How much does an occupational therapist make?
An occupational therapist makes $100,330 a year at the national median, and the middle half of OTs earn between $82,510 and $116,670.[onet_ot][oews] That is $2,430 below the physical therapist median. BLS estimated 162,450 occupational therapist jobs in May 2025.[oews_api]
| Percentile | Annual | Hourly | Take-home* |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $71,690 | $34.47 | $59,264 |
| 25th | $82,510 | $39.67 | $66,876 |
| Median (50th) | $100,330 | $48.24 | $79,412 |
| 75th | $116,670 | $56.09 | $90,907 |
| 90th | $131,950 | $63.44 | $101,454 |
*Single filer, 2026 federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare; before state tax.
OT pay depends heavily on the setting. School-based OTs are usually paid on a teacher-style calendar of about ten months, so their yearly pay can sit below a hospital or skilled-nursing OT even at a similar hourly rate. BLS reports the yearly wage for whatever schedule the job has, which is why the 32-hour preset above is useful for comparing part-time or school offers.[oews_faq]
Occupational therapist hourly pay
Occupational therapist hourly pay is $48.24 at the median, from $34.47 at the 10th percentile to $63.44 at the 90th.[onet_ot]
| Percentile | Hourly | Monthly (40 h) | Yearly (40 h) | Take-home* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $34.47 | $5,974 | $71,690 | $59,264 |
| 25th | $39.67 | $6,876 | $82,510 | $66,876 |
| Median | $48.24 | $8,361 | $100,330 | $79,412 |
| 75th | $56.09 | $9,723 | $116,670 | $90,907 |
| 90th | $63.44 | $10,996 | $131,950 | $101,454 |
*Single filer, 2026 federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare; before state tax.
OT vs COTA pay
An occupational therapist earns $28,030 a year more than an occupational therapy assistant at the medians ($100,330 against $72,300); the certified assistant title is COTA after the NBCOT exam.[onet_ota][nbcot_fees] OTAs enter through an ACOTE-accredited associate or bachelor’s program and need a state license in most states.[ooh_ota] Maryland pays OTAs the most, at $82,010. COTA pay by percentile, state and metro area is on occupational therapy assistant salary.
Occupational therapist salary by state
California pays occupational therapists the most at a median of $124,510, followed by Oregon ($112,310) and Nevada ($110,520); North Dakota is lowest at $83,200.[onet_ot][oews_api] California OTs earn a median $124,510 (metro detail on occupational therapist salary California) and Texas OTs $106,140.
| State | Median | Hourly | 10th pct. | 90th pct. | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. California | $124,510 | $59.86 | $85,550 | $158,560 | 13,810 |
| 2. Oregon | $112,310 | $54.00 | $78,500 | $131,340 | 1,170 |
| 3. Nevada | $110,520 | $53.13 | $85,720 | $139,260 | 1,080 |
| 4. District of Columbia | $109,170 | $52.49 | $81,760 | $129,810 | 540 |
| 5. Washington | $107,670 | $51.76 | $83,110 | $135,290 | 3,340 |
| 6. Maryland | $106,980 | $51.43 | $76,650 | $132,300 | 2,390 |
