OTOccupational Therapist
OT
Career

Occupational Therapist

By the numbers
Typical pay
$100,330 / yr
Education to start
Master's degree
Future demand
+13.8% by 2034
People in this job
162K
Figures shown for ·1 O*NET occupation
The work
Watch · day in the life
A day, hour by hour
07:45
Chart prep & review

Scan today's patient files; flag who needs reassessment or plan changes.

08:15
Team huddle

Quick sync with physio, nursing, and the social worker on shared patients.

08:45
Initial assessment

New patient: observe what she can and can't do alone — dressing, grip, balance.

10:00
Therapy sessions

Back-to-back patients — coach buttoning, cooking steps, and handwriting drills.

12:15
Plan adjustment

One patient stalled — decide whether the approach is wrong or he needs more time.

13:00
Home-mod consult

Walk a family through grab-bar placement and a ramp quote for their front step.

14:00
Pediatric session

Work with a sensory-sensitive kid on tolerating a noisy, busy classroom routine.

15:15
Documentation

Write session notes and grind through insurance forms for every visit today.

16:30
Progress debrief

Tell a patient's family the honest truth about slow gains — and keep them motivated.

Things you do
  • Coach patients through everyday tasks like buttoning shirts or cooking meals.
  • Assess what a patient can and can't do on their own right now.
  • Build a personalized therapy plan around each patient's real-life goals.
  • Recommend grab bars, special utensils, or wheelchair ramps to fit a patient's home.
  • Teach kids with sensory issues how to handle a busy classroom.
Decisions you’ll make
  • Is this patient ready to push harder, or will I set them back by trying?
  • Should I adjust my whole treatment plan, or just tweak one piece?
  • Is this person struggling because of their condition, or because my approach isn't working for them?
  • Does this patient actually need a new assistive device, or do they need more practice with what they have?
  • Should I tell the family how slow progress really is, or would that crush their motivation?
Education Pathways · how you get there
100 in 100 went the college route · 0 in 100 found another way in None, typically
Education mapped from O*NET:Occupational Therapists · 98% related
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