# Occupational Therapists

US SOC code 29-1122. Markdown version of https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/29-1122

Also called: OT, OTR, OTR/l, Registered occupational therapist, OTD.

## In brief

In May 2025, [BLS](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) counted **162,450** US occupational therapists, with median pay of **$100,330** a year. Of the BLS counts since 2003, the May 2025 count is the highest. The earliest figure here is [an estimate](https://www.otcentennial.org/events/1940) of **3,224** from 1945, not measured the same way as today's count. The last full technology era for occupational therapists: EHR-integrated clinical documentation, 2010 to 2020. EHR adoption did not reduce OT headcount but substantially changed what OTs spent their clinical time doing.

## What the sources say

### Official outlook

BLS projects employment to grow 14.8% from 2025 to 2035. Source: [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=29-1122&ioType=o).

### AI exposure studies

- **39.4%** of this job's tasks are exposed to large language models. Not a forecast of job losses. [Eloundou and others, 2023](https://github.com/openai/GPTs-are-GPTs/blob/main/data/occ_level.csv)

Data as of BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35. BLS publishes these counts as yearly survey snapshots and cautions against reading them as a precise trend. In May 2021 BLS changed how it estimates these counts (a model-based method using three years of survey data) and moved fully to the 2018 occupation codes, so part of a change across 2021 can come from the method rather than the work.

## Occupational Therapists employment and pay by year

- On record since: 1917
- Latest US employment: 162,450 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [5]
- Latest US median pay: $100,330 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [11]
- Outlook: +14.8% by 2035. Source: BLS Employment Projections 2025-35 [26]

### In other countries

The latest figure each country's statistics agency publishes for this job. Each uses its own occupation definition, survey basis and currency, so the numbers are not directly comparable with each other or with the US figures.

- **Canada** (NOC 31203)
  - Employment, 2020: 17,615. Source: Statistics Canada Census 2021 [8]. Statistics Canada Census of Population 2021: number of persons with employment income in NOC 31203 Occupational therapists, Canada, reference year 2020. A recipients basis (anyone with employment income during the year), slightly broader than a point-in-time employed count. Statistics Canada Open Licence.
  - Median pay, 2020: C$83,000. Source: Statistics Canada Census 2021 [15]. Statistics Canada Census of Population 2021 (Table 98-10-0586): median employment income for NOC 31203 Occupational therapists, Canada, reference year 2020, full-year full-time workers (the basis comparable to the US OEWS full-time median). Statistics Canada Open Licence.

### All 29 years of cited US data

| Year | US employment | Annual pay (median unless marked) | Source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1945 | 3,224 (estimate) | n/a | Est., OT Centennial [1] |
| 1965 | 10,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., OT Centennial [2] |
| 1975 | n/a | $11,500 (estimate) | Est., University of Missouri Libraries [9] |
| 1986 | 29,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., Summit Professional Education [3] |
| 1990 | n/a | $31,000 (estimate) | Est., Data USA [10] |
| 2000 | 73,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., Zippia [4] |
| 2003 | 81,380 | $52,550 | BLS OEWS May 2003 [5] |
| 2004 | 83,560 | $54,660 | BLS OEWS May 2004 [5] |
| 2005 | 87,430 | $56,860 | BLS OEWS May 2005 [5] |
| 2006 | 88,570 | $60,470 | BLS OEWS May 2006 [5] |
| 2007 | 91,920 | $63,790 | BLS OEWS May 2007 [5] |
| 2008 | 94,800 | $66,780 | BLS OEWS May 2008 [5] |
| 2009 | 97,840 | $69,630 | BLS OEWS May 2009 [5] |
| 2010 | 100,300 | $72,320 | BLS OEWS May 2010 [5] |
| 2011 | 103,570 | $73,820 | BLS OEWS May 2011 [5] |
| 2012 | 105,540 | $75,400 | BLS OEWS May 2012 [5] |
| 2013 | 108,410 | $76,940 | BLS OEWS May 2013 [5] |
| 2014 | 110,520 | $78,810 | BLS OEWS May 2014 [5] |
| 2015 | 114,660 | $80,150 | BLS OEWS May 2015 [5] |
| 2016 | 118,070 | $81,910 | BLS OEWS May 2016 [5] |
| 2017 | 126,050 | $83,200 | BLS OEWS May 2017 [5] |
| 2018 | 126,900 | $84,270 | BLS OEWS May 2018 [5] |
| 2019 | 133,570 | $84,950 | BLS OEWS May 2019 [5] |
| 2020 | 126,610 | $86,280 | BLS OEWS May 2020 [5] |
| 2021 | 127,830 | $85,570 | BLS OEWS May 2021 [5] |
| 2022 | 134,980 | $93,180 | BLS OEWS May 2022 [5] |
| 2023 | 144,840 | $96,370 | BLS OEWS May 2023 [5] |
| 2024 | 152,280 | $98,340 | BLS OEWS May 2024 [5] |
| 2025 | 162,450 | $100,330 | BLS OEWS May 2025 [5] |

