Highest Paying Cities for Occupational Therapist Jobs
| City | Hourly Wage | Annual Salary |
|---|
| Los Angeles, CA - Occupational Therapist Salary | $46.91 | $97,578 |
| Irvine, CA - Occupational Therapist Salary | $45.94 | $95,562 |
| Fairfax, VA - Occupational Therapist Salary | $45.48 | $94,603 |
| Minneapolis, MN - Occupational Therapist Salary | $45.37 | $94,363 |
Occupational therapy is a very challenging, yet very rewarding field. Like any other profession, however, it may not be the right choice for you. First, getting into an OT program is difficult. Competition is fierce, and most who apply for such programs do not get into them the first time they apply.
As it turns out, occupational therapists rate their career happiness 2.9 out of 5 stars which puts them in the bottom 27% of careers.
OT is actually tiring and boring and tedius, so why argue. Anyone who has done it for years will have to agree with that. I have done it many many years and am not a student. I think it is best to believe the ones who are actual workers rather than students.
These tasks include basic activities such as driving, getting dressed, eating, and even walking! OT interventions commonly include helping children or adults with disabilities, mental health issues, or severe injuries that may impede their physical and cognitive capabilities.
Find out what is the average Occupational Therapist salary
Entry level positions start at $39,350 per year while most experienced workers make up to $102,102 per year.One of the greatest advantages of a career in occupational therapy is the wide variety of opportunities available to occupational therapy graduates. Occupational therapy is a career for individuals who care about people and have a desire to learn, achieve, and contribute their best to society and the profession!
The purpose of Occupational Therapy (OT) is to help people increase their functional independence in daily life while preventing or minimizing disability. Often OT is combined with other treatments, including Physical Therapy.
Disadvantages of Being an OT
- Extensive Study Required. It is not easy to be an occupational therapist.
- Risk of Infection. You may have to deal with the messy fluids that come out of the bodies of your clients.
- Misbehavior by Patients.
- Physically Demanding.
- Long Work Hours.
- Emotionally Challenging.
In general, as a COTA, you can expect to earn an average of around $30 an hour. Keep in mind, though, that this is an average and general number. The hourly rate of a COTA can range from $13 to $50 an hour (!) as seen with the above varied salary ranges.
It is a respected field. Physicans today respect OTs more so than they did the past. Yes, you have a lot of autonomy. You get to develop your own plan of care and treat as you feel professionally is needed as long as you are within your scope of practice and skilled services are warranted.
OT vs PT: One Basic Difference
The main difference between occupational therapy and physical therapy is that OT focuses on improving a client's ability to perform activities of daily living (ADL) and PT focuses on improving a client's ability to perform movement of the human body.7 Best Undergraduate Majors for Occupational Therapy
- Psychology. Psychology was my undergraduate major and the same major as approximately 50% of my OT school cohort (no joke).
- Kinesiology/Exercise Science. Kinesiology and exercise science are also great majors for occupational therapists.
- Education.
- Business.
- Biology.
- Sociology.
- Whatever you're interested in!
Most occupational therapists work in hospitals or occupational therapy practices while others work in schools, physicians' offices, home health services and nursing homes. Occupational therapists in hospitals and other health care and community settings usually work a 40-hour week.
If you want the most possible job opportunities, you should go with physiotherapy. There are 5 times as many as there are occupational therapists. Occupational therapy focuses more on functional activities, more closely related to cognition, communication, fine motor activities, and skills.
Typical Day At Work
On a daily basis, Occupational Therapy Assistants perform clerical duties, such as scheduling appointments, collecting data, or documenting health insurance billings. They evaluate the daily living skills or capacities of physically, developmentally, or emotionally disabled clients.OT and PT school are definitely not easier than nursing. Different subject matter in some regards, but not an easy route, especially considering that OT/PT school are graduate level degrees and nursing is only a Bachelors.
In 2017, occupational therapists earned slightly less than physical therapists at a mean $40.69 per hour, or $84,640 per year. Their pay could fall below $26.23 per hour, or $54,560 per year, or reach above $57.91 per hour, or $120,440 per year.
What are the biggest issues in Occupational Therapy?
- Driving– First and foremost, occupational therapists can provide assessment to determine fitness to drive as people age.
- Dementia- Occupational therapists play an important role in working with individuals.
How long does it take to become an occupational therapist? It can take five to six years to complete the education required to become an occupational therapist.
Pretty casual, scrubs, jeans, t-shirts, nothing revealing. Do you work at a peds therapy gym? Acute care - scrubs. In hospital settings, it will usually be scrubs.
