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What is an Occupational Therapist (OT)?

An occupational therapist (OT) is a healthcare professional who works with a wide range of patients who need assistance learning or relearning various life skills. This career path is one of the most diversified in healthcare, as there is a vast spectrum of people who utilize OTs in their recovery. For instance, if you become an OT, you might work with elderly patients who need help coping with the onset of dementia, limited physical abilities, or injuries. You might also work on a psychiatric ward of a hospital or in the community, providing assistance to mentally ill patients who need support and care.

Ultimately, an OT is a healthcare professional who helps to make life better, even in circumstances that might seem overwhelming.

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Steps to Becoming an Occupational Therapy Professional

If you wish to become an occupational therapist, you have a great future ahead. The first steps to working in occupational therapy include deciding that this is the career for you. After you have decided that you can withstand the rigors of the job, you will need to find the best education you can find. To be a full occupational therapist, you will need to earn a master's degree and to satisfy state licensure requirements.

Along the way you will need to decide on a specialty area - such as geriatrics or mental health, join professional associations, and maintain your occupational therapy license.

  • Step 1: Is this career for me?

  • Step 2: Education

  • Step 3: Supervised Fieldwork

  • Step 4: Examination and Licensure

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Step 1: Is this career for me?

Before you launch a career in occupational therapy, it is absolutely vital to know that this career is what you want for your life. You should have a range of skills and abilities, including a scientific mindset. To graduate with a degree in occupational therapy, you will need to master knowledge of a vast array of medical knowledge including anatomy, diseases, and more.

You will likely work in a hospital or other clinical environment, but you could also work in homes or meet clients in the community. Thus, you should enjoy those environments as well as have a deep desire to help people overcome their difficulties. Not every patient will be in their best mindset when they meet you, and some may not remember you from day to day. Thus, one of the most important tools for an occupational therapy professional is their patience.

Step 2: Education

Occupational therapists are highly trained healthcare professionals. To become a fully licensed occupational therapist, you will need a master's degree. There are many programs that combine your occupational therapy graduate and undergraduate degrees so that you don't have a gap or need to reapply for a separate graduate program. Combined programs are typically five years long. There are other options for education, such as part-time programs and online degrees. No matter what sort of program you choose, make sure that it has received approval from the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education.

Step 3: Supervised Fieldwork

Once you have completed your master's degree, you will need to complete around six months of supervised fieldwork. If you have completed work for a doctoral degree, you will need to complete additional hours of experiential learning. The number of required hours in both cases is decided by the licensing body in the state in which you plan to work.

While you might be eager to complete this part of the process, it's important to choose your supervised fieldwork carefully. This time is a great opportunity to establish a specialty. While you can always change the population you work with, when you start with a population that you love, your career can get off to a smooth start.

Step 4: Examination and Licensure

After you have completed your education and supervised work, you will want to schedule an exam provided by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). you will need to apply and qualify to sit for the exam by sending materials, which includes an official academic transcript. The exam is broken down into the following areas:

  • Evaluation and Assessment (25%)
  • Analysis and Interpretation (23%)
  • Intervention Management (37%)
  • Competency and Practice Management (15%)

While applications to sit for the examination are taken online, the NBCOT also accepts paper copies of their application.

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What Does an Occupational Therapist Do?

Occupational therapists have diverse roles, as their work addresses various ages and conditions. Their daily tasks can vary greatly, but typically, they assess their patients' progress toward therapy goals. For example, they might help a mentally ill patient manage study challenges or work with a stroke victim on daily tasks like dressing or meal preparation.

After sessions, OTs complete paperwork documenting the therapy covered, progress made, and future strategies.

Occupational therapists work in many settings, including hospitals, long-term care, mental health facilities, and private practices. Hospital-based OTs wear scrubs and work with a rotating patient roster. Those in private practice have flexible schedules, often working with children with Autism, adults with disabilities, or injured individuals needing assistance at home.

Skills to Acquire

As an occupational therapist, you don't necessarily need any special technological or other skills. However, you will want to work on skills related to empathy and communication. You will need to focus on listening so that you hear what patients are experiencing. When you fully understand what a patient is going through, you can create a plan for addressing their concerns.

In occupational therapy, you will also want to work on your ability to adapt to new patients, problems, and situations. What works for one of your patients might be the opposite of what your next patient requires, even if they have similar problems. Further, individual patients might be experiencing wildly different things from day to day. You'll need to be able to work with how the patient presents on a day-to-day, if not hour-to-hour, basis.