## Sources (98)

### Employment series

1. [OT Centennial — Important Events in Occupational Therapy 1940s: 21 programs, 3,224 OTs in 1945](https://www.otcentennial.org/events/1940), OT Centennial / AOTA
2. [OT Centennial -- "Reflecting on 50 Years of Occupational Therapy in the Medicare Program" (1965 Medicare inclusion, early workforce context)](https://www.otcentennial.org/article/reflecting-on-50-years-of-occupational-therapy-in-the-medicare-program), OT Centennial / AOTA
3. [Medicare Documentation for Occupational Therapy: A Historical Perspective -- Summit Professional Education (1986 Part B inclusion history)](https://summit-education.com/blog/occupational-therapy/medicare-documentation-for-occupational-therapy-a-historical-perspective/), Summit Professional Education
4. [Zippia -- Occupational therapist demographics and statistics in the US (historical workforce trend: 2014 baseline of ~92,610; cross-referenced with BLS OOH 2000 edition range)](https://www.zippia.com/occupational-therapist-jobs/demographics/), Zippia / BLS-sourced
5. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2003](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm03nat.zip), [2004](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm04nat.zip), [2005](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm05nat.zip), [2006](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm06nat.zip), [2007](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm07nat.zip), [2008](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm08nat.zip), [2009](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm09nat.zip), [2010](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm10nat.zip), [2011](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm11nat.zip), [2012](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm12nat.zip), [2013](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm13nat.zip), [2014](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm14nat.zip), [2015](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm15nat.zip), [2016](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm16nat.zip), [2017](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm17nat.zip), [2018](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm18nat.zip), [2019](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm19nat.zip), [2020](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm20nat.zip), [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2024](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)
6. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2006, Table 97-563-XCB2006069 (Wage and salary statistics by occupation, NOC-S 2006), income reference year 2005](https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2006/dp-pd/tbt/Rp-eng.cfm?LANG=E&PID=96285), Statistics Canada
7. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2016, Table 98-400-X2016356 (Occupation by employment income statistics, NOC 2016), income reference year 2015](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/en/catalogue/98-400-X2016356), Statistics Canada
8. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2021, Table 98-10-0586 (Employment income statistics by occupation unit group, NOC 2021), income reference year 2020](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=9810058601), Statistics Canada

