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Hospitals and Health Systems
Mayo Clinic, Kaiser Permanente, HCA Healthcare
Occupational Therapists
Occupational therapists help people relearn the everyday skills needed for work, school, and home life after injury, illness, disability, or vision loss. In this specialty, the work often means teaching people how to use adaptive tools and routines, while the tradeoff is a job that is rewarding but heavily driven by assessment, documentation, and follow-up.
Also known as Registered Occupational TherapistStaff Occupational TherapistPediatric Occupational TherapistInpatient Occupational TherapistHome Health Occupational Therapist
Median Salary
$98,340
Mean $98,240
U.S. Workforce
~152K
10.2K openings per year
10-Year Growth
+13.8%
160K to 182.1K
Entry Education
Master's degree
+ None experience
What This Role Looks Like in Practice
Occupational Therapists sits in the Healthcare category. In practical terms, this role combines day-to-day execution, cross-team coordination, and consistent decision-making under real business constraints.
U.S. employment is currently about ~152K workers, with a median annual pay of $98,340 and roughly 10.2K openings each year. Based on BLS projections, total employment is expected to grow from 160 K in 2024 to 182.1K in 2034.
Most hiring paths start with Master's Degree in Occupational Therapy, and employers typically expect none of related experience. Many careers in this track begin around Rehabilitation Aide and can progress toward Rehabilitation Services Manager. High-value skills usually include Client Assessment & Goal Setting, Patient Education & Therapeutic Instruction, and Progress Monitoring & Care Plan Updates, paired with soft skills such as Active Listening, Service Orientation, and Speaking.
Core Responsibilities
- Meet with clients and their families to figure out what daily tasks are hard and what goals matter most to them.
- Evaluate how a health condition or vision problem affects things like dressing, cooking, reading, writing, and getting around safely.
- Build a therapy plan and teach people how to use adaptive tools, devices, and new techniques to do routine tasks more independently.
- Check progress over time and adjust the plan when a client is improving slowly or needs a different approach.
Keep exploring: more Healthcare careers or browse all job titles.
A Day in the Life
01 Meet with clients and their families to figure out what daily tasks are hard and what goals matter most to them.
02 Evaluate how a health condition or vision problem affects things like dressing, cooking, reading, writing, and getting around safely.
03 Build a therapy plan and teach people how to use adaptive tools, devices, and new techniques to do routine tasks more independently.
04 Check progress over time and adjust the plan when a client is improving slowly or needs a different approach.
05 Work with doctors, rehab specialists, and other therapists so the care plan fits the client’s broader treatment goals.
06 Explain strategies and equipment to caregivers, teachers, and parents, and keep detailed notes on each session and change in progress.
Industries That Hire
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Outpatient Rehabilitation Clinics
Select Medical, ATI Physical Therapy, Concentra
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Rehabilitation Hospitals and Specialty Centers
Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, Shepherd Center, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital
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Home Health
CenterWell Home Health, Amedisys, LHC Group
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Skilled Nursing and Long-Term Care
Genesis HealthCare, Brookdale Senior Living, Encompass Health
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Pediatrics and School-Based Therapy
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Boston Children's Hospital, Nationwide Children's Hospital
Pros and Cons
Advantages
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The pay is strong for a patient-care job, with a median annual salary of $98,340 and a mean of $98,240.
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The outlook is healthy: employment is projected to grow 13.8% by 2034, with about 10.2K annual openings.
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You do not need prior work experience or on-the-job training to enter the field, so the path is clear once you finish the degree and licensure requirements.
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The work is varied, with opportunities in hospitals, outpatient clinics, schools, home health, and rehab centers.
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You can see concrete progress in clients’ daily lives, which makes the job feel practical and measurable rather than abstract.
Challenges
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The entry barrier is high: the typical entry requirement is a master's degree, so school takes time and money before you can start earning.
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A lot of the day is spent documenting visits, tracking progress, and updating care plans, not just working face-to-face with clients.
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The job can be physically tiring because it often involves moving, positioning, and coaching people through repetitive daily tasks.
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Career growth can flatten unless you move into leadership, specialization, or management, since many roles stay hands-on at similar pay bands.
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The work is shaped by insurance rules, reimbursement limits, and productivity targets, which can force shorter visits or restrict the services you can provide.
Career Progression
Rehabilitation Aide
0-2 years
$30K-$40K
You help set up treatment areas, move supplies, and support licensed staff while learning how therapy visits are run.
Occupational Therapy Assistant
2-5 years
$55K-$75K
You carry out parts of the therapy plan under supervision and spend much of the day coaching clients through practice activities.
Occupational Therapist THIS ROLE
5-10 years
$90K-$110K
You assess clients, build treatment plans, and work directly with families and care teams to improve daily function.
Lead Occupational Therapist
10-15 years
$110K-$130K
You handle more complex cases, mentor newer therapists, and help set standards for quality and patient care.
Rehabilitation Services Manager
15+ years
$130K-$160K
You spend less time on direct treatment and more time on staffing, budgets, scheduling, and program performance.
Education Paths
Master's Degree in Occupational Therapy
This is the standard route and the most common one, held by 71.44% of workers in the data.
Bachelor's Degree Followed by a Master's Program
A bachelor's degree appears for 15.52% of workers in the data, usually as a stepping-stone into graduate study rather than a standalone path into the job.
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate or Bridge Program
A post-baccalaureate certificate shows up for 10.87% of workers in the data and can help with a career change or specialty focus, but it usually comes after the master's-level requirements are addressed.
Post-Master's Certificate
A post-master's certificate appears for 2.17% of workers in the data and is mainly used to add a specialty after licensure.
Key Skills
Technical
Client Assessment & Goal Setting 78%
Patient Education & Therapeutic Instruction 77%
Progress Monitoring & Care Plan Updates 76%
Assistive Technology, Low-Vision Aids & OCR Devices 75%
Electronic Health Records (Epic, Cerner) & Clinical Documentation 74%
Home Safety, Activity Analysis & ADL Assessment 73%
Soft Skills
Active ListeningService OrientationSpeakingInstructingSocial PerceptivenessReading Comprehension Job Outlook and Trends
+13.8%
Projected growth (2024-2034)
10.2K
Annual job openings
Employment is projected to rise from 160K to 182.1 K over the next decade, representing 13.8% growth. Around 10.2 K openings per year include both newly created roles and replacement hiring from turnover.
Remote availability is currently Limited. Demand remains strongest where employers need practical domain knowledge plus modern workflow and data skills.