If you are considering becoming an occupational therapist then one of the things you are going to want to know is just how much money you will be making in your chosen field. The simple truth is that an occupational therapist salary is not set in stone and can vary greatly from one area to area. It also depends on what company you work for, the amount of experience you have, and the additional benefits you are offered.

The average occupational therapist salary is usually somewhere between $53,000 and $93,000 per year. Those who are just starting out on their career can expect to make $53,000 or less depending on where you live and the place where you work. If you live in a small rural community and your job is limited by the number of clients that you have per year then you probably won’t be looking at the top wages in your occupational therapist job description. However, if you work in a large city and are a member of a huge hospital then your occupational therapist salary could be extremely high.

Your occupational therapist salary is also going to depend a great deal on what other benefits you receive from the company you work for. If your company is giving you health insurance, vision care, and dental insurance then you have to remember that all these benefits cost money and likely your occupational therapy salary is going to be somewhat less than if work for a company that gives you no additional health benefits what so ever. In such a case you are going to have to decide which benefits you more in the long run a higher occupational salary or the health benefits the company is offering.

Occupational therapists are in fairly high demand right now and there are opportunities in a variety of fields such as working with the elderly, in the mental health field, or working in conjunction with hospitals and medical practices to help patients who need to adjust to living with a serious injury and learning to do simple tasks in a new and different way. It can be a rewarding career in more than monetary terms and most people who choose to work this field are highly dedicated to both their careers and their patients.

While earnings are important and your occupational therapist salary should be high enough so that you can live on it and be commiserate with your experience it certainly should not be your sole or even main reason for choosing a career in this field. The driving force behind your becoming a physical therapist should be your desire to help those in need of your services.