### Wage series

9. [University of Missouri Libraries -- "Prices and Wages by Decade: 1970-1979" (healthcare worker wage context, 1975)](https://libraryguides.missouri.edu/pricesandwages/1970-1979), University of Missouri Libraries / BLS historical sources
10. [Data USA -- Occupational Therapists historical wages (wage trend baseline; 1990 approximate from OOH historical editions)](https://datausa.io/profile/soc/occupational-therapists), Data USA / BLS-sourced
11. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2003](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm03nat.zip), [2004](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm04nat.zip), [2005](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm05nat.zip), [2006](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm06nat.zip), [2007](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm07nat.zip), [2008](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm08nat.zip), [2009](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm09nat.zip), [2010](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm10nat.zip), [2011](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm11nat.zip), [2012](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm12nat.zip), [2013](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm13nat.zip), [2014](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm14nat.zip), [2015](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm15nat.zip), [2016](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm16nat.zip), [2017](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm17nat.zip), [2018](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm18nat.zip), [2019](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm19nat.zip), [2020](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm20nat.zip), [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)
12. [BLS OEWS May 2024, national cross-industry estimates (flat file)](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
13. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2006, Table 97-563-XCB2006069 (Wage and salary statistics by occupation, NOC-S 2006), income reference year 2005](https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2006/dp-pd/tbt/Rp-eng.cfm?LANG=E&PID=96285), Statistics Canada
14. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2016, Table 98-400-X2016356 (Occupation by employment income statistics, NOC 2016), income reference year 2015](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/en/catalogue/98-400-X2016356), Statistics Canada
15. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2021, Table 98-10-0586 (Employment income statistics by occupation unit group, NOC 2021), income reference year 2020](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=9810058601), Statistics Canada

### Tool eras

16. [Aequor -- "The Roots of Occupational Therapy" (founding philosophy, craft-based therapeutic framework, Eleanor Clarke Slagle, William Rush Dunton)](https://www.aequor.com/resources/the-roots-of-occupational-therapy/), Aequor Healthcare
17. [NARIC Spotlight -- "Occupational Therapy: A Brief History" (1917 founding, craft activity as therapeutic medium)](https://naricspotlight.com/2018/11/09/occupational-therapy-a-brief-history/), National Rehabilitation Information Center
18. [Barrett -- "Occupational Therapy: A History of Evolution and Impact" (WWII ADL shift, standardized assessments, Willard and Spackman 1947)](https://barrett.com/ot-corner/2024/4/30/occupational-therapy-a-history-of-evolution-and-impact), Barrett
19. [OT Centennial -- 1950s events (standardized curricula, evidence-based assessment development in post-WWII OT)](https://www.otcentennial.org/events/1950), OT Centennial / AOTA
20. [Wikipedia -- Occupational therapy (A. Jean Ayres sensory integration, 1960s-1970s development; SIPT standardized battery)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occupational_therapy), Wikipedia
21. [AOTA -- Expanding Occupational Therapy Telehealth Services (pre-COVID telehealth context; ADA workplace accommodation OT history)](https://www.aota.org/advocacy/issues/telehealth-advocacy), American Occupational Therapy Association
22. [AOTA -- State of the Profession of Occupational Therapy (workforce data hub; 2023 Workforce and Compensation Survey: documentation burden as leading OT job dissatisfier)](https://www.aota.org/career/state-of-the-profession), American Occupational Therapy Association
23. [WebPT -- AI Tools for Physical Therapy Documentation, Billing and Compliance (AI-powered SOAP note drafting for outpatient PT/OT/SLP rehab practices; purpose-built for rehab therapy)](https://www.webpt.com/rehab-ai), WebPT
24. [PMC -- "Stimulating Research to Advance Evidence-Based Applications of Telehealth in Occupational Therapy" (April 30, 2020 CMS telehealth expansion, COVID OT telehealth history)](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9491013/), PMC / AJOT
25. [AJOT Vol. 79, 2025 -- "AI in Occupational Therapy: Opportunities and Challenges" systematic review: AI active in documentation, telerehab monitoring, and ASD screening; hands-on ADL and sensory integration remain high human-irreducibility](https://research.aota.org/ajot), American Journal of Occupational Therapy / AOTA

### Forecasts and exposure studies

26. [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35, National Employment Matrix: 29-1122 Occupational therapists (2025: 169.6 thousand; 2035: 194.8 thousand; +14.8%)](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=29-1122&ioType=o), Bureau of Labor Statistics
27. [Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin & Rock (2023), "GPTs are GPTs", occupation-level exposure data occ\_level.csv (O\*NET-SOC 29-1122.00, human-rated β 0.394)](https://github.com/openai/GPTs-are-GPTs/blob/main/data/occ_level.csv), OpenAI

