Pay, location & work-life context
Occupational Therapist Salary Map by State (2026)
Median occupational therapist pay across 50 states from real job listings — switch views to adjust for cost of living or overlay burnout scores. Medians blend permanent salaries with annualized locums/contract rates. National median: $100,849.
Highest median
Alaska
$119,215
Best real purchasing power
Alaska
$116,468 adjusted
Best lifestyle score
Arkansas
6.6/10 avg burnout score
Compare state markets
Choose a metric, then select a state to see its figures and available breakdown.
Tile positions are approximate, not geographic boundaries. Selection adds an outline without changing the metric color. Work-life scores describe listings, not surveyed clinician burnout.
Occupational Therapist pay by state
Sorted by median advertised pay. On smaller screens, scroll the table sideways to compare all metrics.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Take-home, COL-adj. | Work-life score | Listings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | $119,215 | $116,468 | $116,468 | 5.2/10 | 14 |
| California | $116,480 | $105,202 | $95,418 | 5.3/10 | 610 |
| Oregon | $116,480 | $112,692 | $101,536 | 5.5/10 | 64 |
| Washington | $114,400 | $106,903 | $106,903 | 5.5/10 | 220 |
| Utah | $112,800 | $114,096 | $108,905 | 5.3/10 | 28 |
| Hawaii | $110,000 | $100,045 | $89,040 | 4.9/10 | 36 |
| South Carolina | $104,000 | $110,935 | $104,057 | 5.8/10 | 82 |
| Virginia | $101,450 | $100,342 | $94,573 | 5.1/10 | 130 |
| Oklahoma | $100,000 | $113,839 | $108,432 | 5.1/10 | 47 |
| Nevada | $99,840 | $99,861 | $99,861 | 5.5/10 | 21 |
| New Mexico | $99,840 | $108,272 | $101,884 | 6.2/10 | 15 |
| West Virginia | $99,840 | $111,557 | $106,180 | 4.1/10 | 13 |
| Kentucky | $98,800 | $109,584 | $105,201 | 4.6/10 | 43 |
| Louisiana | $98,800 | $112,009 | $108,649 | 5.9/10 | 18 |
| Idaho | $98,800 | $103,462 | $97,570 | 5.8/10 | 8 |
| Vermont | $98,603 | $100,658 | $91,851 | 5.5/10 | 16 |
| Arizona | $96,500 | $95,851 | $93,455 | 5.4/10 | 82 |
| Tennessee | $96,200 | $104,713 | $104,713 | 4.9/10 | 31 |
| Georgia | $95,160 | $98,823 | $93,497 | 5.3/10 | 75 |
| Iowa | $94,640 | $107,837 | $103,739 | 5.9/10 | 10 |
| Rhode Island | $94,245 | $92,144 | $86,625 | 5.5/10 | 12 |
| Illinois | $94,000 | $94,039 | $89,385 | 5.3/10 | 313 |
| Kansas | $93,950 | $104,310 | $98,490 | 5.0/10 | 13 |
| Colorado | $93,600 | $90,828 | $86,832 | 5.6/10 | 191 |
| New Hampshire | $93,600 | $89,857 | $89,857 | 5.2/10 | 36 |
| Indiana | $93,600 | $100,290 | $97,282 | 4.2/10 | 69 |
| Missouri | $93,600 | $103,064 | $98,220 | 5.2/10 | 51 |
| Texas | $92,560 | $95,367 | $95,367 | 5.5/10 | 296 |
| Alabama | $92,560 | $104,207 | $98,997 | 4.6/10 | 20 |
| Massachusetts | $92,500 | $87,465 | $83,091 | 5.2/10 | 185 |
| Maryland | $92,088 | $87,737 | $82,692 | 5.9/10 | 180 |
| Florida | $91,520 | $88,499 | $88,499 | 5.6/10 | 170 |
| Pennsylvania | $91,520 | $93,797 | $90,918 | 5.2/10 | 61 |
| Arkansas | $91,350 | $105,076 | $100,978 | 6.6/10 | 13 |
| Mississippi | $90,480 | $104,056 | $99,478 | 4.9/10 | 13 |
| New York | $90,000 | $83,394 | $77,682 | 5.7/10 | 349 |
| Connecticut | $90,000 | $86,864 | $80,792 | 5.9/10 | 72 |
| Wyoming | $89,500 | $96,557 | $96,557 | 5.7/10 | 7 |
| Michigan | $89,000 | $92,499 | $88,568 | 5.9/10 | 80 |
| South Dakota | $88,660 | $100,084 | $100,084 | 4.9/10 | 16 |
| North Carolina | $88,500 | $93,824 | $89,836 | 5.6/10 | 177 |
| Ohio | $88,400 | $95,285 | $91,950 | 5.5/10 | 133 |
| Nebraska | $87,880 | $97,533 | $92,461 | 6.0/10 | 11 |
| Maine | $87,500 | $90,160 | $83,713 | 5.8/10 | 25 |
| Minnesota | $86,965 | $88,181 | $79,495 | 5.9/10 | 129 |
| North Dakota | $86,500 | $97,236 | $94,805 | 5.8/10 | 17 |
| New Jersey | $83,000 | $76,283 | $71,424 | 6.3/10 | 230 |
| Delaware | $80,000 | $80,154 | $74,864 | 5.8/10 | 27 |
| Montana | $77,854 | $82,259 | $77,406 | 6.5/10 | 13 |
| Wisconsin | $68,511 | $72,810 | $68,952 | 6.0/10 | 77 |
Common questions
Which state pays occupational therapists the most?
Alaska currently has the highest median occupational therapist salary at $119,215, based on 14 real job listings.
Which state offers the best after-tax occupational therapist pay?
Alaska currently leads the take-home view at $116,468 — the state median after its state income tax (Tax Foundation state income tax rates (2025)), divided by the local cost-of-living index. No-income-tax states like Texas, Florida and Tennessee often outrank nominally higher-paying states here.
Why adjust occupational therapist salaries for cost of living?
Prices differ across states. The adjusted view divides each state's pay benchmark by its regional price index (U.S. average = 100). Source: BEA Regional Price Parities (2024). This is a state-level comparison, not a personal budget or a city-level cost estimate. Missing price data is shown as unavailable.
Which state has the best occupational therapist lifestyle scores?
Arkansas currently has the highest average WeekdayDoc burnout score (6.6/10, higher is better) for occupational therapist listings — a measure of call burden, weekend requirements, and schedule flexibility across postings.
More salary maps
See the full percentile breakdown on the Occupational Therapist salary page.