Average Occupational Therapist Salary in United States for 2024

In this article, we will look at the average Occupational Therapist salary for 2024 in United States and how that compares to other countries and professions. We'll also look at interesting salary data points like median salary, 25th and 75th percentile salaries, salary amounts based on experience, bonus ranges and more!

The data in this article has been compiled using official government salary data, salary surveys, and other sources such as job postings which contain salary information.

All salary information is in the local currency, which is the United States dollar. To keep things simple, we are using the USD currency code instead of the currency symbol $.

How Much Does an Occupational Therapist Make in United States?

An Occupational Therapist working in United States will typically earn around 58,600 USD per year, and this can range from the lowest average salary of about 25,800 USD to the highest average salary of 92,200 USD.

Average Annual Salary
58,600 USD
Average Monthly Salary
4,883 USD

Lowest Annual Salary
25,800 USD
Lowest Monthly Salary
2,150 USD

Highest Annual Salary
92,200 USD
Highest Monthly Salary
7,683 USD

These are average salaries for an Occupational Therapist in United States and include benefits such as housing and transport. It's also possible for an Occupational Therapist to earn more or less than the average salaries shown above.

Occupational Therapist salaries will vary a lot based on your experience, location, skills, and gender. Keep reading below to research more data on each of these areas.

Distribution of Occupational Therapist Salaries in United States

So we've looked at the average salaries an Occupational Therapist will earn in United States. The next interesting data point is the distribution of salaries.

Salary ranges

We already know that an Occupational Therapist can earn between 25,800 USD and 92,200 USD on average in United States. This is known as the range in statistics.

The difference between the maximum and minimum values is a good indicator of variability in salaries, and can be used by employers to figure out how much they can expect to pay, and for employees to know how much they can earn.

Median salary

The median salary for an Occupational Therapist in United States is 61,700 USD. This is the middle value in the distribution of salaries.

What this means is that approximately 50% of the population earn less than 61,700 USD, and 50% of the population earn more than 61,700 USD.

If you are earning more than the median salary, that's a good indicator that you are being paid well.

If you're not earning more than the median salary, your objective should be to increase your earnings to be at least as high as the median salary (which you can do by asking for a pay rise, looking for a better paying job, etc).

Percentiles

Percentiles are similar to the median salary, but instead of looking at the middle value, they look at the values in the top and bottom half of the distribution.

For the average Occupational Therapist salary in United States, 25% of the population are earning less than 38,000 USD while 75% of the population earn more than 38,000 USD.

75% of the population earn less than 82,200 USD, and 25% of the population earn more than 82,200 USD.

Like the median salary, the 25th and 75th percentile salaries can be used to determine which quartile you fall into so that you know whether you are being paid well enough compared to others in your profession and location.

The difference between a median and an average salary

The median and average salary are both indicators you can use to see if you are being paid fairly based on the overall population.

  • If your salary is higher than the average and the median salary, you are earning well compared to others.
  • If your salary is lower than the average and the median salary, it could indicate you are not being paid well enough.
  • If you are somewhere in between then it's tricky to determine if you are being paid well enough and you might need to research more closely.

Occupational Therapist Salary by Experience Level in United States

The most important factor in determining your salary after the specific profession is the number of years experience you have. It stands to reason that more years of experience will result in a higher wage.

We have researched the average occupational therapist salary based on years of experience to give you an idea of how the average changes once you've worked for a certain amount of time.

  • 0 - 2 Years Experience. An Occupational Therapist in United States that has less than two years of experience can expect to earn somewhere in the region of 30,700 USD.
  • 2 - 5 Years Experience. With two to five years of experience the average Occupational Therapist salary would increase to 41,100 USD.
  • 5 - 10 Years Experience. From five to ten years of experience as an Occupational Therapist, the average salary would be 59,200 USD.
  • 10 - 15 Years Experience. Once you have more than ten years of experience the average salary reaches around 70,500 USD.
  • 15 - 20 Years Experience. An Occupational Therapist with 15 to 20 years of experience can earn an average of 80,200 USD.
  • 20+ Years Experience. For an Occupational Therapist with more than 20 years, the expected average salary increases to 87,200 USD.

