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Occupational Therapy

A program that prepares individuals to assist patients limited by physical, cognitive, psychosocial, mental, developmental, and learning disabilities, as well as adverse environmental conditions, to maximize their independence and maintain optimum health through a planned mix of acquired skills, performance motivation, environmental adaptations, assistive technologies, and physical agents. Includes instruction in the basic medical sciences, psychology, sociology, patient assessment and evaluation, standardized and non-standardized tests and measurements, assistive and rehabilitative technologies, ergonomics, environmental health, special education, vocational counseling, health education and promotion, and professional standards and ethics.

Types of Degrees Occupational Therapy Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Occupational Therapy have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Associate’s Degree	38
Bachelor’s Degree	505
Master’s Degree	5,855
Doctor’s Degree	4,062

What Occupational Therapy Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Occupational Therapy develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Occupational Therapy graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Occupational Therapy emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Psychology — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Therapy and Counseling — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set developed in a Occupational Therapy program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Active Listening — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Instructing — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Learning Strategies — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Occupational Therapy careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Occupational Therapy graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Documenting/Recording Information	4.4 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.3 / 7
Getting Information	4.3 / 7
Assisting and Caring for Others	4.2 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.2 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.1 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.1 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.1 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.0 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Occupational Therapy professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	—
Internet browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Ai Squared ZoomText	Device drivers or system software	—
Oracle Database	Data base user interface and query software	—
Ruby	Development environment software	—
Dolphin Lunar	Device drivers or system software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Occupational Therapy graduates include:

• Rehabilitation Specialist
• Global Mobility Specialist
• Orientation and Mobility Instructor (O and M Instructor)
• Orientation Specialist
• Vision Specialist
• Visually Impaired Teacher (TVI)
• Low Vision Therapist
• Blind Orientation and Mobility Therapist (Blind O and M Therapist)
• Rehabilitation Therapist
• Certified Low Vision Therapist (CLVT)
• Vision Rehabilitation Therapist (VRT)
• Mobility Specialist
• Rehabilitation Teacher
• Students with Visual Impairments Teacher (TVI)
• Certified Vision Rehabilitation Therapist (CVRT)

What Can You Do With a Occupational Therapy Degree?

Graduates with a degree in Occupational Therapy commonly enter the following occupations:

Occupation	Job Growth	Median Salary	25th–75th Pctile
Low Vision Therapists, Orientation and Mobility Specialists, and Vision Rehabilitation Therapists	-1.5%	$124,839	$99,454–$150,225
Occupational Therapists	-4.2%	$82,501	$69,012–$95,990
Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary	10.7%	$46,663	$40,304–$53,022

^{Job-growth = projected employment change for the parent occupation. Source: ONET / BLS Employment Projections.*}

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Occupational Therapy graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Master’s degree	63.5%
Bachelor’s degree	15.2%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	10.2%
Doctoral degree	4.4%
Post-doctoral training	3.4%
Post-master’s certificate	2.0%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	0.8%
Postsecondary certificate	0.5%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Occupational Therapy?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 90.5% of Occupational Therapy degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	9,471	90.5%
Men	989	9.5%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Occupational Therapy graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	6,910	66.1%
Asian	790	7.6%
Hispanic or Latino	1,088	10.4%
Black or African American	606	5.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native	39	0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	13	0.1%
Two or More Races	294	2.8%
Race Unknown	588	5.6%
International Students	132	1.3%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Occupational Therapy Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Occupational Therapy graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$67,332
4 years	$70,102
5 years	$75,167

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $75,167 — roughly 12% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Occupational Therapy Programs

Distance learning is tracked by IPEDS for Occupational Therapy. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Bachelor’s	1	3
Master’s	7	11
Doctoral (Research)	3	4

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Occupational Therapy Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Occupational Therapy graduates earn a median of $70,102 four years after completion — roughly 84% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions	29,603
Physical Therapy/Therapist	13,424
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions, Other	2,445
Rehabilitation Science	1,107
Art Therapy/Therapist	768
Therapeutic Recreation/Recreational Therapy	722
Music Therapy/Therapist	651
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions, Other	621
Orthotist/Prosthetist	408
Advanced General Dentistry	238
Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences, Other	150
Kinesiotherapy/Kinesiotherapist	121

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.