National Salary Info » Occupational Therapists

Highest Paying Industries for Occupational Therapists

The top 77 highest paying industries for occupational therapists (ranked by average annual salary) are listed in Table 1. The entry level salary (as measured by the salary of the lowest 10% paid earners) and the number of employment in those industries are also shown. As shown in the table, with an average annual salary of $133,700, research and development in the physical, engineering, and life sciences is the highest paying industry for occupational therapists. It is followed by scientific research and development services industry (average annual salary $130,530). The salary and employment information is computed from data published by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in May 2015 [1]. For more information about salaries of occupational therapists in a specific industry, use the links in the table.

Table 1. 77 Highest Paying Industries for Occupational Therapists

Rank	Industry	Average Salary i	Entry Level Salary i	# of Empl. i
1	Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences	$133,700	$54,140	n/a
2	Scientific Research and Development Services	$130,530	$61,430	n/a
3	Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities)	$86,690	$61,600	10,420
4	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	$86,410	$55,430	280
5	Home Health Care Services	$86,010	$57,700	10,020
6	Nursing and Residential Care Facilities	$85,540	$57,770	12,370
7	Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers	$84,550	$45,650	280
8	Temporary Help Services	$84,230	$56,060	2,140
9	Employment Services	$83,920	$54,400	2,730
10	Administrative and Support Services	$83,770	$54,130	2,750
11	Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services	$83,770	$54,130	2,750
12	Continuing Care Retirement Communities and Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly	$83,390	$56,600	1,320
13	Ambulatory Health Care Services	$82,670	$55,050	41,850
14	All Other Ambulatory Health Care Services	$82,400	$56,310	160
15	Other Ambulatory Health Care Services	$82,400	$56,310	160
16	Offices of Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapists, and Audiologists	$82,230	$55,390	27,140
17	Offices of Other Health Practitioners	$81,920	$54,470	28,040
18	Offices of Physicians	$81,620	$57,480	2,240
19	Grantmaking and Giving Services	$81,520	$48,740	n/a
20	Health Care and Social Assistance	$80,940	$54,420	88,620
21	Specialty hospitals - Privately owned	$80,140	$56,390	5,100
22	Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals	$80,040	$56,550	5,310
23	Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services	$79,270	$54,670	200
24	Hospitals - Local government owned	$79,240	$56,390	2,590
25	General Medical and Surgical Hospitals - Local government owned	$79,010	$56,160	2,500
26	General Medical and Surgical Hospitals - State government owned	$78,730	$57,640	830
27	Hospitals - Privately owned	$78,520	$56,030	26,720
28	Hospitals (including private, state, and local government hospitals)	$78,400	$56,010	30,620
29	General Medical and Surgical Hospitals	$78,300	$56,070	24,720
30	General Medical and Surgical Hospitals - Privately owned	$78,190	$56,020	21,390
31	Federal government, including USPS	$77,880	$65,710	1,230
32	Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation)	$77,880	$65,710	1,230
33	Offices of All Other Health Practitioners	$77,100	$27,100	430
34	Insurance Carriers and Related Activities	$76,940	$62,180	60
35	Finance and Insurance	$76,940	$62,180	60
36	Outpatient Care Centers	$76,900	$50,400	1,360
37	Insurance Carriers	$76,400	$61,050	60
38	Other Services (except Federal, State, and Local Government)	$76,040	$49,730	60
39	Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals - Privately owned	$75,960	$50,540	230
40	Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations	$75,840	$48,860	50
41	Federal, State, and Local Government (OES Designation)	$75,400	$50,180	3,360
42	Federal, State, and Local Government	$75,400	$50,180	3,360
43	Hospitals - State government owned	$75,070	$55,010	1,300
44	Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation)	$74,790	$43,830	1,270
45	Specialty hospitals - State government owned	$74,600	$61,150	110
46	State government, including schools and hospitals	$72,770	$51,010	2,430
47	Colleges, universities, and professional schools - State government owned	$72,730	$46,840	170
48	Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools	$72,370	$47,090	270
49	Public sector -- Federal, state, and local government, including government owned schools and hospit	$71,520	$48,780	20,620
50	Individual and Family Services	$71,130	$41,750	1,990
51	Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals	$70,840	$51,620	590
52	Local government, including schools and hospitals	$70,420	$47,700	16,960
53	Offices of Chiropractors	$70,390	$27,930	30
54	State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation)	$70,330	$44,650	860
55	Educational Support Services - Privately owned	$70,120	$53,270	50
56	Management of Companies and Enterprises	$70,020	$34,820	270
57	Residential Mental Health and Substance Abuse Facilities	$69,320	$42,050	150
58	Colleges, universities, and professional schools - Privately owned	$68,680	$44,210	70
59	Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals - State government owned	$68,670	$52,020	350
60	Elementary and Secondary Schools - Local government owned	$68,560	$46,200	12,690
61	Educational Services - Local government owned	$68,510	$46,230	13,090
62	Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities	$68,400	$40,220	1,110
63	Educational Services	$68,260	$45,800	15,090
64	Elementary and Secondary Schools	$68,250	$45,720	14,370
65	Child Day Care Services	$67,270	$24,450	n/a
66	Educational Services - Privately owned	$66,320	$44,030	1,720
67	Educational Support Services	$65,930	$48,330	420
68	Elementary and Secondary Schools - Privately owned	$65,920	$43,690	1,590
69	Educational Services - State government owned	$65,800	$42,170	270
70	Educational Support Services - Local government owned	$65,070	$46,180	370
71	Social Assistance	$64,610	$25,230	3,780
72	Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse Facilities	$59,120	$26,090	510
73	Elementary and Secondary Schools - State government owned	$58,960	$37,600	100
74	Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability Facilities	$54,620	$24,920	360
75	Other Residential Care Facilities	$51,270	$31,410	120
76	Offices of Mental Health Practitioners (except Physicians)	$51,050	$26,120	420
77	Vocational Rehabilitation Services	$46,230	$21,660	1,070