Best programs to become an occupational therapist
BLS lists a master's degree as the typical entry-level education for occupational therapists. The field of study that leads most directly to this job is Occupational Therapy/Therapist (IPEDS completions).
1 college program at 250 schools trains occupational therapists, graduating 9,796 people a year (IPEDS completions). The job pays a median of $100,330 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
About occupational therapists
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. Use therapeutic techniques, adapt the individual's environment, teach skills, and modify specific tasks that present barriers to the individual.
Occupational therapists (OTs) are health care professionals specializing in occupational therapy and occupational science. OTs and occupational therapy assistants (OTAs) use scientific bases and a holistic perspective to promote a person's ability to fulfill their daily routines and roles. OTs have training in the physical, psychological, and social aspects of human functioning deriving from an education grounded in anatomical and physiological concepts, and psychological perspectives. They enable individuals across the lifespan by optimizing their abilities to perform activities that are meaningful to them ("occupations"). Human occupations include activities of daily living, work/vocation, play, education, leisure, rest and sleep, and social participation.
Read more on Wikipedia →Best programs to study to become an occupational therapist
Ranked by graduates per year (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are College Scorecard figures for people who finished the program, reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. That is a different measurement from the occupation-wide wages further down this page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 51.2306 | 9,796 | 100.0% | 250 | $35,966 | $26,323 |
Top 50 schools by graduates into this job
Counting every feeder program a school offers, not just its largest one.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences San Marcos, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 612 | Occupational Therapy/Therapist | — | — | — |
| 2 | Texas Woman's University Denton, TX Public · 1 feeder program | 138 | Occupational Therapy/Therapist | 49% | — | 96% |
| 3 | Eastern Kentucky University Richmond, KY Public · 1 feeder program | 129 | Occupational Therapy/Therapist | 50% | — | 78% |
| 4 | Thomas Jefferson University Philadelphia, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 128 | Occupational Therapy/Therapist | 69% | $26,034 | 81% |
| 5 | Creighton University Omaha, NE Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 122 | Occupational Therapy/Therapist | 83% | $27,353 | 80% |
| 6 | University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 121 | Occupational Therapy/Therapist | 92% | $26,873 | 10% |
| 7 | Stanbridge University Irvine, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 118 | Occupational Therapy/Therapist | 62% | $25,244 | 10% |
| 8 | Baylor University Waco, TX Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 107 | Occupational Therapy/Therapist | 80% | $35,682 | 51% |
| 9 | University of Missouri - Columbia Columbia, MO Public · 1 feeder program | 98 | Occupational Therapy/Therapist | 75% | — | 78% |
| 10 | University of New Hampshire - Main Campus Durham, NH Public · 1 feeder program | 98 | Occupational Therapy/Therapist | 76% | — | 88% |
| 11 | Ithaca College Ithaca, NY Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 91 | Occupational Therapy/Therapist | 76% | $28,970 | 69% |
| 12 | Belmont University Nashville, TN Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 86 | Occupational Therapy/Therapist | 71% | $29,246 | 95% |
| 13 | Saint Louis University Saint Louis, MO Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 86 | Occupational Therapy/Therapist | 80% | $24,886 | 75% |
| 14 | Shenandoah University Winchester, VA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 83 | Occupational Therapy/Therapist | 67% | $27,455 | 77% |
| 15 | Quinnipiac University Hamden, CT Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 82 | Occupational Therapy/Therapist | 76% | $36,137 | 72% |
| 16 | University of Alabama at Birmingham Birmingham, AL Public · 1 feeder program | 82 | Occupational Therapy/Therapist | 64% | — | 88% |
| 17 | University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus Pittsburgh, PA Public · 1 feeder program | 78 | Occupational Therapy/Therapist | 85% | — | 58% |
| 18 | Elizabethtown College Elizabethtown, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 77 | Occupational Therapy/Therapist | 76% | $22,907 | 78% |
| 19 | Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale Fort Lauderdale, FL Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 76 | Occupational Therapy/Therapist | 61% | $35,483 | 97% |
| 20 | Medical University of South Carolina Charleston, SC Public · 1 feeder program | 75 | Occupational Therapy/Therapist | — | — | — |
| 21 | West Coast University - Center for Graduate Studies Los Angeles, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 73 | Occupational Therapy/Therapist | — | — | — |
| 22 | Boston University Boston, MA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 72 | Occupational Therapy/Therapist | 89% | $21,956 | 11% |
