Information Provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook
Employment is projected to increase much faster than the average, as rapid growth in the number of middle-aged and elderly individuals increases the demand for therapeutic services. Beginning in 2007, a masters degree or higher in occupational therapy will be the minimum educational requirement. Occupational therapists are increasingly taking on supervisory roles, allowing assistants and aides to work more closely with clients under the guidance of a therapist, in an effort to reduce the cost of therapy. More than a quarter of occupational therapists work part time.
On average, Occupational Therapists earn $ 60,470 per year.
Job Opportunities for Occupational Therapists are expected to:
Increase faster than average.
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 must be licensed, requiring a masters degree in occupational therapy, 6 months of supervised fieldwork, and passing scores on national and State examinations.
Occupational therapists held about 99,000 jobs in 2006. About 1 in 10 occupational therapists held more than one job. The largest number of jobs was in hospitals. Other major employers were offices of other health practitioners (including offices of occupational therapists), public and private educational services, and nursing care facilities. Some occupational therapists were employed by home health care services, outpatient care centers, offices of physicians, individual and family services, community care facilities for the elderly, and government agencies.
