State market profile
North Dakota OT job market
Compare North Dakota 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 #43$87,670 mean wage570 OT jobs1.26 location quotient
Market snapshot
How North Dakota compares for occupational therapists
The state score balances pay, role depth, role density, and occupational concentration. BLS wage and job-market measures stay visible so readers can understand the rank.
Our take
North Dakota OT market assessment
Why it stands out
- The 1.26 location quotient is well above the national baseline, so OT roles have an unusually strong presence in the state's labor market.
Tradeoffs that matter
- At #43, the state trails more than half of the country on the combined pay, employment, density, and concentration score. A move here needs a specific employer or personal reason.
- BLS estimates 570 OT jobs statewide. That thinner base reduces leverage when changing employers or searching for a narrow specialty.
- The mean wage is $87,670, but the median is $83,200. That gap suggests high earners lift the average, so a typical offer may land closer to the median.
What to compare next
- Compare the highest- and lowest-paying North Dakota metros before using the statewide $83,200 median in an offer decision.
- Put North Dakota beside New Jersey on job count and OT concentration; nearby ranks can be built from very different kinds of opportunity.
- Compare settings separately inside the state. A strong hospital market does not automatically mean equally strong school, outpatient, or home-health options.
How to read the numbers
What the state data means in practice
Statewide averages are a useful first comparison, but your decision still depends on the metro area, employer, clinical setting, and cost of living.
Pay shape
The mean wage is noticeably higher than the median. A smaller group of high-paying jobs may be pulling up the average, so the median is the safer number for a typical offer.
Market depth
BLS estimates 570 OT jobs statewide. That thinner base makes individual employers, local referral networks, and travel radius unusually important.
Role concentration
The 1.26 location quotient is well above the national baseline, so OT roles have an unusually strong presence in the state's labor market.
Metro markets
Best North Dakota 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bismarck, ND Score 43.6 | #122 | $86,570 | 130 | 1.76 LQ; 1.83 per 1,000 jobs |
| Fargo, ND-MN Score 39.2 | #195 | $86,170 | 210 | 1.34 LQ; 1.40 per 1,000 jobs |
| Grand Forks, ND-MN Score 32.3 | #282 | $87,200 | 60 | 1.19 LQ; 1.24 per 1,000 jobs |
| Minot, ND Score 23.8 | #352 | $82,990 | 30 | 0.95 LQ; 0.99 per 1,000 jobs |
Programs
OT and OTA programs in North Dakota
Program supply matters for applicants, fieldwork access, and local clinical networks. These rows point to school profiles where available.
| Program | Location | Degree | NBCOT |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of North Dakota 1-24% distance; next review 2028/2029 | Grand Forks, ND | OT Doctorate | 96% |
| North Dakota State College of Science 1-24% distance; next review 2030/2031 | Wahpeton, ND | OTA Associate | 91% |
| University of Mary-Bismarck 50-74% distance; next review 2027/2028 | Bismarck, ND | OT Doctorate | NBCOT outcome unavailable |
| University of Mary Format not listed; next review 2032/2033 | Bismarck, ND | OT Masters | 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.
Rank #1
New Jersey
$110,150 mean wage; 6,290 OT jobs; 1.41 location quotient.
Open state profile Rank #2California
$121,920 mean wage; 13,810 OT jobs; 0.73 location quotient.
Open state profile Rank #3Massachusetts
$99,730 mean wage; 6,510 OT jobs; 1.71 location quotient.
Open state profile Rank #4Connecticut
$102,140 mean wage; 3,150 OT jobs; 1.77 location quotient.
Open state profile Rank #5Arkansas
$104,940 mean wage; 2,160 OT jobs; 1.59 location quotient.
Open state profile Rank #6Colorado
$111,620 mean wage; 3,390 OT jobs; 1.13 location quotient.
Open state profile
North Dakota is a fit-driven choice rather than a market-driven one at #43. This is a smaller but OT-heavy market, so the profession has a meaningful local presence even without a huge number of jobs. The $83,200 median is the better anchor for a typical offer than the higher or lower mean. Because the page includes 4 metros, the statewide result should be used to choose a region, not to value a specific offer.