Recently released U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data from May 2022 indicated that there were just under 135,000 occupational therapists (OTs) employed in the U.S.  About 10,100 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 2022:

Occupational Therapist Pay in the Great Plains Region

State	# Employed	Mean Annual Wage	Wage Rank*
IA	1,240	$83,820	43rd
KS	1,310	$87,030	33rd
MN	2,850	$81,840	46th
MO	2,650	$85,780	36th
NE	1,150	$87,620	31st
ND	520	$78,020	49th
SD	410	$76,900	50th
U.S.	134,980	$92,800	-------

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

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data extracted on September 18, 2023