Alternative Paths

The most straightforward way for you to begin a career as an occupational therapy professional is to work straight through your master's degree, complete the supervised period, and then pass your licensure examination. However, that is not necessarily the only, or even the best, way to achieve a successful career in occupational therapy.

For instance, you might start your career working as a Certified Nurse's Assistant in a hospital or other environment. From there, you could return to school and complete a degree in occupational therapy and start work as an occupational therapy assistant.

OTAs are required to be licensed, so you will have to sit for the appropriate examination and complete any required supervised hours. In this position, you will gain a lot of experience and knowledge of the occupational therapist job while helping a licensed occupational therapist. Thus, if you decide to move on through a bachelor's degree to a master's, you are likely to find admissions counselors who are impressed by your preexisting familiarity with the field.

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Occupational Therapy Careers and Salary

Where Might You Work?

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Occupational therapists work in various environments. A common setting is a hospital, where they are essential staff across different wings. You could also work in a Veterans Administration hospital, assisting wounded soldiers with a variety of challenges.

Another option is working in long-term care facilities, where you’ll assist elderly patients. These facilities range from assisted living, where you might help with basic tasks like cooking, to infirm care, where patients may need support with mobility devices like walkers or wheelchairs.

Alternatively, OTs can work for independent agencies, visiting clients in the community. These clients might include teenagers with mental illness, individuals with autism, or those with developmental disabilities. This role often involves traveling between appointments and managing a fluctuating caseload.

Potential Career Paths

One of the benefits of working in occupational therapy is the flexibility to create a unique career path. You might start in a hospital, then travel abroad to help communities in need. Upon returning to the U.S., you could shift to community-based work, helping developmentally disabled individuals with tasks like cooking, using public transport, or socializing.

Experienced and licensed occupational therapists can even start their own independent care agencies, employing other professionals for temporary hospital or clinic work, or fulfilling state contracts. Few healthcare careers offer this level of flexibility, which can make choosing the right path in occupational therapy feel overwhelming.

Occupational Therapist Career Salaries

Occupation Entry-Level Mid-Career Late-Career
Occupational Therapist $51,000 $67,000 $87,000
Occupational Therapy Aide/Associate $30,000 $46,000 $63,000
Physical Therapist $60,000 $72,000 $91,000
Physical Therapy Aide/Associate $39,000 $50,000 $69,000
Speech-Language Pathologist $47,000 $62,000 $83,000
Recreational Therapist $33,000 $42,000 $58,000
Rehabilitation Services Coordinator $31,000 $69,000 $94,000
Athletic Trainers $34,000 $44,000 $59,000
Chiropractor $39,000 $61,000 $108,000

**Salary info provided by PayScale

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Career Outlook

Since occupational therapists are in the healthcare sector, they are enjoying a bright outlook. In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that this occupational sector is slated to experience 11% growth between 2023 and 2033. This growth is noted as much faster than the national average. Thus, you might find that the occupational therapy field is increasingly competitive.

When fields become more popular and competitive, you need to make sure that you study extra hard in a program that is well-respected and that has full accreditation. The good news is that, once you start work, your employer is likely to appreciate you. In fact, the median salary for occupational therapists is $96,370. Given the rapid aging of the overall population, and the increased access to healthcare in many states, occupational therapists are sure to enjoy years of high demand for their skills, salary increases, and a rapid evolution of profession best practices.


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Frequently Asked Questions

What do occupational therapists do?

Occupational therapists are in charge of giving people exercises, adaptations, and tools to help them function in a more independent way. Occupational therapists help people relearn how to do any part of daily living. They help people who have lost mobility and strength due to injury or illness.

What is the workplace of an occupational therapist like?

Some occupational therapists work in physical offices or hospitals. Many occupational therapists will travel from one facility to another throughout their work day. Occupational therapists may also work in private practices or patients homes.

How long do you have to go to school to learn how to become an occupational therapist?

To become a fully licensed occupational therapist, you will need a master's degree. After you get your master's degree, you will need to complete at least 24 of supervised work hours. You will also need to take and pass the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy.

What are the skills necessary to become an occupational therapist?

Occupational therapists need to be compassionate, flexible, patient, and interpersonal. Occupational therapists also need to have excellent writing and communication skills.

What are the benefits of becoming an occupational therapist?

Occupational therapy has a good mix of stability and flexibility. Most employers offer the option to work part or full time as well as over time options. Another benefit of occupational therapy is that you get to choose the specialty that you enjoy. You also have the chance to help others in a career as an occupational therapist.

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