Healthcare Practitioners

Occupational Therapists

SOC 29-1122

Help people regain the skills for daily living and work after setbacks.

The job

Median pay

$100k

$83k to $117k typical range

Outlook, 2025 to 2035

Growing fast

+15% projected

Openings a year

10k

BLS projection

Typical education

Master's

Our model

AI displacement risk

Low

How much of this job AI may do instead of the person

Works with AI

27/100

AI alongside the person rather than instead of them

AI exposure

43rd pct

More exposed than 43% of occupations · modeled estimate · 35th pct in Microsoft's data

Future-proof

76/100

At a glance

Looking to 2035, the projected change for Occupational Therapists is +15%, 11 points above the typical occupation we cover. Hiring volume is roughly 10,000 openings a year. Entry into Occupational Therapists usually takes a master's degree. At $100,330 a year, median pay runs 49% above the typical occupation we cover, but in line with the Healthcare Practitioners median. Works-with-AI scores 27/100 against low displacement risk, closer to help than to displacement, with modeled exposure at the 43rd percentile. Set against Dental Hygienists (+8.0%), the +15% projection here is 7 points higher.

Take the next step

Weigh it against Speech-Language PathologistsPay, outlook, entry and AI exposure side by side See where it pays mostCalifornia leads at $125k; all states are listed below Find careers like itOpen the map at Occupational Therapists and explore its neighbours See open jobsOccupational Therapists roles hiring now Learn the skillsCourses for Occupational Therapists, who lean most on active listening Real pay & reviewsSelf-reported pay and reviews on Glassdoor

Similar pay in Healthcare Practitioners

Key skills

Active Listening
Speaking
Reading Comprehension
Learning Strategies
Monitoring
Writing

Pay and jobs by state

BLS OEWS May 2025, 50 states and DC. Sorted by jobs; per 1,000 is jobs per thousand workers in the state; vs national compares that rate with the country's.

State	Jobs	Per 1,000	vs national	Median pay
California	13,810	0.8	0.7×	$125k
Texas	13,400	1.0	0.9×	$106k
New York	11,690	1.2	1.1×	$96k
Florida	10,650	1.1	1.0×	$99k
Illinois	7,710	1.3	1.2×	$100k
Ohio	6,760	1.2	1.2×	$99k
Pennsylvania	6,560	1.1	1.0×	$98k
Massachusetts	6,510	1.8	1.7×	$101k
New Jersey	6,290	1.5	1.4×	$103k
Michigan	5,120	1.2	1.1×	$90k

All 50 states and DC

State	Jobs	Per 1,000	vs national	Median pay
North Carolina	4,490	0.9	0.9×	$93k
Virginia	4,150	1.0	1.0×	$101k
Indiana	3,830	1.2	1.1×	$97k
Wisconsin	3,710	1.3	1.2×	$92k
Minnesota	3,670	1.2	1.2×	$93k
Georgia	3,650	0.7	0.7×	$104k
Missouri	3,400	1.2	1.1×	$97k
Colorado	3,390	1.2	1.1×	$107k
Washington	3,340	0.9	0.9×	$108k
Connecticut	3,150	1.9	1.8×	$102k
Arizona	2,680	0.8	0.8×	$104k
Tennessee	2,490	0.8	0.7×	$98k
Maryland	2,390	0.9	0.8×	$107k
Kentucky	2,190	1.1	1.1×	$98k
Arkansas	2,160	1.7	1.6×	$106k
Louisiana	2,060	1.1	1.0×	$98k
South Carolina	1,840	0.8	0.8×	$101k
Kansas	1,560	1.1	1.0×	$99k
Alabama	1,500	0.7	0.7×	$94k
Nebraska	1,500	1.5	1.4×	$94k
Mississippi	1,340	1.2	1.1×	$95k
Iowa	1,290	0.8	0.8×	$90k
New Hampshire	1,240	1.8	1.7×	$84k
Oklahoma	1,180	0.7	0.7×	$104k
Oregon	1,170	0.6	0.6×	$112k
Maine	1,120	1.7	1.7×	$84k
Nevada	1,080	0.7	0.7×	$111k
New Mexico	1,030	1.2	1.1×	$99k
Utah	1,030	0.6	0.6×	$97k
Idaho	840	1.0	0.9×	$98k
Rhode Island	770	1.5	1.5×	$100k
West Virginia	700	1.0	0.9×	$96k
North Dakota	570	1.3	1.3×	$83k
Washington DC	540	0.8	0.7×	$109k
Delaware	490	1.0	1.0×	$102k
South Dakota	490	1.1	1.0×	$85k
Montana	420	0.8	0.8×	$89k
Alaska	410	1.3	1.2×	$104k
Hawaii	390	0.6	0.6×	$103k
Wyoming	350	1.2	1.2×	$86k
Vermont	320	1.1	1.0×	$93k

Top metro areas

New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ11,640 jobs · $101k median
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN5,960 jobs · $100k median
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA4,950 jobs · $122k median
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH4,790 jobs · $102k median
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX3,450 jobs · $106k median
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD3,410 jobs · $103k median
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX2,700 jobs · $104k median
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV2,640 jobs · $103k median

Where this ranks

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Pay and outlook from BLS (OEWS 2025, Employment Projections 2025-2035). Skills and work activities from O*NET 30.3. AI exposure and future-proof scores are modeled estimates. How these numbers are made.