Occupational therapy is a healthcare profession that promotes participation for people of all ages in activities that they want and need to do. 鈥淥ccupation鈥� relates to everyday doing and meaningful engagement in life which supports one鈥檚 physical, psychological, emotional and spiritual health. Occupational therapists use occupation to empower people to engage in productive lives despite illness, injury, disability or other limitations.
Occupational therapy services may include comprehensive evaluations of an individual鈥檚 home or other environments (e.g., workplace, school), recommendations for adaptive equipment and training in its use, modifications to routines or environments and guidance and education for family members and caregivers. Occupational therapy practitioners focus on adapting the environment or the activity to fit the individual, and the person is an integral part of the therapy team.
United State Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statics provides the following quick facts for Occupational Therapists.
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Quick Facts: Occupational Therapists |
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$84,270 per year |
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Master's degree or Entry-Level Doctoral Degree |
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130,400 |
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24% growth (Much faster than average) |
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31,000 |
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Future employment of occupational therapy professionals is extremely positive. The most recent BLS report predicts a much faster than average growth for the occupational therapy profession nationally (24% from 2016 to 2026), while the 2018 U.S. News & World Report lists occupational therapist as the 9th best career in health care and 11th best career among its top 100 鈥淏est Jobs.鈥� Additional sources indicating a favorable job outlook for occupational therapy include, 4th of 鈥�50 Best Jobs in America鈥� (Glassdoor 2018), and one of 鈥淭en Best Jobs to Apply For鈥� (Forbes 2017).
If you are considering a career as an occupational therapist, you can learn more by visiting the .