| 23 | San Jose State University San Jose, CA Public · 1 feeder program | 72 | Occupational Therapy/Therapist | 69% | — | 85% |
| 24 | Misericordia University Dallas, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 70 | Occupational Therapy/Therapist | 72% | $22,477 | 71% |
| 25 | Western Michigan University Kalamazoo, MI Public · 1 feeder program | 69 | Occupational Therapy/Therapist | 58% | — | 85% |
| 26 | Drexel University Philadelphia, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 68 | Occupational Therapy/Therapist | 78% | $36,004 | 79% |
| 27 | California State University - Dominguez Hills Carson, CA Public · 1 feeder program | 67 | Occupational Therapy/Therapist | 43% | — | 93% |
| 28 | Lenoir - Rhyne University Hickory, NC Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 67 | Occupational Therapy/Therapist | 48% | $23,920 | 85% |
| 29 | Bay Path University Longmeadow, MA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 66 | Occupational Therapy/Therapist | 44% | $16,859 | 85% |
| 30 | Columbia University in the City of New York New York, NY Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 66 | Occupational Therapy/Therapist | 96% | $15,315 | 4% |
| 31 | The College of Saint Scholastica Duluth, MN Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 66 | Occupational Therapy/Therapist | 71% | $21,150 | 93% |
| 32 | Concordia University - Wisconsin Mequon, WI Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 65 | Occupational Therapy/Therapist | 68% | $24,409 | 78% |
| 33 | Long Island University Brookville, NY Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 64 | Occupational Therapy/Therapist | 57% | $24,639 | 86% |
| 34 | Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Lubbock, TX Public · 1 feeder program | 64 | Occupational Therapy/Therapist | — | — | — |
| 35 | Brenau University Gainesville, GA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 63 | Occupational Therapy/Therapist | 33% | $21,115 | 88% |
| 36 | Mount Mary University Milwaukee, WI Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 63 | Occupational Therapy/Therapist | 43% | $18,836 | 62% |
| 37 | The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston Galveston, TX Public · 1 feeder program | 62 | Occupational Therapy/Therapist | — | — | — |
| 38 | Touro University New York, NY Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 62 | Occupational Therapy/Therapist | 72% | $27,110 | 61% |
| 39 | Eastern Michigan University Ypsilanti, MI Public · 1 feeder program | 61 | Occupational Therapy/Therapist | 46% | — | 80% |
| 40 | Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Boston, MA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 61 | Occupational Therapy/Therapist | 62% | $35,358 | 85% |
| 41 | Grand Valley State University Allendale, MI Public · 1 feeder program | 60 | Occupational Therapy/Therapist | 67% | — | 83% |
| 42 | The University of Montana Missoula, MT Public · 1 feeder program | 60 | Occupational Therapy/Therapist | 48% | — | 96% |
| 43 | Midwestern University - Glendale Glendale, AZ Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 59 | Occupational Therapy/Therapist | — | — | — |
| 44 | Moravian University Bethlehem, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 59 | Occupational Therapy/Therapist | 72% | $28,454 | 54% |
| 45 | Dominican University of California San Rafael, CA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 58 | Occupational Therapy/Therapist | 78% | $48,448 | 83% |
| 46 | Saginaw Valley State University University Center, MI Public · 1 feeder program | 58 | Occupational Therapy/Therapist | 48% | — | 72% |
| 47 | University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee Milwaukee, WI Public · 1 feeder program | 58 | Occupational Therapy/Therapist | 49% | — | 91% |
| 48 | Duquesne University Pittsburgh, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 57 | Occupational Therapy/Therapist | 77% | $32,060 | 84% |
| 49 | University of Florida Gainesville, FL Public · 1 feeder program | 57 | Occupational Therapy/Therapist | 91% | — | 24% |
| 50 | University of Scranton Scranton, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 56 | Occupational Therapy/Therapist | 80% | $25,834 | 81% |
Fields of study that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level, the tier our program pages are built on. Numbers are graduates per year.
What occupational therapists earn
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
Top-paying states
Top-paying metro areas
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Where the jobs are, state by state
Pick a state for in-state pay, the schools there, and the programs they run.
| State | Median pay | Jobs | Concentration | Schools | Graduates / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | $124,510 | 13,810 | 0.73× | 12 | 1,268 |
| Pennsylvania | $98,440 | 6,560 | 1.04× | 22 | 1,018 |
| New York | $96,390 | 11,690 | 1.15× | 27 | 901 |
| Texas | $106,140 | 13,400 | 0.91× | 10 | 512 |
| Massachusetts | $100,930 | 6,510 | 1.71× | 11 | 489 |
| Michigan | $89,910 | 5,120 | 1.11× | 11 | 337 |
| Florida | $99,360 | 10,650 | 1.03× | 9 | 332 |
| Missouri | $97,290 | 3,400 | 1.11× | 7 | 327 |
| North Carolina | $92,940 | 4,490 | 0.87× | 9 | 283 |
| Tennessee | $97,700 | 2,490 | 0.73× | 8 | 281 |
| Wisconsin | $92,390 | 3,710 | 1.21× | 7 | 277 |
| Ohio | $99,390 | 6,760 | 1.17× | 10 | 265 |
