Occupational Therapy

Types of Degrees Occupational Therapy Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many occupational therapy/therapist graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Master’s Degree	7,040
Doctor’s Degree	1,993
Bachelor’s Degree	793
Associate Degree	95
Graduate Certificate	37

What Occupational Therapy Majors Need to Know

O*NET surveyed people in occupations related to occupational therapy and asked them what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. The responses were rated on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being most important.

Knowledge Areas for Occupational Therapy Majors

Occupational Therapy majors often go into careers in which the following knowledge areas are important:

• Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Psychology - Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
• Therapy and Counseling - Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
• Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

Skills for Occupational Therapy Majors

occupational therapy majors are found most commonly in careers in which the following skills are important:

• 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.
• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
• Active Learning - Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.

Abilities for Occupational Therapy Majors

As you progress with your occupational therapy degree, there are several abilities you should pick up that will help you in whatever related career you choose. These abilities include:

• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
• Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

What Can You Do With a Occupational Therapy Major?

People with a occupational therapy degree often go into the following careers:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Health Specialties Professors	25.9%	$97,370
Low Vision Therapists, Orientation and Mobility Specialists, and Vision Rehabilitation Therapists	23.8%	$84,270
Occupational Therapists	23.8%	$84,270

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Occupational Therapy?

This major is dominated by women with about 91% of recent graduates being female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of occupational therapy majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	34
Black or African American	26
Hispanic or Latino	36
White	651
International Students	2
Other Races/Ethnicities	44

Geographic Diversity

Occupational Therapy appeals to people across the globe. About 0.3% of those with this major are international students.

How Much Do Occupational Therapy Majors Make?

Salaries According to BLS

Occupational Therapy majors often go into careers where salaries can range from $85,350 to $122,320 (25th to 75th percentile). This range includes all degree levels, so you may expect those with a more advanced degree to make more while those with less advanced degrees will typically make less.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Occupational Therapy

Some careers associated with occupational therapy require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

Find out what the typical degree level is for occupational therapy careers below.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	1.5%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)	0.9%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	1.4%
Bachelor’s Degree	20.5%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master.	4.5%
Master’s Degree	53.3%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level.	1.5%
First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession.	1.5%
Doctoral Degree	9.1%
Post-Doctoral Training	5.8%

Online Occupational Therapy Programs

In 2020-2021, 225 schools offered a occupational therapy program of some type. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	0	0
Certificate (2-4 Years)	0	0
Associate’s Degree	10	0
Bachelor’s Degree	10	1
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	176	3
Post-Master’s	3	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	21	2
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	88	11
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	6	2

Is a Degree in Occupational Therapy Worth It?

The median salary for a occupational therapy grad is $85,350 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 114% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $909,000 after 20 years!

Majors Related to Occupational Therapy

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to occupational therapy.

Major	Number of Grads
Physical Therapy/Therapist	13,655
Rehabilitation Science	1,161
Vocational Rehabilitation Counseling	1,046
Therapeutic Recreation/Recreational Therapy	870
Art Therapy	858
Other Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions	837
Music Therapy	665
Orthotist/Prosthetist	335
Assistive/Augmentative Technology and Rehabilitation Engineering	117
Kinesiotherapy/Kinesiotherapist	110
Animal-Assisted Therapy	85
Play Therapy	56
Dance Therapy	52
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions, General	28
Drama Therapy	0

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
• Image Credit: By Barbara E. Carver under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.