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According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), occupational therapists work to help clients improve, maintain, or retain physical activity and mental and emotional health in their daily living and work skills. A therapist's work is very hands-on, with occupational therapists helping clients to be productive and independent.

Occupational Therapist 2009 Salary Information Summary

According to BLS data, the median annual 2009 salary for occupational therapists nationwide was $69,630, with the top 10 percent earning $100,430. Salary.com lists the most recent median salary at $73,177, with the top 10 percent earning $85,453.

In 2009, BLS data shows that the following top five states paid their occupational therapists considerably more than the national figure:

1. California: $82,610
2. Nevada: $81,310
3. New Jersey: $80,030
4. Maryland: $78,990
5. Texas: $78,470

You may be able to attribute high salaries in California, New Jersey, and Maryland to the higher cost of living in those states--all three are ranked in the top ten most expensive states according to 2010 ACCRA data. Texas, however, falls in the top five least expensive states while Nevada cost of living falls into the middle third of all states.

Highest mean annual occupational therapist salaries in 2009 for selected metropolitan statistics areas (MSAs), coincide pretty closely with the state figures:

1. El Paso, TX: $96,470
2. San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, CA: $94,580
3. Laredo, TX: $90,130
4. Las Vegas-Paradise, NV: $89.770
5. Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA: $89,080

According to the BLS, industry sectors that paid their occupational therapists the highest 2009 mean annual salaries are:

1. Other schools and instruction: $88,770
2. Home health care services: $81,360
3. Employment services: $80,490
4. Physicians' offices: $78,660
5. Nursing care facilities: $75,710

Occupational Therapist Career Forecast

The BLS projects employment opportunities for occupational therapists to increase by 26 percent between 2008 and 2018. The states with the highest concentration of workers in 2009 were Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts. The MSAs with the highest concentration of workers in 2009 were Haverhill-North Andover-Amesbury, MA-NH, Prescott, AZ, and New Bedford, MA.

Occupational therapists can advance in their profession by taking on more supervisory duties and increased responsibility, as well teaching or training in a specialty, such as physical rehabilitation, pediatrics, mental health, or in gerontology, which is considered the highest job growth category. Enrolling in continuing education is an expectation for occupational therapists, and some states require continuing education to maintain a license. Emerging occupational therapist careers include ergonomic consulting, training the elderly, and driver rehabilitation. There may also be an increased demand for occupational therapists to staff programs for outpatient rehabilitation.

Occupational Therapist Training

To become an occupational therapist, you must attend a program that is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE), earn a master's degree or higher in occupational therapy, pass a national certification exam from the National Board for Certifying Occupational Therapists, and obtain a license in the state in which you plan to practice. Because states may have different state requirements, contact the state licensing board for specific details. Occupational therapists who pass the national certifying exam can use the title Occupational Therapist Registered (OTR).