Occupational Therapists: Salary, Job Outlook & How to Become One (2026 Parent Guide)
Healthcare Practitioners and Technical · SOC 29-1122 · O*NET 29-1122.00
Assess, plan, and organize rehabilitative programs that help build or restore vocational, homemaking, and daily living skills, as well as general independence, to persons with disabilities or developmental delays. Use therapeutic techniques, adapt the individual's environment, teach skills, and modify specific tasks that present barriers to the individual.
Occupational Therapists fall under the Healthcare Practitioners and Technical category in the U.S. occupational classification. Occupational Therapists earn a median salary of $98,340 per year, ranking in the top 14% of all U.S. occupations. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects +13.8% job growth through 2034, projected to grow faster than the US average. Entry into this field typically requires a bachelor's degree followed by a master's or doctoral degree, with specific licensing or certification depending on the state and employer. For parents whose teenager is exploring this path, the most actionable step is mapping the education requirements to specific colleges and majors before junior year — not waiting until application season.
What do occupational therapists earn?
The median annual wage for occupational therapists is $98,340. That puts occupational therapists at #117 on the BLS ranked list of all U.S. occupations by median pay. This salary is above the U.S. median for individual workers and reflects a stable, credentialed occupation. Actual pay varies meaningfully by state, employer type, and years of experience — entry-level salaries are typically 30–40% below the median, while top-decile earners often exceed it by 50% or more.
| 10th percentile (entry-level) | $67,090 |
| 25th percentile | $80,490 |
| 50th percentile (median) | $98,340 |
| 75th percentile | $110,460 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $129,830 |
| Median hourly wage | $47.28/hr |
Is occupational therapists a growing career?
The 10-year outlook for occupational therapists is +13.8%, projected to grow faster than the US average. Employment is projected to move from approximately 160K positions in 2024 to 182K in 2034, a net change of 22K. Faster-than-average growth means hiring is consistently outpacing the labor market overall. New entrants generally find their first roles faster than peers in stable fields.
What do occupational therapists do every day?
According to O*NET task surveys of working occupational therapists, these are the core responsibilities most professionals perform. This is what your teen would actually be doing in this role.
- 1.Provide training and supervision in therapy techniques and objectives for students or nurses and other medical staff.
- 2.Help clients improve decision making, abstract reasoning, memory, sequencing, coordination, and perceptual skills, using computer programs.
- 3.Select activities that will help individuals learn work and life-management skills within limits of their mental or physical capabilities.
- 4.Evaluate patients' progress and prepare reports that detail progress.
- 5.Design and create, or requisition, special supplies and equipment, such as splints, braces, and computer-aided adaptive equipment.
- 6.Test and evaluate patients' physical and mental abilities and analyze medical data to determine realistic rehabilitation goals for patients.
- 7.Complete and maintain necessary records.
- 8.Plan, organize, and conduct occupational therapy programs in hospital, institutional, or community settings to help rehabilitate persons with disabilities because of illness, injury or psychological or developmental problems.
Top skills for occupational therapists
O*NET ranks these as the most important skills for this occupation, on a 1–5 importance scale derived from worker surveys.
What education does my child need to become occupational therapist?
Becoming a occupational therapist typically requires a bachelor's degree followed by a master's, doctoral, or professional degree, plus state licensure or board certification depending on specialty. For parents helping a teen prepare, the highest-leverage step before junior year is identifying colleges and programs that feed reliably into this occupation — Solyo's college search lets parents filter by major and admissions data side by side.
Based on O*NET surveys of incumbents — what people in this job actually have, not what employers list as required.
Licensing requirements for occupational therapists
Occupational Therapists are regulated at the state level in the United States. Practicing without a current license is not legal in most jurisdictions.
Related careers your child might also consider
How parents help teens explore careers like this
Solyo helps parents map a teen's interests to specific careers, then back to the colleges and majors that lead there. Salary, outlook, and education data come from BLS and O*NET — the same sources high school counselors use — but presented for the parent's planning lens, not the student's exploration view.
Common questions parents ask about occupational therapists
What is the median salary for occupational therapists?
The median annual salary for occupational therapists is $98,340 according to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
Is occupational therapists a growing career?
BLS projects +13.8% growth for occupational therapists from 2024 through 2034, which is fast growth projected to grow faster than the US average.
What education does my child need to become occupational therapist?
The typical entry path requires a bachelor's degree followed by a master's or doctoral degree, plus any state licensure or certification specific to the role. Programs that align well with this career can be filtered inside Solyo's college search.
What careers are similar to occupational therapists?
Related occupations within the Healthcare Practitioners and Technical category share education paths and skill profiles, so they're a useful starting set when a teen is uncertain. The "Related careers" section below lists nearby options.
Salary data sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics program. Skills, tasks, and education distribution from the O*NET database. Job outlook from the BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 release.