Career Overview
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.
Also Known As
- Certified Hand Therapist (CHT)
- Occupational Therapist (OT)
- Pediatric Occupational Therapist (Pediatric OT)
- Registered Occupational Therapist (OTR)
Alternate Job Titles
- Acute Care OT (Acute Care Occupational Therapist)
- Assistive Technology Trainer
- Certified Hand Therapist (CHT)
- Early Intervention Occupational Therapist
- Home Care Occupational Therapist (Home Care OT)
- Home Health Occupational Therapist
- Independent Living Specialist
- Industrial Rehabilitation Consultant
- Industrial Therapist
- Inpatient Occupational Therapist (Inpatient OT)
- Job Trainer
- Occupational Therapist (OT)
- Outpatient Occupational Therapist (Outpatient OT)
- Pediatric Occupational Therapist (Pediatric OT)
- Pediatrics and Acute Care Occupational Therapist
What You'll Do
In this role, your typical responsibilities include:
- 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.
Emerging Responsibilities
As this field evolves, you may also:
- Recommend adaptive equipment to individuals to increase independence in daily living activities.
Knowledge You'll Use
You'll need solid knowledge in these areas:
- Therapy and Counseling
- Psychology
- Customer and Personal Service
- Medicine and Dentistry
- English Language
- Education and Training
Essential Skills
Success in this career requires strong skills in:
- Active Listening
- Monitoring
- Service Orientation
- Reading Comprehension
- Writing
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Social Perceptiveness
- Instructing
- Judgment and Decision Making
Key Abilities
This career requires key abilities in:
- Oral Expression
- Written Expression
- Problem Sensitivity
- Deductive Reasoning
- Inductive Reasoning
- Oral Comprehension
- Information Ordering
- Speech Recognition
- Written Comprehension
- Speech Clarity
Work Style
People who excel in this career typically demonstrate:
- Empathy
- Cooperation
- Attention to Detail
- Dependability
- Social Orientation
What Matters in This Career
This career tends to satisfy these work values:
- Relationships
- Achievement
- Working Conditions
- Independence
- Support
Education & Preparation
Typical Education: Master's Degree
Related Work Experience Needed: Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year
On-the-Job Training: Over 1 month, up to and including 3 months
Education Details: 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).
Experience Required: 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.
Technology You'll Use
Popular Technologies & Software
- eClinicalWorks EHR software
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft Word
Tools & Equipment
- Adaptive cutlery
- Adjustable beds
- Alternative computer keyboards
- Braille printers
- Computer switch interfaces
- Drill presses
- Electric knives
- Electric wheelchairs
- Electronic blood pressure units
- Exercise balls
- Gait and transfer belts
- Goniometers or arthrometers
- Hoists
- Joy sticks
- Laptop computers
Work Environment
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Contact With Others
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals
Salary & Job Market
| Salary Percentile | Annual Wage |
|---|---|
| Entry-Level (10th percentile) | $67,090 |
| Median | $98,340 |
| Top Earners (90th percentile) | $129,830 |
Workers Employed Nationally: 152,280
Related Careers
If you're interested in this career, you might also consider:
Occupational Therapy Assistants
Education: Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)
Median Salary: $68,340
Occupational Therapy Aides
Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
Median Salary: $37,370
Physical Therapists
Education: Doctoral Degree
Median Salary: $101,020
Physical Therapist Assistants
Education: Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)
Median Salary: $65,510
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Physicians
Education: Doctoral Degree
Median Salary: >$239,200
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Occupational data sourced from the O*NET OnLine database, developed by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Wage data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), 2024.