Occupational Therapist Job Description:
Occupational therapists (OTs) help people who have conditions that are mentally, physically, developmentally, or emotionally disabling improve their ability to perform tasks in their daily living and working environments. They also help them develop, recover, or maintain daily living and work skills.
Employment Facts for Occupational Therapists:
Occupational therapists held about 99,000 jobs in 2006. Most OTs worked in hospitals. Others worked in offices of other health practitioners, schools, and nursing care facilities. About one in ten occupational therapists had more than one job.
Educational Requirements for Occupational Therapists:
One must earn a master's degree or a more advanced degree in occupational therapy to work as an occupational therapist. Biology, psychology, sociology, anthropology, liberal arts and anatomy are all appropriate college majors for those who ultimately want earn a master's degree in occupational therapy.
Other Requirements for Occupational Therapists:
In the United States occupational therapists must be licensed in order to practice. To obtain a license, applicants must graduate from an accredited educational program and pass a national certification examination.
Job Outlook for Occupational Therapists:
Employment of occupational therapists is expected to increase much faster than the average for all occupations through 2016.
How Much Do Occupational Therapists Earn?:
Median Annual Earnings in the Industries Employing the Largest Numbers of Occupational Therapists (U.S., 2006)
- Home Health Care Services: $67,600
- Nursing care facilities: $64,750
- Offices of physical, occupational and speech therapists, and audiologists: $62,290
- General medical and surgical hospitals: $61,610
- Elementary and secondary schools: $54,260
A Day in an Occupational Therapist's Life:
On a typical day an occupational therapist will:
- assist clients in performing activities of all types;
- use physical exercises to help patients increase strength and dexterity;
- use activities to help patients improve visual acuity and the ability to discern patterns;
- use computer programs to help clients improve decision-making, abstract-reasoning, problem-solving, memory, sequencing, coordination, and perceptual skills;
- design or make special equipment needed at home or at work;
- develop computer-aided adaptive equipment and teach clients with severe limitations how to use that equipment in order to communicate better and control various aspects of their environment;
Occupational therapists may work with particular populations, i.e. children, the elderly, or may work in specialized settings, i.e. mental health.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2008-09 Edition, Occupational Therapist, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos078.htm (visited August 4, 2008).
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