State market profile

District of Columbia OT job market

Compare District of Columbia 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 #18$110,850 mean wage540 OT jobs0.74 location quotient

Market snapshot

How District of Columbia 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$110,850BLS OEWS mean annual wage for occupational therapists.

Median wage$109,170Middle wage estimate for statewide OT roles.

Employment540Estimated occupational therapist jobs statewide.

Density0.78OT jobs per 1,000 statewide jobs.

Decision snapshot

Is District of Columbia 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 District of Columbia 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 the linked city profiles before relocating.
The OT concentration signal is below the national baseline; confirm local role availability in your setting.

Ask before deciding

Which District of Columbia metros have enough openings in the setting you actually want?
How do rent, commute, taxes, and benefits change the value of a $110,850 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 District of Columbia 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
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Score 53.6	#37	$109,170	2,640	0.80 LQ; 0.84 per 1,000 jobs

Programs

OT and OTA programs in District of Columbia

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
George Washington University 50-74% distance; next review 2031/2032	Washington, DC	OT Doctorate	100%
Howard University 25-49% distance; next review 2030/2031	Washington, DC	OT Doctorate	55%
Trinity Washington University 50-74% distance; next review 2032/2033	Washington, DC	OT Masters	40%
Trinity Washington University 1-24% distance; next review 2029/2030	Washington, DC	OTA Baccalaureate	25%

Compare states

Other strong OT state markets

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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