Healthcare · Career brief

Occupational Therapist

Is it a good career to pursue?

The 30-second read

Occupational Therapist at a glance

Six signals to look at before you spend time on the full guide.

1Pay

$100,330

High national median pay

2025 national median. Top quarter for pay among careers on ChooseField.

2Demand

14.8%

Strong projected growth

Projected employment growth for 2025–2035. Top 10% for growth among careers on ChooseField.

3Openings

10,000

Above the middle on opening volume

Average openings per year in 2025–2035, including replacement hiring. Above the middle of ChooseField careers for openings.

4Route in

Master's degree

Long formal preparation is part of the path

Master's degree. Prior related work is not typically required.

5The work

People-centered

Helping, teaching, or working directly with people matters

Test and evaluate patients' physical and mental abilities and analyze medical data to determine realistic rehabilitation goals for patients.

6The catch

Know this first

What could make this a poor fit

The work routinely happens in close physical proximity to other people; personal space is limited.

ChooseField take

The strongest national signals are pay and growth; each ranks in the top quarter of ChooseField careers. It makes the most sense if people-centered work appeals to you and you are comfortable with a master's-degree path. Main tradeoff: The work routinely happens in close physical proximity to other people; personal space is limited.

Before choosing, compare:Physical Therapist Registered Nurse Physician Assistant

National labor-market measures: BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. Work-profile signals: O*NET. See sources and caveats.

Compare Occupational Therapist with another field Explore rankings in Healthcare Open shareable infographic

Want the evidence behind the snapshot?

Market and path

Pay, outlook, and the route in

National median pay (2025)

$100,330

A midpoint for workers nationwide, not a starting salary.

2025–2035 outlook

14.8%employment growth10,000openings per year

Openings include replacement hiring, not only newly created jobs.

Typical entry route

Master's degree

BLS reports the usual education, related experience, and on-the-job training, not a guaranteed minimum for every employer.

2025 employment

169,600

Estimated workers in this occupation across the United States.

Source: BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 occupational projections ↗ · Occupational therapists (29-1122).

Actual responsibilities

What you would be trusted to own

Selected O*NET task statements, not a list of traits that applies to almost every career.

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.
Select activities that will help individuals learn work and life-management skills within limits of their mental or physical capabilities.

Decision-changing realities

What could make this a poor fit

The work routinely happens in close physical proximity to other people; personal space is limited.
The helping mission includes documentation, direct care, and safety-critical routines where a missed detail can affect a patient.

Work profile

What the work emphasizes

O*NET importance scores. Bars are relative to the highest score shown within this chart.

Documenting/Recording Information4.7
Assisting and Caring for Others4.6
Getting Information4.5
Making Decisions and Solving Problems4.4
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates4.3

Interest profile

Career interests

O*NET interest scores describe work someone may enjoy, not personality requirements. Bars are relative to the highest score shown within this chart.

Relative mix of the interest scores below, not percentages of your workday.

Social6.1
Investigative4.2
Realistic3.6
Conventional3.1
Artistic3.1
Enterprising1.8

Preparation

What the training must make you competent at

Subject matter

Therapy and Counseling Psychology Medicine and Dentistry Biology

Before choosing the major or training

Run a cheaper test first

Try an approved first-aid, CPR, patient-care, or health-science workshop. Use supervised training or simulation only.
Ask an early-career worker which beginner task consumes the most time, what makes new hires quit, and what school or training failed to simulate.

The fuller career guide

How the evidence fits together

The tradeoff that matters most

Occupational therapy offers strong projected growth but requires master's-level entry. The decision therefore turns on whether the role and settings justify graduate-school time and cost relative to adjacent healthcare careers.

Common questions

Questions people ask about this career

Is occupational therapy a good career?

Consider this field if its core work interests you: assess, plan, and organize 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. Try an introductory project, class, or permitted observation before committing to training. Compare the actual cost and required experience with entry-level work available where you plan to live.

OT salary

The national median annual wage in May 2025 was $100,330. This is a benchmark rather than an expected starting salary; actual compensation varies by experience, location, employer, specialty, credentials, and hours.

OT vs PT

Consider Occupational Therapist if you want to assess, plan, and organize 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. Consider Physical Therapist if you would rather assess, plan, organize, and participate in rehabilitative programs that improve mobility, relieve pain, increase strength, and improve or correct disabling conditions resulting from disease or injury. Compare a sample task and the qualification requirements for each before choosing between them.

Is OT school worth it?

Compare total program cost, clinical placements, licensing eligibility, completion outcomes, and local entry-level jobs. Try a permitted observation or introductory rehabilitation activity. Judge both the daily work of helping people perform activities and the cost of qualifying for it.

Adjacent options

Compare before committing

The useful question is not whether one field wins overall, but what changes when you choose a nearby path. Explore the full career guides for Physical Therapist, Registered Nurse, Physician Assistant, Athletic Trainers.