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Occupational Therapist

Overview and Key Facts

Occupational therapist with child
Education
Education
Master's degree
Median Pay
Median Pay
$98,340
Job Growth
Job Growth
13.80%
(Above US Average)
Jobs in 2034
Jobs in 2034
182,100

What Do They Do?

An occupational therapist could...

 
Amputed leg on surfer
Help a patient figure out ways to continue the activities he or she loves to do after an amputation.
Teacher and child playing
Play specialized games with a developmentally delayed child to help him master fine motor skills.
OT and patient cutting apple
Help a newly disabled person relearn how to do daily tasks, like cooking in her own home.
Audio book player for blind person
Help patients find adaptive equipment that can assist them in their living and working environments.
 
Amputed leg on surfer Teacher and child playing OT and patient cutting apple Audio book player for blind person

Overview Listen to this section

Think of all the things you do as you go about your day, like putting on your shoes, buttoning your shirt, turning on a faucet, typing on a keyboard, going grocery shopping, picking up laundry, making a sandwich, or using a spoon. Now imagine trying to maintain your independence if an injury or illness made it difficult for you to use your hands, move your arms, or even walk. Occupational therapists are the healthcare providers who help people regain independence by developing or restoring their skills so they can continue functioning in their daily lives.
Watch this video to meet Aki Funahashi, a pediatric occupational therapist who works with infants, children, and adolescents who have a wide range of challenges, including genetic disorders, autism, cerebral palsy, developmental delays, and sensory processing disorders.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qY_JKPt7spc

Do You Have the Skills and Characteristics of an Occupational Therapist?


  1. Service Orientation: ?
  2. Active Listening: ?
  3. Monitoring: ?
  4. Social Perceptiveness: ?
  5. Writing: ?
More skills...

Core Tasks

Think about if you'd like the typical tasks an Occupational Therapist might do:
  • Test and evaluate patients' physical and mental abilities and analyze medical data to determine realistic rehabilitation goals for patients.
  • Complete and maintain necessary records.
  • Plan, organize, and conduct occupational therapy programs in hospital, institutional, or community settings to help rehabilitate persons with disabilities because of illness, injury or psychological or developmental problems.
  • Plan and implement programs and social activities to help patients learn work or school skills and adjust to handicaps.
  • Evaluate patients' progress and prepare reports that detail progress.
  • Select activities that will help individuals learn work and life-management skills within limits of their mental or physical capabilities.
  • Train caregivers in providing for the needs of a patient during and after therapy.
  • Lay out materials such as puzzles, scissors and eating utensils for use in therapy, and clean and repair these tools after therapy sessions.
  • 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.
  • Recommend changes in patients' work or living environments, consistent with their needs and capabilities.
  • Develop and participate in health promotion programs, group activities, or discussions to promote client health, facilitate social adjustment, alleviate stress, and prevent physical or mental disability.
  • Provide training and supervision in therapy techniques and objectives for students or nurses and other medical staff.
  • Help clients improve decision making, abstract reasoning, memory, sequencing, coordination, and perceptual skills, using computer programs.
  • Conduct research in occupational therapy.
  • Advise on health risks in the workplace or on health-related transition to retirement.

Salary & Job Openings

Median Salary (Yearly Pay)

Tap or scroll over map to see median salaries for each state

Future Jobs

Blast-Off:

How Will Occupational Therapist Jobs Grow by 2034?
Projected % Growth
Rapid growth
(10% or higher)
Much faster than average
(7% - 10%)
Faster than average
(5% - 7%)
About as fast as average
(3% - 5%)
Slower than average
(0% - 3%)
Decreasing
Average of all U.S. jobs (5.3%)
Occupational Therapist jobs (13.80%)
Source: https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables/occupational-projections-and-characteristics.htm

Steps to Get There: Becoming an Occupational Therapist

High School Subjects to Study

Aim to study the yellow-shaded subjects.
Math
Algebra 1
Geometry
Algebra 2
Pre-Calculus
Calculus
Statistics
Science
Biology
Chemistry
Physics
Environmental Science
Physiology
Bio-Medical / Biotech
IT &
Engineering
Computer Science
Applied Technology
Drafting & CAD Training
Core
English
Foreign Language
Business
Psychology / Sociology

Career Pathway Listen to this section

Occupational therapists are regulated in all 50 states. Individuals pursuing a career as an occupational therapist usually need to earn a post-baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university, or education that is deemed equivalent.

Education- Typical Degree Needed After High School Listen to this section

Degree
Post
high school credential
AA
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctoral or Professional Degree

Typical degree for an entry-level position: Master's degree ? Types of Degrees and Credentials

A master's degree or higher in occupational therapy is the typical minimum requirement for entry into the field. In addition, occupational therapists must attend an academic program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) in order to sit for the national certifying exam. In 2009, 150 master's degree programs or combined bachelor's and master's degree programs were accredited, and four doctoral degree programs were accredited. Most schools have full-time programs, although a growing number are offering weekend or part-time programs as well. Coursework in occupational therapy programs include the physical, biological, and behavioral sciences, as well as the application of occupational therapy theory and skills. All accredited programs require at least 24 weeks of supervised fieldwork as part of the academic curriculum.