Average Salary by Experience Chart

0-2 Years
30,700 USD
2-5 Years +34%
41,100 USD
5-10 Years +48%
59,200 USD
10-15 Years +22%
70,500 USD
15-20 Years +9%
80,200 USD
20+ Years +8%
87,200 USD

Occupational Therapist Salary by Education Level in United States

As well as experience in a job, your education plays a big role in how much you can earn. A lot of higher paying positions require a high level of education, but how much can a degree increase your salary?

In our research we have compared the salaries of employees in the same job and career level with different levels of education to see how much more you can earn at each education level.

The salary you can earn based on your education is very specific to both your location and the career path you choose.

In our research, we looked at the average salary for an Occupational Therapist in United States based on the education level of the employees in order to find out whether a better education level would increase your salary.

  • Certificate or Diploma. An Occupational Therapist in United States with a certificate or diploma education can earn an average salary of 33,800 USD.

  • Bachelor's Degree. An Occupational Therapist in United States with a bachelor's degree education can earn an average salary of 66,200 USD.

Average Salary by Education Chart

Certificate or Diploma
33,800 USD
Bachelor's Degree +93%
66,200 USD

How Much is a Master's Degree or MBA Program?

The approximate cost of a master's degree or post-graduate program like an MBA in United States is around 39,500 to 118,000 USD and takes two years to complete.

As you can see above, there are financial benefits from reaching master's degree level, but don't expect to see much of a salary increase until you have completed the degree.

It's common for people to pursue an MBA or other post-graduate program in order to switch to a a job that pays more. On average, you can expect to earn around 10% more when switching to a new company.

Whether you decide to pursue a master's degree depends on many factors. If you are able to afford it, the numbers suggest that the return on investment is worth it and you could recover the costs in a few years from the salary increase you would receive.

Occupational Therapist Salary Compared by Gender

In the modern age, we know that there should never be a pay gap between men and women. Unfortunately, in many professions, there is still a significant difference between the salaries earned by men when compared to the salary of women in the same job.

In United States, a male occupational therapist will earn an average of 54,500 USD, while a female occupational therapist will earn around 59,200 USD.

This means that a male occupational therapist earns approximately 8% less than a female occupational therapist for performing the same job.

Average Salary by Gender Chart in United States

Male
54,500 USD
Female +8%
59,200 USD

Occupational Therapist Average Pay Raise in United States

In many countries, an annual pay raise is often given to employees to reward their service with a salary increase.

From our research, we can see that the average pay raise for an Occupational Therapist in United States is around 10% every 16 months.

The national average pay raise across all professions and industries in United States is around 8% every 16 months.

In this case, we can see that the number of months between the average pay raise is higher than the typical 12 months.

To make the data more meaningful, we can calculate what the approximate annual pay raise would be using a simple formula:

Annual Increase = ( Increase Rate ÷ Months ) × 12

So for this example, it would be:

Annual Increase = ( 10 ÷ 16 ) × 12  = 8%

What this means is that an Occupational Therapist in United States can expect to receive an average pay raise of around 8% every 12 months.

Annual Pay Raise by Industry in United States for 2024

In the chart below, you can see the average annual pay raise percentages for each of the major industries in United States.

You will see that companies in bigger and more lucrative industries tend to have the higher annual pay raises.

Banking
4%
Energy
8%
Information Technology
3%
Healthcare
7%
Travel
2%
Construction
6%
Education
1%

Occupational Therapist Bonus and Incentive Rates in United States

Another part of your overall compensation in a job is how much bonus you receive. Some job roles will be more likely to pay a bonus than others and also more likely to have higher bonus rates.

