Salary, Job Description, How To Become One, and Quiz
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Occupational Therapists
Occupational Therapists 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.
Table of contents
What they do
Occupational Therapists 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.
- Complete and maintain necessary records.
- Test and evaluate patients’ physical and mental abilities and analyze medical data to determine realistic rehabilitation goals for patients.
- Train caregivers in providing for the needs of a patient during and after therapy.
- Evaluate patients’ progress and prepare reports that detail progress.
Typical day
On a daily basis, Occupational Therapists complete and maintain necessary records. They recommend changes in patients’ work or living environments, consistent with their needs and capabilities.
A typical day for an Occupational Therapist will also include:
- Test and evaluate patients’ physical and mental abilities and analyze medical data to determine realistic rehabilitation goals for patients.
- Select activities that will help individuals learn work and life-management skills within limits of their mental or physical capabilities.
- Train caregivers in providing for the needs of a patient during and after therapy.
- Evaluate patients’ progress and prepare reports that detail progress.
- Lay out materials such as puzzles, scissors, and eating utensils for use in therapy, and clean and repair these tools after therapy sessions.
Other responsibilities
Besides their typical day, Occupational Therapists also consult with the rehabilitation team to select activity programs or coordinate occupational therapy with other therapeutic activities. They may also help clients improve decision making, abstract reasoning, memory, sequencing, coordination, and perceptual skills, using computer programs.
On a weekly to monthly basis, Occupational Therapists provide training and supervision in therapy techniques and objectives for students or nurses and other medical staff. They might also design and create, or requisition, special supplies and equipment, such as splints, braces, and computer-aided adaptive equipment.
In addition, they advise on health risks in the workplace or on health-related transition to retirement.
Although specific duties may vary, many of them provide patients with assistance in locating or holding jobs.
To some Occupational Therapists, it is also their responsibility to evaluate patients’ progress and prepare reports that detail progress.
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What is the job like
Job satisfaction
Is this job meaningful
77% said they were satisfied with their job and 91% said they found their job meaningful.
Victoria Priganc, Ph.D., OTR, CHT, CLT, is the Interim Program Director of the University of Vermont Occupational Therapy Doctorate. She is an occupational therapist and a certified hand therapist, and most of her clinical work has been focused on hand rehabilitation. She serves as an associate editor for the Journal of Hand Therapy, the premier … Read More
I am an occupational therapist. I am currently in private practice treating children in my sensory gym. My days are very busy treating kids mostly after school from about 3-7 pm. Mornings and afternoons are dedicated to business/practice management and instructing OT students in their level two fieldwork experience. The tasks involved in running a … Read More
I am an acute care occupational therapist at a large Level I Trauma hospital in Denver, CO. My typical day consists of evaluating and treating 7-8 medically complex patients per day who are admitted to the hospital with a trauma, illness, or surgery. My goal as an occupational therapist is to help the person mobilize … Read More
Pros
Suitable for people who like to help and teach others.
Suitable for people who value relationships between co-workers and customers and want to work in a friendly non-competitive environment.
This career is perfect for people who love to work indoors.
One of the fastest-growing careers.
Cons
Not suitable for people who like to start and carry out projects.
It is very hard to get into this career. Extensive skills, knowledge, and experience are required for this career.
How much do they make
Average salary
Average hourly wage
Entry-level Occupational Therapists with little to no experience can expect to make anywhere between $57,330 to $70,880 per year or $28 to $34 per hour.
| Salary by experience | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Highest (Top 10%) | $122,670 | $59 |
| Senior (Top 25%) | $103,060 | $50 |
| Median | $86,280 | $41 |
| Junior (Bottom 25%) | $70,880 | $34 |
| No experience (Bottom 10%) | $57,330 | $28 |
This table shows the top 10 highest paying industries for Occupational Therapists based on their average annual salary.
| Salary by industry | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Child Day Care Services | $106070 | $51.00 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | $99850 | $48.00 |
| Continuing Care Retirement Communities and Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly | $94360 | $45.36 |
| Home Health Care Services | $94270 | $45.32 |
| Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities) | $91810 | $44.14 |
| Federal Executive Branch | $91140 | $43.82 |
| Outpatient Care Centers | $90760 | $43.63 |
| Offices of Physicians | $88650 | $42.62 |
| Specialty Hospitals | $88330 | $42.46 |
| Offices of Other Health Practitioners | $88220 | $42.41 |
View more salary by industries here.
