What Do Occupational Therapists Do?

Job Description: 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.

Life as an Occupational Therapist (OT): What Do They Do?

• Complete and maintain necessary records.
• Provide training and supervision in therapy techniques and objectives for students or nurses and other medical staff.
• Consult with rehabilitation team to select activity programs or coordinate occupational therapy with other therapeutic activities.
• Design and create, or requisition, special supplies and equipment, such as splints, braces, and computer-aided adaptive equipment.
• Evaluate patients’ progress and prepare reports that detail progress.
• 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.

What Skills Do You Need to Work as an Occupational Therapist (OT)?

When polled, Occupational Therapists say the following skills are most frequently used in their jobs:

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.

Related Job Titles

• Early Intervention Occupational Therapist
• Assistive Technology Trainer
• Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist
• Pediatric Occupational Therapist
• Registered Occupational Therapist

Job Outlook for Occupational Therapists

In 2016, there was an estimated number of 130,400 jobs in the United States for Occupational Therapists.

New jobs are being produced at a rate of 23.8% which is lower than average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 31,000 new jobs for Occupational Therapists by 2026. There will be an estimated 10,200 positions for Occupational Therapist (OT) per year.

The states with the most job growth for Occupational Therapists are Texas, California, and New York.

Watch out if you plan on working in Delaware, Alaska, or Vermont. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.

Do Occupational Therapists Make A Lot Of Money?

The salary for Occupational Therapists ranges between about $55,490 and $120,750 a year. The median salary for this occupation is $84,270.

How much do Occupational Therapists make in different U.S. states?

Annual Mean Salary by State

State	Annual Mean Salary
Nevada	$100,970
New Jersey	$96,600
California	$95,160
Arizona	$94,800
District of Columbia	$94,360
Virginia	$93,010
Connecticut	$90,780
Oregon	$90,720
Colorado	$89,770
Texas	$89,360
Maryland	$89,230
New York	$88,370
Massachusetts	$87,160
Alaska	$86,860
Delaware	$86,020
Ohio	$85,720
Louisiana	$85,490
Utah	$85,300
Tennessee	$84,870
North Carolina	$84,390
Illinois	$83,940
Alabama	$83,810
Rhode Island	$83,600
Hawaii	$83,010
Oklahoma	$82,240
Georgia	$82,060
Wyoming	$82,010
Arkansas	$81,810
New Mexico	$81,660
Mississippi	$81,590
Florida	$81,520
Washington	$81,250
Idaho	$81,230
West Virginia	$81,080
Pennsylvania	$81,030
Iowa	$80,740
Indiana	$79,870
New Hampshire	$79,850
Kentucky	$79,460
Kansas	$78,720
South Carolina	$78,470
Michigan	$77,940
Nebraska	$76,850
Vermont	$76,840
Missouri	$75,120
Montana	$74,940
Minnesota	$74,050
Wisconsin	$73,390
Maine	$72,160
South Dakota	$69,390
North Dakota	$67,420

What Tools & Technology do Occupational Therapists Use?

Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Occupational Therapists may use on a daily basis:

• Microsoft Office
• Facebook
• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft Word

Where Occupational Therapists Work

You May Also Be Interested In…

Those thinking about becoming Occupational Therapists might also be interested in the following careers:

• Speech-Language Pathologists
• Career/Technical Education Teachers, Middle School

Are you already one of the many Occupational Therapists in the United States? If you’re thinking about changing careers, these fields are worth exploring:

• Low Vision Therapists, Orientation and Mobility Specialists, and Vision Rehabilitation Therapists

References

Bureau of Labor Statistics

College Factual

O*NET Online

Image Credit: Via Wikimedia Commons