Generally speaking, jobs that are more involved with direct revenue generation will receive higher bonuses based on the performance towards revenue goals.

An Occupational Therapist is a moderate bonus based job, with 59% of employees reporting at least one bonus in the last 12 months.

41% reported that they had not received any bonuses in the previous 12 months.

For the employees that did receive a bonus in the previous 12 months, the reported bonuses ranged from 2% to 7%.

Received Bonus
59%
No Bonus
41%

What are the Types of Bonus?

There are a number of difference types of bonus you can receive in a job. Including:

  • Individual performance bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to an individual employee for general performance in the job. It's the most common type of bonus.
  • Company performance bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to a company employees to share profit with the staff.
  • Goal based bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to an individual employee (or a team) for achieving specific goals, objectives, or milestones.
  • Holiday bonus - This type of bonus is usually paid around the holidays, often the end of the year, and is a token of appreciation for the hard work throughout the year.

Government vs Private Sector Salaries

Another commonly asked question is whether you get paid a higher salary working in the public (government) sector or the private sector.

Public sector employees in United States earn approximately 6% more than private sector employees in the same role.

Public Sector
98,800 USD
Private Sector -6%
93,100 USD

Salaries for Jobs Similar to an Occupational Therapist

In the table below, we have salary information for jobs that are similar to an Occupational Therapist in United States.

Job Title Category Salary
Aromatherapist Fitness / Hair / Beauty 102,700 USD
Art Therapist Fitness / Hair / Beauty 71,700 USD
Assistant Spa Manager Fitness / Hair / Beauty 79,800 USD
Beauty Advisor Fitness / Hair / Beauty 71,900 USD
Beauty Educator Fitness / Hair / Beauty 93,600 USD
Beauty Shop Coordinator Fitness / Hair / Beauty 51,600 USD
Beauty Specialist Fitness / Hair / Beauty 73,800 USD
Beauty Supply Manager Fitness / Hair / Beauty 128,200 USD
Beauty Therapist Fitness / Hair / Beauty 80,200 USD
Cosmetic Sales Fitness / Hair / Beauty 37,900 USD
Cosmetologist Fitness / Hair / Beauty 66,000 USD
Day Spa Manager Fitness / Hair / Beauty 140,700 USD
Esthetician Fitness / Hair / Beauty 35,600 USD
Fitness and Wellness Coordinator Fitness / Hair / Beauty 81,600 USD
Fitness Instructor Fitness / Hair / Beauty 57,200 USD
Grooming Salon Manager Fitness / Hair / Beauty 117,100 USD
Hair Replacement Specialist Fitness / Hair / Beauty 114,300 USD
Hair Stylist Fitness / Hair / Beauty 44,900 USD
Health Coach Fitness / Hair / Beauty 99,900 USD
Health Educator Fitness / Hair / Beauty 115,600 USD
Manicurist and Pedicurist Fitness / Hair / Beauty 29,300 USD
Massage Therapist Fitness / Hair / Beauty 54,100 USD
Masseur Fitness / Hair / Beauty 47,400 USD
Natural Remedy Consultant Fitness / Hair / Beauty 102,700 USD
Naturopath and Acupuncturist Fitness / Hair / Beauty 41,500 USD
Occupational Therapy Assistant Fitness / Hair / Beauty 48,600 USD
Physical Therapy Attendant Fitness / Hair / Beauty 43,500 USD
Recreational Therapist Fitness / Hair / Beauty 56,600 USD
Salon Assistant Fitness / Hair / Beauty 46,100 USD
Salon Manager Fitness / Hair / Beauty 117,100 USD
Spa Manager Fitness / Hair / Beauty 137,100 USD
Spa Supervisor Fitness / Hair / Beauty 102,700 USD
Sport and Recreation Manager Fitness / Hair / Beauty 140,200 USD
Tattoo Artist Fitness / Hair / Beauty 35,500 USD
Weight Loss Consultant Fitness / Hair / Beauty 130,500 USD
Yoga Instructor Fitness / Hair / Beauty 83,200 USD

Salary Comparison by City

If you want to compare salaries with different cities in United States, you can use the links below to explore the data for each specific city we have researched.