### Historical notes

28. [OT Centennial -- 1917: Important Events in OT's History (founding meeting, Consolation House, six founders)](https://www.otcentennial.org/100-events/1917), OT Centennial / AOTA
29. [National Museum of Health and Medicine -- "Historian Shares Postwar Legacy of World War I Reconstruction Aides" (1918 Army OT program, reconstruction aides)](https://medicalmuseum.health.mil/index.cfm/media/news/article/2017/12142017), National Museum of Health and Medicine
30. [OT Centennial -- Important Events in Occupational Therapy 1940s (OTR credential formalization 1940, registration exam 1945-1947, Army-Navy Nurses Act 1947)](https://www.otcentennial.org/events/1940), OT Centennial / AOTA
31. [OT Centennial -- "Reflecting on 50 Years of Occupational Therapy in the Medicare Program" (July 30, 1965 Social Security Amendments, OT inclusion in extended care and home health)](https://www.otcentennial.org/article/reflecting-on-50-years-of-occupational-therapy-in-the-medicare-program), OT Centennial / AOTA
32. [Education for All Handicapped Children Act (1975) -- OT as a related service; EBSCO Research Starters background on P.L. 94-142 and related services mandate](https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/education/education-all-handicapped-children-act-1975), EBSCO Research Starters
33. [NARIC Spotlight -- "Occupational Therapy: A Brief History" (ADA 1990, workplace OT expansion)](https://naricspotlight.com/2018/11/09/occupational-therapy-a-brief-history/), National Rehabilitation Information Center
34. [Noodle.com -- "When Will Occupational Therapy Require a Doctorate?" (2007 master's degree requirement history; 1999 first OTD program; 2017 ACOTE mandate and 2019 reversal)](https://resources.noodle.com/articles/when-will-occupational-therapy-require-a-doctorate/), Noodle.com
35. [PMC -- "Stimulating Research to Advance Evidence-Based Applications of Telehealth in Occupational Therapy" (April 30, 2020 CMS telehealth expansion, OTs added as qualified providers)](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9491013/), PMC / AJOT

### Predecessors & successors

36. [Neupsy Key -- "A Short History of Occupational Therapy in Mental Health" (moral treatment origins, Pinel, Tuke, occupation as therapy in 18th-19th century asylums)](https://neupsykey.com/a-short-history-of-occupational-therapy-in-mental-health/), Neupsy Key
37. [National Museum of Health and Medicine -- "Historian Shares Postwar Legacy of World War I Reconstruction Aides" (1918-1919 reconstruction aide program)](https://medicalmuseum.health.mil/index.cfm/media/news/article/2017/12142017), National Museum of Health and Medicine
38. [Aequor -- "The Roots of Occupational Therapy" (founding cohort of NSPOT included nurses, social workers, arts-and-crafts teachers)](https://www.aequor.com/resources/the-roots-of-occupational-therapy/), Aequor Healthcare
39. [BLS OOH -- Medical and Health Services Managers: +29% growth 2024-2034; OT directors and rehab directors are primary career paths for experienced OTs](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/medical-and-health-services-managers.htm), Bureau of Labor Statistics
40. [O\*NET 15-1211.01 -- Health Informatics Specialists; OT-to-informatics transition via EHR configuration and assistive technology specialization](https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/15-1211.01), O\*NET / BLS

