Also called: OT
Helps people do the everyday activities that matter to them: dressing, cooking, writing, working, playing.
Might help a stroke survivor practice buttoning a shirt one-handed, teach a child with autism to handle a crowded classroom, or redesign an older adult's kitchen so they can stay at home.
BLS May 2024.
Master's degree, about 6 years after high school. Bachelor's plus a master's or doctorate in occupational therapy and a licensing exam.
Ways in: 4-year college, Graduate school. Training cost: $60k – $150k.
Majors to look at: Psychology, Kinesiology, Health Sciences.
Growing much faster than average (about 14% over 10 years). Much faster than average.
Low risk for 10 years. AI helps with documentation and suggests adaptive tools; creative problem-solving in patients' real homes and schools stays human.
Classes: Psychology, Anatomy & physiology, Art or ceramics, Child development.
Official data: O*NET occupation 29-1122.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.