| 7. Colorado | $106,720 | $51.31 | $81,390 | $157,820 | 3,390 |
| 8. Arkansas | $106,360 | $51.13 | $65,160 | $144,250 | 2,160 |
| 9. Texas | $106,140 | $51.03 | $76,350 | $135,200 | 13,400 |
| 10. Oklahoma | $104,300 | $50.14 | $68,530 | $134,420 | 1,180 |
| 11. Georgia | $104,010 | $50.00 | $75,290 | $128,610 | 3,650 |
| 12. Alaska | $103,680 | $49.85 | $82,320 | $133,860 | 410 |
| 13. Arizona | $103,660 | $49.84 | $78,160 | $131,950 | 2,680 |
| 14. New Jersey | $103,410 | $49.72 | $78,690 | $159,230 | 6,290 |
| 15. Hawaii | $102,870 | $49.46 | $78,670 | $118,240 | 390 |
| 16. Connecticut | $102,440 | $49.25 | $76,360 | $127,630 | 3,150 |
| 17. Delaware | $102,130 | $49.10 | $71,280 | $138,640 | 490 |
| 18. South Carolina | $101,130 | $48.62 | $75,370 | $123,110 | 1,840 |
| 19. Massachusetts | $100,930 | $48.52 | $73,140 | $127,380 | 6,510 |
| 20. Virginia | $100,710 | $48.42 | $70,200 | $134,570 | 4,150 |
| 21. Rhode Island | $100,040 | $48.10 | $75,760 | $126,630 | 770 |
| 22. Illinois | $99,700 | $47.93 | $73,360 | $132,180 | 7,710 |
| 23. Ohio | $99,390 | $47.78 | $70,080 | $123,800 | 6,760 |
| 24. Florida | $99,360 | $47.77 | $66,230 | $117,950 | 10,650 |
| 25. Kansas | $99,170 | $47.68 | $66,720 | $120,950 | 1,560 |
| 26. New Mexico | $99,170 | $47.68 | $69,230 | $133,050 | 1,030 |
| 27. Louisiana | $98,490 | $47.35 | $61,070 | $126,630 | 2,060 |
| 28. Pennsylvania | $98,440 | $47.33 | $69,120 | $128,790 | 6,560 |
| 29. Idaho | $97,760 | $47.00 | $69,440 | $152,880 | 840 |
| 30. Tennessee | $97,700 | $46.97 | $68,520 | $119,070 | 2,490 |
| 31. Kentucky | $97,650 | $46.95 | $71,030 | $119,250 | 2,190 |
| 32. Missouri | $97,290 | $46.77 | $71,880 | $120,130 | 3,400 |
| 33. Utah | $97,150 | $46.71 | $75,570 | $126,970 | 1,030 |
| 34. Indiana | $97,020 | $46.64 | $69,550 | $119,950 | 3,830 |
| 35. New York | $96,390 | $46.34 | $64,770 | $133,700 | 11,690 |
| 36. West Virginia | $96,190 | $46.25 | $60,870 | $129,460 | 700 |
| 37. Mississippi | $94,930 | $45.64 | $73,200 | $113,950 | 1,340 |
| 38. Alabama | $94,050 | $45.22 | $76,670 | $123,870 | 1,500 |
| 39. Nebraska | $93,740 | $45.07 | $70,370 | $107,780 | 1,500 |
| 40. Vermont | $93,340 | $44.88 | $69,120 | $118,110 | 320 |
| 41. Minnesota | $93,050 | $44.74 | $71,770 | $108,790 | 3,670 |
| 42. North Carolina | $92,940 | $44.68 | $62,230 | $118,300 | 4,490 |
| 43. Wisconsin | $92,390 | $44.42 | $73,610 | $110,950 | 3,710 |
| 44. Iowa | $89,910 | $43.23 | $64,610 | $109,200 | 1,290 |
| 45. Michigan | $89,910 | $43.23 | $66,580 | $105,720 | 5,120 |
| 46. Montana | $88,990 | $42.78 | $76,110 | $110,910 | 420 |
| 47. Wyoming | $86,170 | $41.43 | $57,740 | $127,790 | 350 |
| 48. South Dakota | $85,050 | $40.89 | $65,820 | $106,520 | 490 |
| 49. Maine | $84,310 | $40.53 | $63,750 | $114,100 | 1,120 |
| 50. New Hampshire | $83,900 | $40.34 | $64,150 | $115,050 | 1,240 |
| 51. North Dakota | $83,200 | $40.00 | $66,890 | $106,300 | 570 |
Jobs: BLS OEWS employment estimate, May 2025.
