State market profile

Alabama OT job market

Compare Alabama using BLS occupational therapist wage, employment, density, and concentration data from the May 2025 OEWS release, then review metro, school, and employer context.

State rank #44$95,760 mean wage1,500 OT jobs0.68 location quotient

Market snapshot

How Alabama compares for occupational therapists

The state score balances pay, role depth, role density, and occupational concentration. Raw BLS measures stay visible so readers can audit the ranking.

Mean wage$95,760BLS OEWS mean annual wage for occupational therapists.

Median wage$94,050Middle wage estimate for statewide OT roles.

Employment1,500Estimated occupational therapist jobs statewide.

Density0.71OT jobs per 1,000 statewide jobs.

Decision snapshot

Is Alabama a strong OT market for your next move?

Use the state rank as a starting point, then validate the metro, setting, employer, and school context that will shape the actual decision.

Best for

OTs who want a source-backed read on Alabama before narrowing to specific metros and employers.
Readers comparing a smaller statewide market where individual employers and commute radius matter more.
Readers who want metro-level comparisons instead of relying on one statewide wage number.

Watch closely

Statewide wage data does not adjust for rent, taxes, benefits, commute time, productivity model, or setting mix.
Large states can hide major metro-to-metro differences, so compare city profiles before relocating.
The OT concentration signal is below the national baseline; confirm local role availability in your setting.

Ask before deciding

Which Alabama metros have enough openings in the setting you actually want?
How do rent, commute, taxes, and benefits change the value of a $95,760 mean wage?
Which employers offer mentorship, manageable documentation, and a caseload mix that fits your goals?

Decision signals

What the state data means in practice

Statewide numbers are useful for screening, but the decision still depends on metros, employers, schools, and the specific setting you want.

Pay shape

The mean and median wage are close, which makes the published wage signal easier to interpret for typical OT roles.

Market depth

This is a thinner statewide employment base. Individual employers, local referral networks, and travel radius can matter more than the statewide rank.

Role concentration

The location quotient is below the national baseline, so readers should verify local role availability before relying on statewide wage strength.

Metro markets

Best Alabama metro markets for OTs

Metro rows help separate statewide strength from the cities where jobs, wages, and OT concentration are actually concentrated.

Metro	Rank	Mean wage	Employment	Concentration
Gadsden, AL Score 55.4	#30	$94,960	80	2.41 LQ; 2.52 per 1,000 jobs
Birmingham, AL Score 43.9	#118	$97,770	540	0.99 LQ; 1.03 per 1,000 jobs
Dothan, AL Score 32.1	#288	$94,450	60	0.93 LQ; 0.97 per 1,000 jobs
Mobile, AL Score 29.4	#316	$92,720	110	0.63 LQ; 0.66 per 1,000 jobs
Huntsville, AL Score 28.2	#328	$93,670	130	0.47 LQ; 0.49 per 1,000 jobs
Tuscaloosa, AL Score 28.0	#329	$97,890	60	0.53 LQ; 0.55 per 1,000 jobs
Montgomery, AL Score 26.2	#340	$91,660	90	0.51 LQ; 0.53 per 1,000 jobs
Auburn-Opelika, AL Score 25.1	#349	$94,330	40	0.57 LQ; 0.59 per 1,000 jobs
Decatur, AL Score 22.8	#358	$94,700	30	0.48 LQ; 0.51 per 1,000 jobs
Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL Score 22.1	#360	$90,810	30	0.57 LQ; 0.59 per 1,000 jobs

Programs

OT and OTA programs in Alabama

Program supply matters for applicants, fieldwork access, and local clinical networks. These rows point to source-backed school profiles where available.

Program	Location	Degree	NBCOT
Faulkner University Campus-based; next review 2031/2032	Montgomery, AL	OT Doctorate	100%
University of Alabama at Birmingham Campus-based; next review 2029/2030	Birmingham, AL	OT Doctorate	94%
Wallace State Community College 1-24% distance; next review 2028/2029	Hanceville, AL	OTA Associate	89%
Alabama State University Campus-based; next review 2026/2027	Montgomery, AL	OT Masters	81%
Tuskegee University Format not listed; next review 2027/2028	Tuskegee, AL	OT Masters	75%
Alabama State University Format not listed; next review 2026/2027	Montgomery, AL	OT Doctorate	NBCOT outcome unavailable

Compare states

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Use peer states to check whether a relocation, school decision, or salary negotiation is anchored in the right labor-market comparison.

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