| Illinois | $99,700 | 7,710 | 1.21× | 11 | 260 |
| Virginia | $100,710 | 4,150 | 0.97× | 7 | 252 |
| Indiana | $97,020 | 3,830 | 1.14× | 8 | 223 |
| Kentuckymoderate | $97,650 | 2,190 | 1.05× | 4 | 201 |
| Nebraskamoderate | $93,740 | 1,500 | 1.40× | 4 | 190 |
| Alabama | $94,050 | 1,500 | 0.68× | 5 | 166 |
| Minnesotamoderate | $93,050 | 3,670 | 1.19× | 3 | 160 |
| Connecticutmoderate | $102,440 | 3,150 | 1.77× | 3 | 154 |
| Georgiamoderate | $104,010 | 3,650 | 0.72× | 4 | 150 |
| New Jersey | $103,410 | 6,290 | 1.41× | 5 | 144 |
| Arizonalimited | $103,660 | 2,680 | 0.79× | 2 | 106 |
| Arkansasmoderate | $106,360 | 2,160 | 1.59× | 4 | 103 |
| Iowamoderate | $89,910 | 1,290 | 0.79× | 3 | 102 |
| New Hampshirelimited | $83,900 | 1,240 | 1.74× | 1 | 98 |
| Washingtonmoderate | $107,670 | 3,340 | 0.90× | 3 | 96 |
| South Carolinalimited | $101,130 | 1,840 | 0.76× | 2 | 94 |
| Louisianamoderate | $98,490 | 2,060 | 1.02× | 3 | 92 |
| Montanalimited | $88,990 | 420 | 0.79× | 2 | 85 |
| North Dakotalimited | $83,200 | 570 | 1.26× | 2 | 85 |
| Rhode Islandlimited | $100,040 | 770 | 1.47× | 2 | 68 |
| Mainemoderate | $84,310 | 1,120 | 1.68× | 3 | 67 |
| District of Columbiamoderate | $109,170 | 540 | 0.74× | 3 | 64 |
| Coloradolimited | $106,720 | 3,390 | 1.13× | 2 | 62 |
| Marylandmoderate | $106,980 | 2,390 | 0.83× | 3 | 57 |
| Kansaslimited | $99,170 | 1,560 | 1.04× | 2 | 56 |
| Oklahomalimited | $104,300 | 1,180 | 0.66× | 2 | 55 |
| Nevadalimited | $110,520 | 1,080 | 0.67× | 2 | 53 |
| Utahlimited | $97,150 | 1,030 | 0.57× | 2 | 45 |
| Mississippilimited | $94,930 | 1,340 | 1.10× | 2 | 38 |
| Oregonlimited | $112,310 | 1,170 | 0.57× | 1 | 37 |
| West Virginialimited | $96,190 | 700 | 0.96× | 1 | 36 |
| Idaholimited | $97,760 | 840 | 0.93× | 1 | 23 |
| South Dakotalimited | $85,050 | 490 | 1.02× | 1 | 23 |
| New Mexicolimited | $99,170 | 1,030 | 1.14× | 1 | 19 |
| Vermontlimited | $93,340 | 320 | 1.02× | 1 | 16 |
| Delawarelimited | $102,130 | 490 | 0.96× | 1 | 10 |
Skills and knowledge
From O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupational database. Importance is a 1 to 5 scale.
What they do day to day
- 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.
- Select activities that will help individuals learn work and life-management skills within limits of their mental or physical capabilities.
- Evaluate patients' progress and prepare reports that detail progress.
- 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.
Skills
- Active Listening4.1
- Speaking4.0
- Learning Strategies3.9
- Reading Comprehension3.9
- Monitoring3.9
- Writing3.9
- Active Learning3.8
- Critical Thinking3.8
Knowledge areas
- Psychology4.2
- English Language4.2
- Therapy and Counseling4.1
- Education and Training4.0
- Customer and Personal Service3.9
- Medicine and Dentistry3.4
Abilities
- Oral Expression4.1
- Problem Sensitivity4.0
- Oral Comprehension3.9
- Written Comprehension3.9
- Written Expression3.9
- Speech Clarity3.8
Core activities
- Documenting/Recording Information4.5
- Assisting and Caring for Others4.5
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems4.4
- Getting Information4.3
- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships4.2
- Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work4.1
How to get in
How to become an occupational therapist
- Typical entry education
- Master's degree
Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 1 majors mapped to Occupational Therapists1 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 51.2306Occupational Therapy/Therapist
Related careers
Jobs O*NET identifies as close to this one, with their own pay and outlook.
Common questions
What degree do you need to become an occupational therapist?+
BLS lists a master's degree as the typical entry-level education for occupational therapists. The field of study that leads most directly to this job is Occupational Therapy/Therapist (IPEDS completions).
Which college majors lead to becoming an occupational therapist?+
The field of study that leads most directly to this job is Occupational Therapy/Therapist (IPEDS completions). In all, the NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 1 program to this job, which graduates about 9,796 people a year.
How much do occupational therapists earn?+
The median is $100,330 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). The middle range runs from $71,690 at the 10th percentile to $131,950 at the 90th. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for occupational therapists growing?+
BLS projects a +13.8% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, much faster than average, with roughly 10,200 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career?+
250 institutions reported graduates from at least one of the 1 program that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do occupational therapists work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Occupational Therapist (OT), Certified Hand Therapist (CHT), Visually Impaired Teacher (TVI), Vision Rehabilitation Therapist (VRT), Registered Occupational Therapist (OTR), Pediatric Occupational Therapist (Pediatric OT) among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 29-1122.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024-25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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