Thursday, January 16, 2025

Occupational Therapist Pay in the Great Plains Region

Recently released U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data from May 2023 indicated that there were just under 145,000 occupational therapists (OTs) employed in the U.S.  About 10,900 of those employed as occupational therapists lived in the seven-state Great Plains region of the country.  BLS data reveals the Great Plains region to be a very weak one in terms of occupational therapist pay, with the OT mean annual wage level in all states in the region falling below the national average for the profession.  Moreover, four states in the region ranked among the ten worst states in the nation for OT mean annual wage levels.  A closer examination of the BLS data reveals the following about occupational therapist pay in the Great Plains region of the U.S. as of May 2023:

Occupational Therapist Pay in the Great Plains Region

Occupational Therapist Pay in the Great Plains Region

State # Employed Mean Annual Wage Wage Rank*
IA 1,250 $85,790 44th
KS 1,580 $92,510 29th
MN 3,070 $85,840 43rd
MO 2,960 $87,970 36th
NE 1,150 $87,710 37th
ND 470 $82,450 49th
SD 460 $81,610 50th
U.S. 144,850 $93,491 -------

(*) annual mean wage ranking among the 50 states and the District of Columbia

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data extracted on January 16, 2025

Tuesday, January 14, 2025

Dental Hygienist Pay in the Southwestern U.S.

Data published earlier this year by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) put dental hygienist (DH) employment in the USA at about 211,000 as of May 2023.  At that time, approximately 19,780 dental hygienists were working in the four-state Southwestern U.S. according to the BLS.  The region is an average one for dental hygienist pay.  A deeper look at May 2023 BLS data details the following about dental hygienist pay in the Southwestern U.S.:

Dental Hygienist Pay in the Southwestern U.S.

Dental Hygienist Pay in the Southwestern U.S.


State # Employed Annual Mean Wages Wage Rank*
AZ 4,880 $92,460 13th
NM 1,110 $92,100 15th
OK 2,280 $91,280 17th
TX 11,510 $87,270 23rd
U.S. 211,670 $87,035 -------

(*) annual mean wage ranking among the 50 states and the District of Columbia

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data extracted on January 14, 2025