City Average Salary
Atlanta 82,150 USD
Austin 102,750 USD
Baltimore 88,750 USD
Boston 90,500 USD
Bristol 73,900 USD
Chicago 105,500 USD
Cincinnati 78,350 USD
Cleveland 83,600 USD
Dallas 99,200 USD
Denver 93,750 USD
Detroit 93,300 USD
Honolulu 76,100 USD
Houston 103,250 USD
Indianapolis 95,650 USD
Iowa City 76,250 USD
Jacksonville 96,850 USD
Kansas City 84,800 USD
Kent 72,650 USD
Las Vegas 90,850 USD
Long Beach 85,600 USD
Los Angeles 110,100 USD
Memphis 93,200 USD
Miami 88,050 USD
Minneapolis 82,900 USD
New Orleans 81,600 USD
New York 106,500 USD
Oakland 84,900 USD
Oklahoma City 88,700 USD
Orlando 78,100 USD
Philadelphia 105,050 USD
Phoenix 108,850 USD
Sacramento 88,900 USD
San Antonio 107,250 USD
San Diego 101,750 USD
San Francisco 99,000 USD
San Jose 102,350 USD
Seattle 98,850 USD
Tampa 79,650 USD
Vancouver 76,500 USD
Washington D.C. 95,600 USD

Salary Comparison by State

The table below includes links to the average salary for each state in United States.

City Average Salary
Alabama 90,900 USD
Alaska 86,600 USD
Arizona 96,300 USD
Arkansas 87,400 USD
California 107,050 USD
Colorado 91,500 USD
Connecticut 91,650 USD
Delaware 83,150 USD
District of Columbia 80,150 USD
Florida 103,300 USD
Georgia 97,150 USD
Hawaii 88,650 USD
Idaho 85,850 USD
Illinois 98,700 USD
Indiana 98,300 USD
Iowa 86,500 USD
Kansas 91,950 USD
Kentucky 94,250 USD
Louisiana 89,350 USD
Maine 85,550 USD
Maryland 92,250 USD
Massachusetts 96,950 USD
Michigan 97,600 USD
Minnesota 90,550 USD
Mississippi 89,900 USD
Missouri 92,850 USD
Montana 83,900 USD
Nebraska 87,500 USD
Nevada 86,550 USD
New Hampshire 86,050 USD
New Jersey 97,700 USD
New Mexico 91,100 USD
New York 102,250 USD
North Carolina 94,950 USD
North Dakota 81,950 USD
Ohio 98,200 USD
Oklahoma 93,100 USD
Oregon 91,750 USD
Pennsylvania 98,450 USD
Rhode Island 83,000 USD
South Carolina 92,050 USD
South Dakota 85,300 USD
Tennessee 94,700 USD
Texas 99,850 USD
Utah 88,550 USD
Vermont 79,600 USD
Virginia 103,000 USD
Washington 97,150 USD
West Virginia 82,700 USD
Wisconsin 95,950 USD
Wyoming 79,500 USD

Link To or Reference This Page

We spend a lot of time collecting, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site to be as useful to you as possible.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference World Salaries as the source. We appreciate your support!

  • "Average Occupational Therapist Salary in United States for 2024". World Salaries. Accessed on March 28, 2024. https://worldsalaries.com/average-occupational-therapist-salary-in-united-states/.

  • "Average Occupational Therapist Salary in United States for 2024". World Salaries, https://worldsalaries.com/average-occupational-therapist-salary-in-united-states/. Accessed 28 March, 2024

  • Average Occupational Therapist Salary in United States for 2024. World Salaries. Retrieved from https://worldsalaries.com/average-occupational-therapist-salary-in-united-states/.