Sort by any column. Employment is the number of occupational therapists OEWS estimates in that state; blank cells are estimates BLS suppressed because the sample was too small.
Occupational Therapist Salary by State (2026)
Occupational Therapists earn the most in California at $124,510 a year and the least in Puerto Rico at $51,850 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $100,330. All 52 states and territories with reported data are ranked below, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $124,510
- National median
- $100,330
- Lowest median
- $51,850
- States reporting
- 52
California
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Puerto Rico
of 54 OEWS areas
Top 5 states for Occupational Therapists
- 1. California$124,510 median · $112,455 adjusted · 13,810 employed
- 2. Oregon$112,310 median · $108,658 adjusted · 1,170 employed
- 3. Nevada$110,520 median · $110,543 adjusted · 1,080 employed
- 4. District of Columbia$109,170 median · $99,335 adjusted · 540 employed
- 5. Washington$107,670 median · $100,614 adjusted · 3,340 employed
Lowest-paying states for Occupational Therapists
- 52. Puerto Rico$51,850 median · no price parity · 170 employed
- 51. North Dakota$83,200 median · $93,526 adjusted · 570 employed
- 50. New Hampshire$83,900 median · $80,545 adjusted · 1,240 employed
- 49. Maine$84,310 median · $86,873 adjusted · 1,120 employed
- 48. South Dakota$85,050 median · $96,008 adjusted · 490 employed
Occupational Therapist salary in every state
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $124,510 | $103,950 | $136,380 | 13,810 | $112,455 |
| 2 | Oregon | $112,310 | $99,800 | $127,540 | 1,170 | $108,658 |
| 3 | Nevada | $110,520 | $100,510 | $127,960 | 1,080 | $110,543 |
| 4 | District of Columbia | $109,170 | $96,800 | $125,130 | 540 | $99,335 |
| 5 | Washington | $107,670 | $95,650 | $127,390 | 3,340 | $100,614 |
| 6 | Maryland | $106,980 | $87,650 | $123,700 | 2,390 | $101,926 |
| 7 | Colorado | $106,720 | $94,210 | $128,250 | 3,390 | $103,559 |
| 8 | Arkansas | $106,360 | $81,810 | $128,220 | 2,160 | $122,341 |
| 9 | Texas | $106,140 | $85,810 | $127,830 | 13,400 | $109,358 |
| 10 | Oklahoma | $104,300 | $88,150 | $121,120 | 1,180 | $118,735 |
| 11 | Georgia | $104,010 | $82,320 | $118,560 | 3,650 | $108,014 |
| 12 | Alaska | $103,680 | $100,470 | $124,160 | 410 | $101,291 |
| 13 | Arizona | $103,660 | $85,980 | $122,900 | 2,680 | $102,963 |
| 14 | New Jersey | $103,410 | $91,770 | $128,390 | 6,290 | $95,042 |
| 15 | Hawaii | $102,870 | $85,910 | $112,310 | 390 | $93,560 |
| 16 | Connecticut | $102,440 | $84,890 | $111,660 | 3,150 | $98,871 |
| 17 | Delaware | $102,130 | $90,860 | $121,140 | 490 | $102,326 |
| 18 | South Carolina | $101,130 | $82,000 | $109,720 | 1,840 | $107,873 |
| 19 | Massachusetts | $100,930 | $83,960 | $110,180 | 6,510 | $95,436 |
| 20 | Virginia | $100,710 | $83,740 | $118,740 | 4,150 | $99,610 |
| 21 | Rhode Island | $100,040 | $84,710 | $107,160 | 770 | $97,810 |
| 22 | Illinois | $99,700 | $82,070 | $109,780 | 7,710 | $99,742 |
| 23 | Ohio | $99,390 | $81,840 | $107,880 | 6,760 | $107,131 |
| 24 | Florida | $99,360 | $81,360 | $104,830 | 10,650 | $96,080 |
| 25 | Kansas | $99,170 | $82,000 | $107,630 | 1,560 | $110,106 |
| 26 | New Mexico | $99,170 | $83,770 | $120,960 | 1,030 | $107,546 |
