State market profile

Iowa OT job market

Compare Iowa 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 #48$89,720 mean wage1,290 OT jobs0.79 location quotient

Market snapshot

How Iowa 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$89,720BLS OEWS mean annual wage for occupational therapists.

Median wage$89,910Middle wage estimate for statewide OT roles.

Employment1,290Estimated occupational therapist jobs statewide.

Density0.82OT jobs per 1,000 statewide jobs.

Decision snapshot

Is Iowa 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 Iowa 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 Iowa metros have enough openings in the setting you actually want?
How do rent, commute, taxes, and benefits change the value of a $89,720 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 Iowa 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
Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL Score 36.0	#238	$94,360	170	0.90 LQ; 0.94 per 1,000 jobs
Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA Score 33.8	#265	$87,030	340	0.80 LQ; 0.84 per 1,000 jobs
Iowa City, IA Score 33.4	#270	$89,330	100	1.05 LQ; 1.09 per 1,000 jobs
Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA Score 31.5	#297	$92,850	80	0.86 LQ; 0.90 per 1,000 jobs
Cedar Rapids, IA Score 30.5	#304	$91,920	110	0.73 LQ; 0.76 per 1,000 jobs
Sioux City, IA-NE-SD Score 25.7	#345	$90,240	50	0.69 LQ; 0.72 per 1,000 jobs
Dubuque, IA Score 23.3	#354	$93,160	30	0.57 LQ; 0.60 per 1,000 jobs
Ames, IA Score 18.6	#363	$77,820	40	0.70 LQ; 0.73 per 1,000 jobs

Programs

OT and OTA programs in Iowa

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
Allen College Campus-based; next review 2030/2031	Waterloo, IA	OT Masters	100%
Indian Hills Community College 1-24% distance; next review 2028/2029	Ottumwa, IA	OTA Associate	100%
Drake University 1-24% distance; next review 2025/2026	Des Moines, IA	OT Doctorate	98%
St. Ambrose University 1-24% distance; next review 2034/2035	Davenport, IA	OT Doctorate	92%
Kirkwood Community College-Linn County Regional Center 1-24% distance; next review 2033/2034	Hiawatha, IA	OTA Associate	88%
Hawkeye Community College 50-74% distance; next review 2031/2032	Waterloo, IA	OTA Associate	67%

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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