State market profile

Montana OT job market

Compare Montana 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 #51$92,310 mean wage420 OT jobs0.79 location quotient

Market snapshot

How Montana 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$92,310BLS OEWS mean annual wage for occupational therapists.

Median wage$88,990Middle wage estimate for statewide OT roles.

Employment420Estimated occupational therapist jobs statewide.

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

Decision snapshot

Is Montana 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 Montana 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 Montana metros have enough openings in the setting you actually want?
How do rent, commute, taxes, and benefits change the value of a $92,310 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 Montana 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
Billings, MT Score 38.6	#198	$89,330	130	1.32 LQ; 1.38 per 1,000 jobs
Great Falls, MT Score 29.0	#320	$87,820	40	1.06 LQ; 1.11 per 1,000 jobs
Bozeman, MT Score 27.8	#332	$95,830	50	0.64 LQ; 0.67 per 1,000 jobs
Missoula, MT Score 23.1	#357	$89,660	40	0.60 LQ; 0.62 per 1,000 jobs

Programs

OT and OTA programs in Montana

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
Rocky Mountain College Campus-based; next review 2027/2028	Billings, MT	OT Doctorate	100%
University of Montana Format not listed; next review 2027/2028	Missoula, MT	OT Doctorate	NBCOT outcome unavailable

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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