Where the OT jobs are
The states with the most occupational therapist jobs are California, Texas and New York.[oews_api] A large job count means more openings and more employers to negotiate with, even where the median is average.
| State | OT jobs | Median | Rank by pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 13,810 | $124,510 | 1st of 51 |
| Texas | 13,400 | $106,140 | 9th of 51 |
| New York | 11,690 | $96,390 | 35th of 51 |
| Florida | 10,650 | $99,360 | 24th of 51 |
| Illinois | 7,710 | $99,700 | 22nd of 51 |
| Ohio | 6,760 | $99,390 | 23rd of 51 |
| Pennsylvania | 6,560 | $98,440 | 28th of 51 |
| Massachusetts | 6,510 | $100,930 | 19th of 51 |
Highest-paying metro areas for OTs
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA is the best-paying metro area for occupational therapists at a median of $136,870.[onet_ot]
| Metro area | Median | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 1. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $136,870 | $65.80 |
| 2. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $136,770 | $65.75 |
| 3. Vallejo, CA | $135,000 | $64.90 |
| 4. Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $130,420 | $62.70 |
| 5. Chico, CA | $129,260 | $62.14 |
| 6. Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $128,010 | $61.54 |
| 7. Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $125,890 | $60.52 |
| 8. North Coast Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $124,800 | $60.00 |
| 9. Napa, CA | $124,490 | $59.85 |
| 10. Boulder, CO | $123,490 | $59.37 |
| Area | Median | Hourly | 10th pct. | 90th pct. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ithaca, NY | $102,910 | $49.48 | $69,330 | $125,680 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $101,460 | $48.78 | $72,380 | $144,090 |
| Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY | $97,720 | $46.98 | $66,050 | $130,170 |
| Kingston, NY | $95,200 | $45.77 | $67,250 | $125,270 |
| Glens Falls, NY | $95,110 | $45.73 | $62,350 | $106,930 |
| Watertown-Fort Drum, NY | $89,720 | $43.13 | $63,210 | $122,610 |
| Binghamton, NY | $86,390 | $41.53 | $62,840 | $115,300 |
| Central East New York nonmetropolitan area | $86,260 | $41.47 | $62,800 | $118,670 |
| Syracuse, NY | $86,110 | $41.40 | $64,830 | $119,980 |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | $85,990 | $41.34 | $61,880 | $107,930 |
| Utica-Rome, NY | $85,920 | $41.31 | $62,480 | $105,810 |
| Elmira, NY | $83,190 | $40.00 | $82,640 | $124,490 |
| Southwest New York nonmetropolitan area | $81,880 | $39.37 | $55,300 | $113,640 |
| Rochester, NY | $81,750 | $39.30 | $57,940 | $109,810 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | $81,560 | $39.21 | $60,560 | $106,620 |
OT pay compared with PT and speech therapy
Occupational therapists earn $2,430 less than physical therapists and $2,460 more than speech-language pathologists at the national medians, so the three careers pay within a few thousand dollars of each other.[onet_ot][onet_pt][onet_slp] See physical therapist salary and speech pathologist salary for the full figures, and occupational therapy school for program length, tuition, the NBCOT exam and a payback calculator. The degree, exam and license steps are on how to become an occupational therapist.
Frequently asked questions
How much does an occupational therapist make an hour?
$48.24 at the national median (BLS, May 2025); $34.47 at the 10th percentile and $63.44 at the 90th.
How much does a new occupational therapist make?
BLS does not publish pay by experience. The 10th percentile, $71,690, and the 25th, $82,510, are the closest public figures for a first OT job.
What state pays occupational therapists the most?
California ($124,510 median), then Oregon and Nevada.
Do occupational therapists make more than physical therapists?
No. At the national medians a PT earns $102,760 and an OT $100,330, a gap of $2,430. The full comparison is on occupational therapy vs physical therapy.
How much does an occupational therapist make a month?
About $8,361 before tax, or roughly $6,618 after federal tax and FICA for a single filer with no state tax.
Sources
- Local Wages: 29-1122.00 Occupational Therapists (state and metro percentiles)
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates
- OEWS May 2025 employment and median wage series (OEUN/OEUS), Public Data API v2
- OEWS Frequently Asked Questions (wage definition; 2,080-hour year)
- Local Wages: 31-2011.00 Occupational Therapy Assistants (state and metro percentiles)
- Fees (online initial exam application $540; retake $430)
- Occupational Outlook Handbook: Occupational Therapy Assistants and Aides
- Local Wages: 29-1123.00 Physical Therapists (state and metro percentiles)
- Local Wages: 29-1127.00 Speech-Language Pathologists (state and metro percentiles)
- IRS releases tax inflation adjustments for tax year 2026 (Rev. Proc. 2025-32)