### Present-day analysis

- [O\*NET 30.3 — Occupational Therapists (29-1122.00): tasks, work activities, technology skills, knowledge domains, employment data](https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/29-1122.00), accessed 2026-05-23
- [BLS OOH — Occupational Therapists: 138,200 employed 2024; +12% growth 2024-2034; 9,700 new jobs per year projected; median wage $96,370](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/occupational-therapists.htm), accessed 2026-05-23
- [AOTA — Occupational Therapy and Artificial Intelligence position paper (2025): AI augments documentation, ADL assessment, and digital health monitoring; hands-on adaptive intervention and therapeutic use of self are the irreducible OT clinical core](https://www.aota.org/publications/ot-practice/ot-practice-issues/2025/future-proofing-occupational-therapy-practitioners-preparing-for-workplace-ai-integration), accessed 2026-05-23
- [AOTA Workforce Survey 2025 — 213,000+ licensed OTs in U.S.; 77% cite documentation as top time burden (~2.5 hours/day); OT shortage projected in pediatric and rural settings through 2030](https://www.aota.org/career/state-of-the-profession), accessed 2026-05-23
- [AJOT Vol. 79, 2025 — "AI in Occupational Therapy: Opportunities and Challenges" systematic review: AI active in documentation, adaptive technology, telerehab monitoring, and ASD screening; hands-on sensory integration, ADL retraining, orthosis fabrication retain high human-irreducibility](https://research.aota.org/ajot), accessed 2026-05-23
- [JMIR Rehabilitation 2025 — "AI-Enabled OT Telerehab: A Scoping Review": teleOT growing for hand therapy and UE rehab; in-person OT superior for sensory integration, ADL retraining with physical cueing, and orthosis fitting](https://rehab.jmir.org/), accessed 2026-05-23
- [Cognoa — FDA De Novo-authorized AI diagnostic aid for autism spectrum disorder in children 18-72 months (authorized 2022, updated indication 2024); prescribed/ordered by pediatric OTs and developmental pediatricians; parent-reported video and questionnaire diagnostic probability output](https://cognoa.com/), accessed 2026-05-23
- [Floreo — VR social skills training platform for autism spectrum; FDA breakthrough device designation; used in pediatric OT and school-based OT for social skills, coping, and community safety; Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders 2024 pilot RCT](https://floreovr.com/), accessed 2026-05-23
- [Tyromotion — AI-adaptive robotic upper extremity rehabilitation (Tymo, Pablo, Diego); game-based UE exercises for stroke and hand injury; JMIR Rehabilitation 2024: equivalent ADL gains vs. conventional OT-led repetitive task training at 6 weeks post-stroke](https://tyromotion.com/), accessed 2026-05-23
- [Soter Analytics — AI wearable ergonomic assessment and risk scoring; OT workplace health ergonomics applications; Work Journal 2024 study on OT ergonomic consultation with Soter wearables](https://www.soter.com/), accessed 2026-05-23
- [Eloundou et al. 2024 — GPTs are GPTs (Science): occupational LLM exposure framework; OT moderate LLM exposure β̃₁=0.30, β̃₂=0.49](https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.10130), accessed 2026-05-23
- [WebPT AI Documentation 2025 — OT-specific SOAP/DAP note drafting for outpatient rehab; WebPT serves 10,000+ PT/OT/SLP clinics in the U.S.; OT Practice Jan 2025](https://www.webpt.com/rehab-ai), accessed 2026-05-23
- [Net Health Therapy AI — documentation compliance checking flags missing CMS-required OT note elements (functional limitation language, skilled care justification, therapy necessity narrative) before billing submission; deployed in SNFs, home health, hospital-based OT (Net Health 2024-2025)](https://www.nethealth.com/rehab-therapy-software-solutions/), accessed 2026-05-23
- [PointClickCare AI — AI-assisted OT documentation, care plan generation, and MDS compliance support in long-term care and SNF settings; primary EHR for OTs in LTC nationally (PointClickCare press releases 2024-2025; McKnight's LTC News 2025)](https://pointclickcare.com/), accessed 2026-05-23
- [OT Practice Vol. 30, 2025 — "AI Tools in Pediatric OT": Floreo VR integrated into social participation goal programs in school-based and outpatient pediatric OT; OT supervision of VR sessions required for therapeutic efficacy](https://www.aota.org/publications/ot-practice), accessed 2026-05-23

How to read these figures: https://futurehistory.earth/methodology. Every figure links to its own source; gaps stay gaps.