People considering this profession should take high school courses in biology, chemistry, physics, health, art, and the social sciences. College admissions offices also look favorably on paid or volunteer experience in the healthcare field. Relevant undergraduate majors include biology, psychology, sociology, anthropology, liberal arts, and anatomy.

Companies That Hire Occupational Therapists

Try it Out with an Activity or Project

STEM Activities

STEM activities are fun hands-on explorations that usually take from 10 minutes to one hour and use readily available household or classroom materials while introducing you to STEM concepts common in this career.

Science Project Ideas

Project Ideas are in-depth STEM explorations that have a strong focus on controlling variables, taking accurate measurements, and analyzing data suitable for investigating the scientific method or the engineering design process.

On the Job

Role Models

Read this interview with occupational therapist Hanna Hildenbrand to see what her typical work day is like.
I chose to become an occupational therapist because of my early experiences, skills and interests. As a teenager, I became a camp counselor with the United Cerebral Palsy (UCP, http://www.ucp.org/) organization. 
Hanna Hildenbrand, M.S., Occupational Therapist
Read this interview with Lieutenant Colonel Karoline Harvey to learn how she's helping ensure soldiers are physically ready to return to active duty.
We do a lot of task analysis, that is, breaking down a task into its various components. You need to have a thorough understanding of how a task is completed, including what muscles are involved, the range of motion and the senses that are involved. 
Lieutenant Colonel Karoline Harvey
Watch these videos from the American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc. to hear how personal experiences with chronic illness, teaching, and being a veteran of the U.S. Marines inspired these students to pursue a career in occupational therapy.
I'm good with my hands. I like working with people. So I thought it would be a good career choice. 
Beki

Nature of the Work

Occupational therapists help patients improve their ability to perform tasks in living and working environments. They work with individuals who suffer from a mentally, physically, developmentally, or emotionally disabling condition. Occupational therapists use treatments to develop, recover, or maintain the daily living and work skills of their patients. The therapist helps clients not only to improve their basic motor functions and reasoning abilities, but also to compensate for permanent loss of function. The goal is to help clients have independent, productive, and satisfying lives.

Occupational therapists help clients perform all types of activities, from using a computer to caring for daily needs, such as dressing, cooking, and eating. Physical exercises might be used to increase strength and dexterity, while other activities might be chosen to improve visual acuity or the ability to discern patterns. For example, a client with short-term memory loss might be encouraged to make lists to aid recall, and a person with coordination problems might be assigned exercises to improve hand-eye coordination. Occupational therapists also use computer programs to help clients improve decision-making, abstract-reasoning, problem-solving, and perceptual skills, as well as memory, sequencing, and coordination—all of which are important for independent living.

Patients with permanent disabilities, such as spinal cord injuries, cerebral palsy, or muscular dystrophy, often need special instruction to master certain daily tasks. For these individuals, therapists demonstrate the use of adaptive equipment, including wheelchairs, orthoses, eating aids, and dressing aids. They also design or build special equipment needed at home or at work, including computer-aided adaptive equipment. They teach clients how to use the equipment to improve communication and to control various situations in their environment.

Some occupational therapists treat individuals whose ability to function in a work environment has been impaired. These practitioners might arrange employment, evaluate the work space, plan work activities, and assess the client's progress. Therapists also might collaborate with the client and the employer to modify the work environment so that the client can succeed at work.

Assessing and recording a client's activities and progress is an important part of an occupational therapist's job. Accurate records are essential for evaluating clients, for billing, and for reporting to physicians and other healthcare providers.

Occupational therapists might work exclusively with individuals in a particular age group or with a particular disability. In schools, for example, they evaluate children's capabilities, recommend and provide therapy, modify classroom equipment, and help children participate in school activities. A therapist might work with children individually, lead small groups in the classroom, consult with a teacher, or serve on an administrative committee. Some therapists provide early intervention therapy to infants and toddlers who have, or are at risk of having, developmental delays. Therapies might include facilitating the use of the hands and promoting skills for listening, following directions, social play, dressing, or grooming.

Other occupational therapists work with elderly patients. These therapists help the elderly lead more productive, active, and independent lives through a variety of methods. Therapists with specialized training in driver rehabilitation assess an individual's ability to drive using both clinical and on-the-road tests. The evaluations allow the therapist to make recommendations for adaptive equipment, training to prolong driving independence, and alternative transportation options. Occupational therapists also work with clients to assess their homes for hazards and to identify environmental factors that contribute to falls.

Occupational therapists in mental-health settings treat individuals who are mentally ill, developmentally challenged, or emotionally disturbed. To treat these problems, therapists choose activities that help people learn to engage in and cope with daily life. Activities might include time-management skills, budgeting, shopping, homemaking, and the use of public transportation. Occupational therapists also work with individuals who are dealing with alcoholism, drug abuse, depression, eating disorders, or stress-related disorders.

Work Environment

In large rehabilitation centers, therapists might work in spacious rooms equipped with machines, tools, and other devices that generate noise. The work can be tiring because therapists are on their feet much of the time. Therapists also face hazards, such as back strain, from lifting and moving clients and equipment.

Occupational therapists working for full-time for one employer usually work a 40-hour week. Around 31 percent of occupational therapists worked part-time. It is not uncommon for occupational therapists to work for more than one employer at multiple facilities, which might involve significant travel time. Those working in schools might participate in meetings and in other activities both during and after the school day.

More Information

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