Occupational Therapist Salary by State
How much occupational therapists earn in each state. SOC code 29-1122 (Occupational Therapists). Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025.
- National median wage$100,330Half earn more, half less
- National mean wage$101,280Average of all workers
- Median hourly wage$48.24Mean $48.69/hour
- U.S. employment162,450Wage & salary jobs
- Top-paying stateCalifornia$121,920 mean
- States with data51 / 51Others not published by BLS
How much do occupational therapists make?
Nationally, occupational therapists earn a median of $100,330 a year and a mean of $101,280 (BLS OEWS May 2025). The middle half of the occupation earns between $82,510 (25th percentile) and $116,670 (75th percentile); the bottom 10% earn under $71,690 and the top 10% more than $131,950.
That median is 2.0× the median for all U.S. occupations ($50,980).
By state, the mean wage ranges from $121,920 in California (highest) to $87,670 in North Dakota (lowest). After adjusting the median for each state’s price level, Arkansas comes out on top at $122,394 in national-average dollars.
National pay distribution
| Percentile | Annual | Monthly | Hourly |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $71,690 | $5,974 | $34.47 |
| 25th | $82,510 | $6,876 | $39.67 |
| Median | $100,330 | $8,361 | $48.24 |
| 75th | $116,670 | $9,722 | $56.09 |
| 90th | $131,950 | $10,996 | $63.44 |
| Mean | $101,280 | $8,440 | $48.69 |
25th and 75th percentile hourly figures are annual ÷ 2,080 hours.
Occupational Therapist salary in every state
Click a column heading to sort. Adjusted median = median × 100 ÷ BEA regional price parity (2024).
| State | Mean wage | Median wage | Median hourly | 10th pct | 90th pct | Adjusted median | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | $121,920 | $124,510 | $59.86 | $85,550 | $158,560 | $112,475 | 13,810 |
| Nevada | $112,290 | $110,520 | $53.13 | $85,720 | $139,260 | $110,520 | 1,080 |
| Oregon | $112,000 | $112,310 | $54.00 | $78,500 | $131,340 | $108,617 | 1,170 |
| Colorado | $111,620 | $106,720 | $51.31 | $81,390 | $157,820 | $103,511 | 3,390 |
| District of Columbia | $110,850 | $109,170 | $52.49 | $81,760 | $129,810 | $99,336 | 540 |
| New Jersey | $110,150 | $103,410 | $49.72 | $78,690 | $159,230 | $95,046 | 6,290 |
| Washington | $110,100 | $107,670 | $51.77 | $83,110 | $135,290 | $100,626 | 3,340 |
| Alaska | $108,000 | $103,680 | $49.85 | $82,320 | $133,860 | $101,250 | 410 |
| Texas | $107,630 | $106,140 | $51.03 | $76,350 | $135,200 | $109,310 | 13,400 |
| Maryland | $106,300 | $106,980 | $51.43 | $76,650 | $132,300 | $101,886 | 2,390 |
| Delaware | $105,190 | $102,130 | $49.10 | $71,280 | $138,640 | $102,335 | 490 |
| Arizona | $104,960 | $103,660 | $49.84 | $78,160 | $131,950 | $102,939 | 2,680 |
| Arkansas | $104,940 | $106,360 | $51.14 | $65,160 | $144,250 | $122,394 | 2,160 |
| Oklahoma | $104,370 | $104,300 | $50.14 | $68,530 | $134,420 | $118,793 | 1,180 |
| Connecticut | $102,140 | $102,440 | $49.25 | $76,360 | $127,630 | $98,880 | 3,150 |
| Virginia | $102,130 | $100,710 | $48.42 | $70,200 | $134,570 | $99,614 | 4,150 |
| New Mexico | $101,800 | $99,170 | $47.68 | $69,230 | $133,050 | $107,560 | 1,030 |
| Georgia | $101,460 | $104,010 | $50.01 | $75,290 | $128,610 | $108,006 | 3,650 |
| Hawaii | $100,280 | $102,870 | $49.46 | $78,670 | $118,240 | $93,518 | 390 |
| Idaho | $100,000 | $97,760 | $47.00 | $69,440 | $152,880 | $102,366 | 840 |
| Massachusetts | $99,730 | $100,930 | $48.53 | $73,140 | $127,380 | $95,397 | 6,510 |
| Illinois | $99,570 | $99,700 | $47.93 | $73,360 | $132,180 | $99,700 | 7,710 |
