Career setting profile

Nursing care facilities occupational therapy careers

OTs who want high treatment volume, geriatric rehab exposure, and one of the strongest national wage signals. Compare BLS wage signals with The OT Index fit scores for autonomy, schedule quality, documentation intensity, and career upside.

OT rank #1OTA rank #2$103,210 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$103,210BLS OOH setting row, salary rank #1.

OTA median wage$75,860BLS OOH OTA setting row, salary rank #2.

Autonomy score62Moderate relative fit signal.

Schedule score58Moderate schedule-quality signal.

Role	Salary rank	Median annual wage	Wage signal	Autonomy	Schedule	Documentation	Career upside
OT High pay, productivity scrutiny, heavier documentation	1	$103,210	100/100 wage percentile signal	62/100	58/100	38/100	78/100
OTA Volume, productivity, clinical reps	2	$75,860	99/100 wage percentile signal	58/100	56/100	40/100	76/100

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 signal100/100

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

Autonomy62/100

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

Schedule quality58/100

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

Documentation intensity38/100

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

Career upside78/100

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 productivity target is expected, and how is non-billable time handled?

How are group and concurrent treatment decisions governed?

What is the typical caseload mix across short-stay rehab, long-term care, and memory care?

How much mentorship is available for wound care, splinting, seating, dysphagia-adjacent coordination, and discharge planning?

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 #2