Career setting profile

Educational services occupational therapy careers

OTs who value pediatric practice, school calendars, IEP teamwork, classroom participation, and long-term schedule stability. Compare BLS wage signals with The OT Index fit scores for autonomy, schedule quality, documentation intensity, and career upside.

OT rank #5OTA rank #5$83,890 OT median2024

Setting snapshot

Pay and fit signals in one view

The profile separates official BLS wage data from fit signals that should be discussed in interviews, offer reviews, and career planning.

OT median wage$83,890BLS OOH setting row, salary rank #5.

OTA median wage$59,240BLS OOH OTA setting row, salary rank #5.

Autonomy score76Strong relative fit signal.

Schedule score88Very strong schedule-quality signal.

Role	Salary rank	Median annual wage	Wage signal	Autonomy	Schedule	Documentation	Career upside
OT Schedule quality, IEP load, district variability	5	$83,890	74/100 wage percentile signal	76/100	88/100	53/100	70/100
OTA Pediatrics, calendar flexibility, caseload complexity	5	$59,240	77/100 wage percentile signal	68/100	86/100	55/100	66/100

Fit scorecard

Where this setting is strong and where to pressure-test it

A high wage is useful only if the daily operating model supports good work. Use these signals as interview prompts, not as a substitute for offer-specific details.

Wage signal74/100

Strong. BLS wage strength relative to the other major published OT and OTA settings.

Autonomy76/100

Strong. How much control clinicians typically have over daily flow, judgment, and patient management.

Schedule quality88/100

Very strong. Predictability, commute burden, calendar quality, weekend demand, and visit-routing stability.

Documentation intensity53/100

Watch closely. The amount of documentation and payer/compliance work that can shape the real workload.

Career upside70/100

Strong. Skill growth, specialization potential, portability, and longer-term career optionality.

Interview questions

Questions to ask before choosing this setting

The most important setting differences usually appear after the first salary number: productivity, documentation, support, caseload design, and local employer quality.

What is the caseload size, and how many buildings are covered?

How much time is reserved for evaluations, IEP meetings, documentation, and team consultation?

Are assistants, aides, adaptive equipment, and sensory supports available?

Is the role direct district employment, contract, travel, or a staffing-agency assignment?

Keep comparing

Other OT career setting profiles

Compare this setting with nearby alternatives before treating one rank or one wage number as the whole decision.

Rank #1