| Rhode Island | $99,380 | $100,040 | $48.10 | $75,760 | $126,630 | $97,791 | 770 |
| Pennsylvania | $98,460 | $98,440 | $47.33 | $69,120 | $128,790 | $100,861 | 6,560 |
| New York | $97,650 | $96,390 | $46.34 | $64,770 | $133,700 | $89,333 | 11,690 |
| Ohio | $97,390 | $99,390 | $47.78 | $70,080 | $123,800 | $107,101 | 6,760 |
| Utah | $97,210 | $97,150 | $46.71 | $75,570 | $126,970 | $98,231 | 1,030 |
| South Carolina | $97,180 | $101,130 | $48.62 | $75,370 | $123,110 | $107,930 | 1,840 |
| Kansas | $96,150 | $99,170 | $47.68 | $66,720 | $120,950 | $110,067 | 1,560 |
| Indiana | $96,090 | $97,020 | $46.65 | $69,550 | $119,950 | $103,987 | 3,830 |
| West Virginia | $95,810 | $96,190 | $46.25 | $60,870 | $129,460 | $107,475 | 700 |
| Alabama | $95,760 | $94,050 | $45.21 | $76,670 | $123,870 | $105,912 | 1,500 |
| Florida | $95,620 | $99,360 | $47.77 | $66,230 | $117,950 | $96,093 | 10,650 |
| Kentucky | $95,450 | $97,650 | $46.95 | $71,030 | $119,250 | $108,259 | 2,190 |
| Missouri | $95,200 | $97,290 | $46.77 | $71,880 | $120,130 | $107,148 | 3,400 |
| Tennessee | $95,080 | $97,700 | $46.97 | $68,520 | $119,070 | $106,311 | 2,490 |
| Mississippi | $93,430 | $94,930 | $45.64 | $73,200 | $113,950 | $109,115 | 1,340 |
| Vermont | $92,960 | $93,340 | $44.87 | $69,120 | $118,110 | $95,245 | 320 |
| Louisiana | $92,940 | $98,490 | $47.35 | $61,070 | $126,630 | $111,667 | 2,060 |
| Montana | $92,310 | $88,990 | $42.79 | $76,110 | $110,910 | $94,070 | 420 |
| Nebraska | $91,620 | $93,740 | $45.07 | $70,370 | $107,780 | $104,040 | 1,500 |
| Minnesota | $91,450 | $93,050 | $44.74 | $71,770 | $108,790 | $94,371 | 3,670 |
| North Carolina | $91,360 | $92,940 | $44.68 | $62,230 | $118,300 | $98,558 | 4,490 |
| Wisconsin | $91,150 | $92,390 | $44.42 | $73,610 | $110,950 | $98,183 | 3,710 |
| Wyoming | $90,790 | $86,170 | $41.43 | $57,740 | $127,790 | $92,956 | 350 |
| Iowa | $89,720 | $89,910 | $43.22 | $64,610 | $109,200 | $102,403 | 1,290 |
| Michigan | $89,150 | $89,910 | $43.23 | $66,580 | $105,720 | $93,462 | 5,120 |
| New Hampshire | $89,080 | $83,900 | $40.34 | $64,150 | $115,050 | $80,518 | 1,240 |
| South Dakota | $88,150 | $85,050 | $40.89 | $65,820 | $106,520 | $95,993 | 490 |
| Maine | $87,900 | $84,310 | $40.53 | $63,750 | $114,100 | $86,918 | 1,120 |
| North Dakota | $87,670 | $83,200 | $40.00 | $66,890 | $106,300 | $93,483 | 570 |
Highest median pay
- California — $124,510
- Oregon — $112,310
- Nevada — $110,520
- District of Columbia — $109,170
- Washington — $107,670
Lowest median pay
- North Dakota — $83,200
- New Hampshire — $83,900
- Maine — $84,310
- South Dakota — $85,050
- Wyoming — $86,170
Best pay after cost of living
- Arkansas — $122,394
- Oklahoma — $118,793
- California — $112,475
- Louisiana — $111,667
- Nevada — $110,520
The most occupational therapists work in California (13,810 jobs), Texas and New York.
Frequently asked questions
How much does an occupational therapist make?
The national median wage for occupational therapists is $100,330 a year and the mean is $101,280, according to BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates.
Which state pays occupational therapists the most?
California has the highest mean wage for occupational therapists at $121,920.
Which state pays occupational therapists the least?
North Dakota has the lowest mean wage for occupational therapists among states with published data, at $87,670.
Where do occupational therapists earn the most after cost of living?
Dividing each state’s median wage by its BEA price level, Arkansas ranks first at $122,394 in national-average dollars, followed by Oklahoma and California.