What Does it Take to Be an Occupational Therapist?
Example of Occupational Therapist (OT) Job Assess, plan, organize, and participate in 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.
List of Occupational Therapist (OT) Job Duties
- Recommend changes in patients’ work or living environments, consistent with their needs and capabilities.
- Lay out materials such as puzzles, scissors and eating utensils for use in therapy, and clean and repair these tools after therapy sessions.
- Provide training and supervision in therapy techniques and objectives for students or nurses and other medical staff.
- Plan, organize, and conduct occupational therapy programs in hospital, institutional, or community settings to help rehabilitate those impaired because of illness, injury or psychological or developmental problems.
- Provide patients with assistance in locating or holding jobs.
- Test and evaluate patients’ physical and mental abilities and analyze medical data to determine realistic rehabilitation goals for patients.
Featured schools near , edit
What Every Occupational Therapist (OT) Should Know
Occupational Therapists state the following job skills are important in their day-to-day work.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Types of Occupational Therapist (OT) Jobs
- Rehabilitation Engineer
- Rehabilitation Supervisor
- Pediatric Occupational Therapist
- Staff Therapist
- Vocational Trainer
Is There Going to be Demand for Occupational Therapists?
In the United States, there were 130,400 jobs for Occupational Therapist in 2016. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 23.8% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 31,000 new jobs for Occupational Therapist by 2026. Due to new job openings and attrition, there will be an average of 10,200 job openings in this field each year.
The states with the most job growth for Occupational Therapist (OT) are Utah, Arizona, and Colorado. Watch out if you plan on working in Kansas, Rhode Island, or Minnesota. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Occupational Therapist (OT) Salary
Occupational Therapists make between $55,490 and $120,750 a year.
Occupational Therapists who work in California, New Jersey, or Nevada, make the highest salaries.
How much do Occupational Therapists make in different U.S. states?
| State | Annual Mean Salary |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $83,810 |
| Alaska | $86,860 |
| Arizona | $94,800 |
| Arkansas | $81,810 |
| California | $95,160 |
| Colorado | $89,770 |
| Connecticut | $90,780 |
| Delaware | $86,020 |
| District of Columbia | $94,360 |
| Florida | $81,520 |
| Georgia | $82,060 |
| Hawaii | $83,010 |
| Idaho | $81,230 |
| Illinois | $83,940 |
| Indiana | $79,870 |
| Iowa | $80,740 |
| Kansas | $78,720 |
| Kentucky | $79,460 |
| Louisiana | $85,490 |
| Maine | $72,160 |
| Maryland | $89,230 |
| Massachusetts | $87,160 |
| Michigan | $77,940 |
| Minnesota | $74,050 |
| Mississippi | $81,590 |
| Missouri | $75,120 |
| Montana | $74,940 |
| Nebraska | $76,850 |
| Nevada | $100,970 |
| New Hampshire | $79,850 |
| New Jersey | $96,600 |
| New Mexico | $81,660 |
| New York | $88,370 |
| North Carolina | $84,390 |
| North Dakota | $67,420 |
| Ohio | $85,720 |
| Oklahoma | $82,240 |
| Oregon | $90,720 |
| Pennsylvania | $81,030 |
| Rhode Island | $83,600 |
| South Carolina | $78,470 |
| South Dakota | $69,390 |
| Tennessee | $84,870 |
| Texas | $89,360 |
| Utah | $85,300 |
| Vermont | $76,840 |
| Virginia | $93,010 |
| Washington | $81,250 |
| West Virginia | $81,080 |
| Wisconsin | $73,390 |
| Wyoming | $82,010 |
Tools & Technologies Used by Occupational Therapists
Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Occupational Therapists:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Email software
- Word processing software
- Spreadsheet software
- FileMaker Pro
- Internet browser software
- HMS
- Text to speech software
- Screen reader software
- Screen magnification software
- Speech recognition software
- Bizmatics PrognoCIS EMR System
- Rehab Documentation Company ReDoc Suite
- BillingTracker
- Text scanning software
- Language arts educational software
- Math educational software
How do I Become an Occupational Therapist (OT)?
What education is needed to be an Occupational Therapist?
How many years of work experience do I need?
Other Jobs You May be Interested In
Those thinking about becoming an Occupational Therapist might also be interested in the following careers:
Career changers with experience as an Occupational Therapist sometimes find work in one of the following fields:
References:
Image Credit: Barbara E. Carver via Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported
More about our data sources and methodologies.
HealthcareDegreeSearch.com provides higher-education, college and university, degree, program, career, salary, and other helpful information to students, faculty, institutions, and other internet audiences. Presented information and data are subject to change. Inclusion on this website does not imply or represent a direct relationship with the company, school, or brand. Information, though believed correct at time of publication, may not be correct, and no warranty is provided. Contact the schools to verify any information before relying on it. Financial aid may be available for those who qualify. The displayed options may include sponsored or recommended results, not necessarily based on your preferences.
© HealthcareDegreeSearch.com – All Rights Reserved.