There were just under 134,000 occupational therapist jobs in the U.S. as of May 2019 per data published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Occupational therapists work in varied healthcare settings, including hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, home health care agencies and in offices with other health practitioners. A good number of OTs also work in educational settings, mostly elementary and secondary schools. Like many other healthcare professionals with special skills and training, occupational therapists typically earn more money than most occupations. According to BLS estimates, as of May 2019, the national mean wage for occupational therapists was $86,210 per year, well above the $53,490 annual mean wage for all occupations in the U.S. That said, there is considerable variation from state-to-state in the average annual wages earned by occupational therapists. According to BLS data, as of May 2019 these were the ten best pay states for occupational therapists:
| Nevada | $105,450 |
| California | $98,450 |
| New Jersey | $96,820 |
| Arizona | $95,180 |
| Connecticut | $92,770 |
| Oregon | $92,730 |
| Virginia | $91,970 |
| Colorado | $90,990 |
| Alaska | $90,340 |
| New York | $89,920 |
The bottom ten states for occupational therapist pay were:
| Michigan | $78,010 |
| Nebraska | $77,450 |
| Montana | $76,670 |
| Vermont | $76,580 |
| Wisconsin | $76,270 |
| Minnesota | $76,220 |
| South Carolina | $75,700 |
| Maine | $74,400 |
| South Dakota | $72,370 |
| North Dakota | $70,350 |
So where does your state rank for occupational therapist pay?
Refer to Occupational Therapist Average Wages by State for more information.
