Occupational Therapist Salary in California
Median annual pay in California
$124,510
$59.86/hour
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Adjusted for cost of living in California
$112,455
Regional Price Parity: 110.720 (U.S. = 100)
Wages: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Cost of living: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
Difference from the U.S. median ($100,330): +$24,180 (+24.1%)
California ranks 1st of 51 states by median pay, and 3rd of 51 after adjusting for cost of living.
Pay
| Annual | Hourly | |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $85,550 | $41.13 |
| 25th percentile | $103,950 | $49.98 |
| Median | $124,510 | $59.86 |
| 75th percentile | $136,380 | $65.57 |
| 90th percentile | $158,560 | $76.23 |
Employment
- Employment in California
- 13,810
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Comparison
Compared with the U.S.
- Median annual pay in California
- $124,510
- Median annual pay in the U.S.
- $100,330
- Difference
- +$24,180 (+24.1%)
Cost of living
$124,510 ÷ 110.720 × 100 = $112,455
Wages: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Cost of living: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
Ranking
| Rank | Median annual pay | Adjusted for cost of living (annual) |
|---|---|---|
| California This page | ||
| 1st | $124,510 | $112,455 3rd |
| Oregon | ||
| 2nd | $112,310 | $108,658 9th |
| Nevada | ||
| 3rd | $110,520 | $110,543 5th |
Similar occupations
Related occupations from O*NET, in O*NET's order, with their BLS median pay. Each figure shows the place it is for.
- Occupational Therapy Assistant salary in California
$81,770/year California
- Occupational Therapy Aide salary in the U.S.
$39,160/year U.S.
- Physical Therapist salary in California
$124,190/year California
- Physicians, All Other salary in California
$281,590/year California
- Recreational Therapist salary in the U.S.
$61,960/year U.S.
- Psychiatric Technician salary in the U.S.
$45,130/year U.S.
Outlook
- Projected employment change, 2025–35 (U.S.)
- +14.8%
- Typical education needed for entry (U.S.)
- Master's degree
BLS publishes employment projections only for the U.S. as a whole. BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35
Specialties included in this occupation
- Low Vision Therapists, Orientation and Mobility Specialists, and Vision Rehabilitation Therapists
BLS publishes one wage figure for all Occupational Therapists; it does not publish separate data for these specialties.
O*NET 31.0
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Occupational Therapist salary in nearby places
- Occupational Therapist salary in Arizona
$103,660/year Arizona
- Occupational Therapist salary in Nevada
$110,520/year Nevada
- Occupational Therapist salary in Oregon
$112,310/year Oregon
- Occupational Therapist salary in the U.S.
$100,330/year U.S.
Sources and update
- Wages and employment: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025.
- Cost of living: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
- Related occupations and specialties: O*NET® 31.0 Database, CC BY 4.0. Attributions
- Employment projections and typical education: BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35.
- Neighboring states: U.S. Census Bureau, County Adjacency File, 2024.
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