Where can they work
Where can Occupational Therapists work? Here is a table showing the top 10 largest employers of Occupational Therapists including the average salary in that industry.
| Employers | Total Employed | Annual Salary | Hourly Wages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Offices of Other Health Practitioners | 33830 | $88220 | $42.41 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals | 28300 | $88200 | $42.40 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools | 15560 | $78890 | $37.93 |
| Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities) | 11370 | $91810 | $44.14 |
| Home Health Care Services | 10620 | $94270 | $45.32 |
| Specialty Hospitals | 6850 | $88330 | $42.46 |
| Offices of Physicians | 3230 | $88650 | $42.62 |
| Individual and Family Services | 3170 | $79420 | $38.18 |
| Outpatient Care Centers | 2120 | $90760 | $43.63 |
| Employment Services | 1780 | $85760 | $41.23 |
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What is the work day like
Working hours
Working schedule
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Telephone
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Group discussions
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Public speaking
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Frequency of conflict situations
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Dealing with angry people
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Dealing with physically aggressive people
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Level of competition
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Impact of decisions on co-workers or company results
What results do your decisions usually have on other people or the reputation or financial resources of your employer?
Frequency of decision making
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Responsibility for others’ health and safety
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Responsibility for outcomes and results
How much responsibility is there for the work outcomes and results of other workers?
What is the work environment like
Office-style environment
Indoors in an environmentally controlled condition
Warehouse-style environment
Indoors in a non-controlled environmental condition such as a warehouse
Outdoors
Outdoors exposed to all weather conditions
Outdoors – Under Cover
Outdoors but under cover (e.g. structure with roof but no walls)
How to become one
Difficulty to become one
Required level of education
What level of education do you need to perform the job?
Relevant majors
Occupational Therapy/Therapist
Relevant work experience
How much related work experience do you need to get hired for the job?
On The Job Training
How much on the job training do you need to perform the job?
Should you become one
Best personality type for this career
People with this personality type likes to work with people and in teams. They prefer work that allows them to build relationships with others.
People with The Builder personality type likes practical and hands-on work. They prefer working with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery.
People with The Thinker personality likes to work with ideas that require an extensive amount of thinking. They prefer work that requires them to solve problems mentally.
People with The Artist personality likes to work with designs and patterns. They prefer activities that require self-expression and prefer work that can be done without following a clear set of rules.
People with The Helper personality type likes to work with people and in teams. They prefer work that allows them to build relationships with others.
People with The Leader personality likes to start and work on projects. They also like leading people and making many decisions.
People with The Organizer personality type likes to follow set procedures and routines. They prefer working with data and details more than with ideas.
You can read more about these career personality types here.
People who are suitable for this job tend to like working with, communicating with, and teaching people. They like helping or providing service to others.
They also like working with ideas and require an extensive amount of thinking. They like searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
Take this quiz to see if this is the right career for you.
Work Values
Which values are the most important to a person’s satisfaction for this job?
You are someone who is results oriented. You prefer work that allows you to utilize your skills and abilities while at the same time giving you a sense of accomplishment.
You are someone who values job security, steady employment, and good working conditions. You also prefer work that keeps you busy all the time with something different to do every day.
You are someone who values job advancement and leadership roles. You prefer work that receives recognition for the work you do and jobs that are looked up to by others in the company and your community.
You are someone who likes to provide a service to others. You prefer a work environment where you can work with your co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment.
You are someone who values a company that stands behind their employees. You prefer a work environment where everyone is treated fairly and is being supported by the company.
You are someone who likes to work on your own and make your own decisions. You prefer work that requires little supervision and are allowed to try out your own ideas.
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