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.

Educational Requirements:

To become an Occupational Therapist, you must earn a master's degree or higher Occupational therapy to work as an Occupational Therapist.

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.

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.

Occupational Therapists can earn salaries between $50,000 - $75,000 per year.

**Annual earnings are determined by a variety of factors including field, title, place of employment, level of education, experience and geography.**

Search for Occupational Therapist jobs