State market profile

New Jersey OT job market

Compare New Jersey 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 #3$110,150 mean wage6,290 OT jobs1.41 location quotient

Market snapshot

How New Jersey 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$110,150BLS OEWS mean annual wage for occupational therapists.

Median wage$103,410Middle wage estimate for statewide OT roles.

Employment6,290Estimated occupational therapist jobs statewide.

Density1.47OT jobs per 1,000 statewide jobs.

Decision snapshot

Is New Jersey 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 comparing an upper-tier state market with rank #3 in the current release.
Clinicians who want a meaningful statewide employment base with 6,290 estimated OT jobs.
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.
A strong concentration signal still needs employer-level review before accepting an offer.

Ask before deciding

Which New Jersey metros have enough openings in the setting you actually want?
How do rent, commute, taxes, and benefits change the value of a $110,150 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 wage is meaningfully above the median, which can signal higher-end pay opportunities but also a wider spread across roles and employers.

Market depth

This is a meaningful statewide employment base. Applicants and clinicians should compare the strongest metros rather than treating the state as one uniform market.

Role concentration

The location quotient is above the national baseline, suggesting OT roles are more concentrated here than in the U.S. labor market overall.

Metro markets

Best New Jersey 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
Trenton-Princeton, NJ Score 40.7	#167	$103,660	210	0.84 LQ; 0.88 per 1,000 jobs
Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ Score 33.3	#272	$99,930	110	0.65 LQ; 0.68 per 1,000 jobs
Vineland, NJ Score 33.0	#279	$97,620	60	0.88 LQ; 0.92 per 1,000 jobs

Programs

OT and OTA programs in New Jersey

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
Felician University Campus-based; next review 2028/2029	Rutherford, NJ	OTA Associate	100%
Kean University 1-24% distance; next review 2033/2034	Hillside, NJ	OT Masters	96%
Seton Hall University 1-24% distance; next review 2034/2035	Nutley, NJ	OT Masters	91%
Stockton University 1-24% distance; next review 2035/2036	Galloway, NJ	OT Masters	91%
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey Format not listed; next review 2032/2033	Piscataway, NJ	OTA Baccalaureate	90%
Monmouth University 1-24% distance; next review 2030/2031	West Long Branch, NJ	OT Doctorate	89%

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.

Rank #1