Occupational Therapists in California
Get the information you need to know about working as an Occupational Therapist.
You’re in luck! Jobs for Occupational Therapists in California are projected to grow and these jobs tend to pay higher than average.
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Projected employment for Occupational Therapists in California is growing faster than average.
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Occupational Therapists in California earn higher salaries than the typical U.S. wage earner.
What Major Will Prepare You For an Occupational Therapist Career?
How Many Occupational Therapists Work in California?
In 2018, there were 9,580 Occupational Therapists working in the state.
There were 10,620 Occupational Therapists employed in this state in 2017.
That’s a decline of 1,040 jobs between 2017 and 2018.
The typical state has 1,390 Occupational Therapists working in it, which means California has more Occupational Therapists than average.
Job Projections for California
Jobs for Occupational Therapists in this state are growing at a rate of 24.8% which is faster than the nationwide estimated projection of 23.8%.
California Annual Job Openings
The BLS is projecting 890 annual Occupational Therapists job openings in California, and 14,100 total jobs in the year 2026.
Nationwide, the prediction is 10,200 annual jobs and 161,400 total jobs in 2026.
What do Occupational Therapists Make in California?
In 2018 wages for Occupational Therapists ranged from $65,330 to $126,660 with $97,260 being the median annual salary.
Broken down to an hourly rate, workers in this field made anywhere from $31.41 to $60.89. The median hourly rate was $46.76.
Workers in this field were paid a median of $44.9 an hour in 2017.
The hourly rate grew by $1.86.
The median salary in California is higher than the nationwide median salary.
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Top California Metros for Occupational Therapists
The table below shows some of the metros in this state with the most Occupational Therapists.
| Metro | Number Employed | Annual Median Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 3,650 | $96,640 |
| San Diego-Carlsbad, CA | 1,180 | $92,660 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA | 1,070 | $105,770 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 760 | $100,940 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 520 | $98,230 |
| Sacramento–Roseville–Arden-Arcade, CA | 380 | $102,060 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | 250 | $95,290 |
| Fresno, CA | 230 | $94,190 |
| Modesto, CA | 130 | $85,030 |
| Santa Rosa, CA | 110 | $93,520 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | 110 | $90,850 |
| Bakersfield, CA | 100 | $92,710 |
| Vallejo-Fairfield, CA | 90 | $110,580 |
| Chico, CA | 80 | $103,150 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | 80 | $101,100 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | 70 | $112,520 |
| Visalia-Porterville, CA | 70 | $110,960 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA | 60 | $91,160 |
| Napa, CA | 50 | $96,140 |
Top States for Occupational Therapists Employment
The table below shows the states where most Occupational Therapists work.
| State | Number Employed | Annual Median Salary |
|---|---|---|
| New York | 9,740 | $83,530 |
| California | 9,580 | $97,260 |
| Texas | 9,250 | $87,780 |
| Pennsylvania | 7,440 | $78,340 |
| Florida | 6,750 | $84,870 |
| New Jersey | 5,380 | $95,090 |
| Illinois | 5,230 | $84,820 |
| Massachusetts | 4,830 | $87,940 |
| Ohio | 4,770 | $84,320 |
| Michigan | 4,580 | $74,750 |
| North Carolina | 3,470 | $84,700 |
| Wisconsin | 3,420 | $74,180 |
| Maryland | 3,370 | $90,790 |
| Colorado | 3,130 | $86,740 |
| Virginia | 3,070 | $92,110 |
| Indiana | 3,040 | $81,610 |
| Minnesota | 2,960 | $73,760 |
| Georgia | 2,920 | $82,880 |
| Washington | 2,780 | $80,300 |
| Missouri | 2,360 | $76,560 |
Below are the states where Occupational Therapists get paid the most:
| State | Annual Median Salary |
|---|---|
| California | $97,260 |
| New Jersey | $95,090 |
| Nevada | $94,300 |
| Virginia | $92,110 |
| District of Columbia | $91,950 |
| Arizona | $91,050 |
| Maryland | $90,790 |
| Oregon | $90,570 |
| Connecticut | $89,810 |
| Massachusetts | $87,940 |
Related Careers in California
You may also be interested in the following careers:
| Occupation | California Employment Total |
|---|---|
| Physical Therapists | 20,630 |
| Respiratory Therapists | 17,260 |
| Speech-Language Pathologists | 13,220 |
| Recreational Therapists | 1,630 |
| Radiation Therapists | 1,060 |
| Exercise Physiologists | 480 |
References
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
- College Factual
- National Center for Education Statistics
- O*NET Online
- Image Credit: By Barbara E. Carver under License
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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