BLS occupational therapist pay in every state, school vs home health pay, part-time hours and take-home after 2026 tax
Occupational therapists earned a median salary of $100,330 in May 2025 — $48.24 an hour — according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which counted 162,450 OTs. The middle half earned between $82,510 and $116,670, and the top tenth over $131,950. Because part-time work is common, compare offers by the hourly figure.
This is the BLS line for occupational therapists (SOC 29-1122) on employers' payrolls. Occupational therapy assistants and aides are separate occupations, and self-employed therapists aren't counted. Take-home assumes a single filer with 2026 federal tax and FICA and no state tax.
| Pay level | Hourly | Annual | Monthly | Take-home a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $34.47 | $71,690 | $5,974 | $59,264 |
| 25th percentile | $39.67 | $82,510 | $6,876 | $66,876 |
| Median | $48.24 | $100,330 | $8,361 | $79,412 |
| 75th percentile | $56.09 | $116,670 | $9,723 | $90,907 |
| 90th percentile | $63.44 | $131,950 | $10,996 | $101,454 |
California pays OTs the most at $124,510, and it also employs the most, 13,810, just ahead of Texas (13,400, $106,140). Oregon ($112,310) and Nevada ($110,520) are next. North Dakota ($83,200) and New Hampshire ($83,900) are lowest; New York, the third-largest employer, pays $96,390.
| State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $59.86 | $124,510 | 13,810 |
| Oregon | $54.00 | $112,310 | 1,170 |
| Nevada | $53.13 | $110,520 | 1,080 |
| District of Columbia | $52.49 | $109,170 | 540 |
| Washington | $51.77 | $107,670 | 3,340 |
| Maryland | $51.43 | $106,980 | 2,390 |
| Colorado | $51.31 | $106,720 | 3,390 |
| Arkansas | $51.14 | $106,360 | 2,160 |
| Texas | $51.03 | $106,140 | 13,400 |
| Oklahoma | $50.14 | $104,300 | 1,180 |
| Georgia | $50.01 | $104,010 | 3,650 |
| Alaska | $49.85 | $103,680 | 410 |
| Arizona | $49.84 | $103,660 | 2,680 |
| New Jersey | $49.72 | $103,410 | 6,290 |
| Hawaii | $49.46 | $102,870 | 390 |
| Connecticut | $49.25 | $102,440 | 3,150 |
| Delaware | $49.10 | $102,130 | 490 |
| South Carolina | $48.62 | $101,130 | 1,840 |
| Massachusetts | $48.53 | $100,930 | 6,510 |
| Virginia | $48.42 | $100,710 | 4,150 |
| Rhode Island | $48.10 | $100,040 | 770 |
| Illinois | $47.93 | $99,700 | 7,710 |
| Ohio | $47.78 | $99,390 | 6,760 |
| Florida | $47.77 | $99,360 | 10,650 |
| Kansas | $47.68 | $99,170 | 1,560 |
| New Mexico | $47.68 | $99,170 | 1,030 |
| Louisiana | $47.35 | $98,490 | 2,060 |
| Pennsylvania | $47.33 | $98,440 | 6,560 |
| Idaho | $47.00 | $97,760 | 840 |
| Tennessee | $46.97 | $97,700 | 2,490 |
| Kentucky | $46.95 | $97,650 | 2,190 |
| Missouri | $46.77 | $97,290 | 3,400 |
| Utah | $46.71 | $97,150 | 1,030 |
| Indiana | $46.65 | $97,020 | 3,830 |
| New York | $46.34 | $96,390 | 11,690 |
| West Virginia | $46.25 | $96,190 | 700 |
| Mississippi | $45.64 | $94,930 | 1,340 |
| Alabama | $45.21 | $94,050 | 1,500 |
| Nebraska | $45.07 | $93,740 | 1,500 |
| Vermont | $44.87 | $93,340 | 320 |
| Minnesota | $44.74 | $93,050 | 3,670 |
| North Carolina | $44.68 | $92,940 | 4,490 |
| Wisconsin | $44.42 | $92,390 | 3,710 |
| Michigan | $43.23 | $89,910 | 5,120 |
| Iowa | $43.22 | $89,910 | 1,290 |
| Montana | $42.79 | $88,990 | 420 |
| Wyoming | $41.43 | $86,170 | 350 |
| South Dakota | $40.89 | $85,050 | 490 |
| Maine | $40.53 | $84,310 | 1,120 |
| New Hampshire | $40.34 | $83,900 | 1,240 |
| North Dakota | $40.00 | $83,200 | 570 |
Home health care ($106,300) and skilled nursing facilities ($105,850) pay OTs the most, then hospitals ($102,820). Therapy offices, the largest employer, pay $97,940, and schools $87,300 (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook).
| Industry | Median annual wage |
|---|---|
| Home healthcare services | $106,300 |
| Nursing care facilities (skilled nursing facilities) | $105,850 |
| Hospitals; state, local, and private | $102,820 |
| Offices of physical, occupational and speech therapists, and audiologists | $97,940 |
| Educational services; state, local, and private | $87,300 |
Most occupational therapists work full time, but part-time work is common, and some work nights or weekends to fit clients' schedules. Therapy offices employ 28% of OTs, hospitals 26%, schools 13%, home health 8% and skilled nursing facilities 7%; home health therapists travel to clients' homes. Lifting and moving clients gives OTs one of the highest injury rates of any occupation (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook).
An OT paid a salary of at least $684 a week in a role requiring the master's-level training can be treated as an exempt professional (DOL Fact Sheet #17D). Therapists paid by the hour are owed time and a half after 40 hours worked in a workweek, and the OOH's industry table shows home health, where therapists travel to clients, paying the most.
Part-time schedules are common for OTs, and school-based therapists often work a school calendar. The table turns the BLS median and 75th percentile hourly wages into a year's pay at common part-time weekly hours over 52 weeks, so you can see what dropping a day is worth before you ask for it.
| Hours a week | At the median | At the 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|
| 20 | $50,170 | $58,334 |
| 24 | $60,204 | $70,000 |
| 30 | $75,254 | $87,500 |
| 32 | $80,271 | $93,334 |
| 36 | $90,305 | $105,000 |
| 40 | $100,339 | $116,667 |
OTs typically need a master's degree in occupational therapy, which takes 2 to 3 years after a bachelor's and includes supervised fieldwork; some schools offer a combined bachelor's-master's program. All states require a license, which means passing a qualifying exam after an accredited program — passing it also earns the title Occupational Therapist Registered (OTR) — plus continuing education to keep it (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook).
More ways to work with your occupational therapist pay:
$100,330 a year ($48.24 an hour) at the BLS median for May 2025. The middle half earned $82,510 to $116,670.
California ($59.86 an hour, $124,510 a year), then Oregon and Nevada; North Dakota pays least among the 51 states where BLS released a figure (BLS, May 2025).
Yes, on BLS figures. In the Occupational Outlook Handbook's industry table, schools have the lowest OT median of the five listed, and home health care and skilled nursing facilities the highest. School therapists often work a school-year calendar, which the annual figure doesn't show.
Occupational Therapist Registered: the title therapists can use after graduating from an accredited program with fieldwork and passing the qualifying exam, which is also the core of state licensing (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook). BLS doesn't publish a separate wage for it.
Tax rules, limits and pay data change. Check the current figures with the primary source before acting on them.