924 postings · 241 companies
$62.00
$49-$75
179 postings · 52 companies
$47.50
$44-$56
78 postings · 34 companies
$48.50
$43-$67
240 postings · 75 companies
$48.25
$44-$57
80 postings · 27 companies
$54.50
$48-$64
250 postings · 66 companies
$58.50
$53-$71
282 postings · 86 companies
$52.50
$45-$63
52 postings · 19 companies
$46.00
$44-$53
129 postings · 54 companies
$51.50
$45-$55
87 postings · 44 companies
$63.00
$48-$72
66 postings · 32 companies
$46.75
$43-$53
487 postings · 131 companies
$57.50
$48-$70
66 postings · 21 companies
$47.75
$44-$54
33 postings · 13 companies
$57.00
$48-$61
187 postings · 61 companies
$53.00
$48-$60
523 postings · 142 companies
$55.00
$52-$62
12 postings · 8 companies
$50.00
$47-$61
262 postings · 88 companies
$69.65
$47-$72
20 postings · 12 companies
$48.25
$45-$53
BY CITY
See which cities offer the highest and lowest Occupational Therapist salaries.
Juneau
Alaska · 23 postings
$107.05/hr
Quincy
California · 50 postings
$88.86/hr
Ca
Us · 21 postings
$85.00/hr
Thousand Oaks
California · 10 postings
$84.75/hr
Philadelphia
Pennsylvania · 40 postings
$81.25/hr
Pittsburgh
Pennsylvania · 13 postings
$40.00/hr
Buffalo
New York · 13 postings
$41.00/hr
Saint Paul
Minnesota · 11 postings
$41.50/hr
Cleveland
Ohio · 10 postings
$41.75/hr
Akron
Ohio · 10 postings
$41.75/hr
BY EMPLOYER
See which companies pay the most and least for Occupational Therapist positions.
Thrive By 5
5 postings
$175.00/hr
Tiny Transformations
6 postings
$150.00/hr
Tiny Steps Therapy, Llc
6 postings
$150.00/hr
Best Home Health & Hospice
17 postings
$125.00/hr
Chance To Advance
5 postings
$115.00/hr
Progressivehealth Rehabilitation, Inc
7 postings
$30.50/hr
Cleveland Clinic
6 postings
$33.75/hr
Presbyterian Homes & Services
12 postings
$33.75/hr
Ucp Of Central Florida
5 postings
$35.00/hr
Achieve Center
5 postings
$35.50/hr
RELATED POSITIONS
| Job Title | Postings | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Occupational Therapist | 4,267 | $55.00/hr |
| Home Health Occupational Therapist | 288 | $72.61/hr |
| Occupational Therapist Assistant | 144 | $34.50/hr |
| Home Health Occupational Therapist (ot) | 72 | $57.50/hr |
| Inpatient Occupational Therapist | 49 | $70.40/hr |
| Home Care Occupational Therapist- Per Diem | 45 | $75.00/hr |
| Licensed Occupational Therapist Ot - Care Coordination | 28 | $54.75/hr |
| Occupational Therapist Assistant (cota) | 27 | $41.50/hr |
| Licensed Occupational Therapist | 25 | $50.00/hr |
| Occupational Therapist - Acute Care | 25 | $51.00/hr |
EDUCATION & LICENSING
Occupational Therapists help patients develop, recover, or maintain daily living and work skills after injury, illness, or disability.
Minimum: Master's (MOT/MSOT)
MOT/MSOT
Master of Occupational Therapy
OTD
Doctor of Occupational Therapy
PPOTD
Post-Professional OTD
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.
State OT License
RequiredOccupational Therapist License
NBCOT Certification
RequiredNational Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy
BLS
RequiredBasic Life Support
Staff Occupational Therapist
0-3 years experience
Senior Occupational Therapist
3-7 years experience
Specialty OT (Hand Therapy, Pediatrics, etc.)
5-10 years experience
Rehab Manager / OT Lead
7-12 years experience
Director of Rehabilitation
12+ years experience
Certifications can significantly increase earning potential
CHT
+10-20%Certified Hand Therapist
BCPR
+5-10%Board Certification in Physical Rehabilitation
BCP
+5-10%Board Certification in Pediatrics
CAPS
+3-8%Certified Aging in Place Specialist
SIPT Certified
+5-10%Sensory Integration and Praxis Tests Certification
Job Outlook
Very Strong Growth (12% (2022-2032))
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.
PAY FACTORS
How shift type, contract length, and employment type impact Occupational Therapist salaries.
FAQ
The median Occupational Therapist salary is $55.00 per hour, or $114,400 annually. Pay ranges from $42.50/hr (10th percentile) to $77.50/hr (90th percentile) depending on location, experience, and employer.
Based on 13,412 job postings, the highest paying states for Occupational Therapists include Alaska, Montana, Wisconsin. Pay rates vary based on cost of living, demand, and state regulations.
There are currently 13,412 Occupational Therapist job postings across 104 states, from 2601 different healthcare employers.
Occupational Therapist pay varies based on geographic location, years of experience, certifications, shift differentials (nights/weekends), employment type (travel vs. staff), facility type, and specialized skills. Travel contracts typically pay higher hourly rates.
Occupational Therapist pay is currently stable. Over the past 30 days, median hourly rates remained stable.
Occupational Therapist pay varies by specialty and setting. Travel positions typically pay $12.50 to $22.50 more per hour than staff positions. Night shifts and weekend differentials also increase earnings.
Pay varies significantly by location. Top paying cities like Juneau offer $107.05/hr, while lower cost areas may pay around $40.00/hr. However, rural areas often offer signing bonuses and housing stipends to attract talent.
Entry-level Occupational Therapists typically earn around $42.50 to $47.50 per hour ($88,400 to $98,800 annually). With experience, pay increases toward the median of $55.00/hr.
DATA METHOD
Source
Based on 13,412 active postings with listed compensation for Occupational Therapist. We prioritize postings with explicit hourly or annual pay and exclude rows without usable compensation signals from salary percentiles.
Range
Percentiles show the spread of posted pay, not a guaranteed offer or take-home pay after taxes. State and city views use available market observations and label estimated values when direct samples are limited.
Freshness
Current dataset window: 2025-11-01 to 2026-04-30. Recent trend cards compare the latest posting window with the prior period so short-term pay movement is separated from the full historical median.
EXPLORE MORE
Occupational Therapy salary data in Allied Health Professional
Occupational Therapy salary data in Allied Health Professional
Occupational Therapy salary data in Allied Health Professional
Works under OT supervision
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