City market profile
Merced, CA OT job market
Compare Merced, CA using BLS occupational therapist wage, employment, density, and concentration data from the May 2025 OEWS release.
Metro rank #295$115,270 mean wage30 OT jobs0.38 location quotient
Market snapshot
How Merced, CA compares for occupational therapists
The OT Index city score balances pay, role depth, role density, and occupational concentration. Raw source measures stay visible so the score can be audited.
Decision snapshot
Should Merced, CA be on your OT market shortlist?
Use the metro rank to frame the opportunity, then verify the employers, settings, commute, and cost profile that affect day-to-day fit.
Best for
- OTs who want a source-backed read on Merced, CA before choosing a local employer or setting.
- Readers evaluating a smaller local market where each employer relationship matters more.
- Readers comparing Merced, CA against the broader California state-market profile.
Watch closely
- Metro wage data does not adjust for rent, taxes, commute time, benefits, productivity model, or caseload mix.
- The BLS employment base is small, so employer-level availability can matter more than the rank.
- The local OT concentration signal is below the national baseline; verify role availability before relying on wage strength.
Ask before deciding
- Which employers and settings drive OT hiring in Merced, CA?
- How does take-home pay look after rent, commute time, benefits, and productivity expectations?
- Are there enough mentors, specialty roles, and fieldwork or referral networks for your career stage?
Methodology
Why this metro scores where it does
Metro rankings are most useful when the score is read beside the raw measures. A high-wage city can still have a shallow market, while a dense market can still have weaker pay.
Mean annual wage40%
BLS OEWS mean annual wage for the metro.
Employment depth25%
Log-scaled employment count so deeper markets count without letting the largest metros dominate.
Employment density20%
Occupational therapist jobs per 1,000 local jobs.
Job concentration15%
BLS location quotient, used as a local concentration signal versus the national labor market.
Nearby comparisons
Other California metro markets
Compare this metro against nearby labor markets before using a single city score to make a relocation or negotiation decision.
| Metro | Score | Mean wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA Rank #6; 0.63 LQ | 62.5 | $136,250 | 1,560 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA Rank #9; 0.71 LQ | 61.8 | $137,450 | 840 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA Rank #14; 0.76 LQ | 60.3 | $118,500 | 4,950 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA Rank #17; 1.01 LQ | 59.8 | $119,390 | 1,620 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA Rank #33; 0.72 LQ | 54.7 | $123,560 | 810 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA Rank #36; 0.98 LQ | 54.0 | $131,980 | 100 |