| 27 | Louisiana | $98,490 | $72,350 | $107,880 | 2,060 | $111,658 |
| 28 | Pennsylvania | $98,440 | $81,880 | $112,320 | 6,560 | $100,890 |
| 29 | Idaho | $97,760 | $85,380 | $108,730 | 840 | $102,373 |
| 30 | Tennessee | $97,700 | $81,750 | $107,250 | 2,490 | $106,346 |
| 31 | Kentucky | $97,650 | $80,120 | $105,220 | 2,190 | $108,309 |
| 32 | Missouri | $97,290 | $81,230 | $106,190 | 3,400 | $107,128 |
| 33 | Utah | $97,150 | $85,380 | $104,040 | 1,030 | $98,266 |
| 34 | Indiana | $97,020 | $81,940 | $104,680 | 3,830 | $103,955 |
| 35 | New York | $96,390 | $76,980 | $114,400 | 11,690 | $89,315 |
| 36 | West Virginia | $96,190 | $74,890 | $107,650 | 700 | $107,478 |
| 37 | Mississippi | $94,930 | $79,430 | $104,460 | 1,340 | $109,174 |
| 38 | Alabama | $94,050 | $82,500 | $107,650 | 1,500 | $105,885 |
| 39 | Nebraska | $93,740 | $80,350 | $102,560 | 1,500 | $104,036 |
| 40 | Vermont | $93,340 | $80,450 | $102,500 | 320 | $95,286 |
| 41 | Minnesota | $93,050 | $81,510 | $100,150 | 3,670 | $94,351 |
| 42 | North Carolina | $92,940 | $77,510 | $104,820 | 4,490 | $98,531 |
| 43 | Wisconsin | $92,390 | $78,430 | $102,240 | 3,710 | $98,188 |
| 44 | Iowa | $89,910 | $75,810 | $103,100 | 1,290 | $102,448 |
| 45 | Michigan | $89,910 | $79,390 | $100,070 | 5,120 | $93,445 |
| 46 | Montana | $88,990 | $79,860 | $102,130 | 420 | $94,025 |
| 47 | Wyoming | $86,170 | $77,580 | $103,350 | 350 | $92,965 |
| 48 | South Dakota | $85,050 | $80,720 | $99,940 | 490 | $96,008 |
| 49 | Maine | $84,310 | $77,770 | $99,010 | 1,120 | $86,873 |
| 50 | New Hampshire | $83,900 | $78,790 | $102,250 | 1,240 | $80,545 |
| 51 | North Dakota | $83,200 | $77,210 | $99,280 | 570 | $93,526 |
| 52 | Puerto Rico | $51,850 | $46,990 | $62,360 | 170 | N/A |
How the cost-of-living adjustment works
The adjusted column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity (RPP) and multiplies by 100. RPPs measure how much a fixed basket of goods, services and rents costs in one state relative to the national average, so the result restates local pay in national-average dollars.
For Occupational Therapists, that changes the ranking: California leads on raw pay at $124,510, while Arkansas leads once prices are taken into account at $122,341.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (public domain). The adjustment is NueCareer's calculation, not a BLS or BEA published statistic.
Occupational Therapist pay by state: FAQ
Which state pays Occupational Therapists the most?
California reports the highest median wage for Occupational Therapists at $124,510 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), followed by Oregon ($112,310) and Nevada ($110,520).
Which state pays Occupational Therapists the least?
Puerto Rico reports the lowest median for Occupational Therapists at $51,850 a year, $72,660 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Where do Occupational Therapists earn the most after cost of living?
Dividing each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity puts Arkansas first at $122,341 in national-average dollars, from a raw median of $106,360. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
← Back to the full Occupational Therapist career profile for outlook, skills and how to become one