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

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