State market profile

Oregon OT job market

Compare Oregon 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 #20$112,000 mean wage1,170 OT jobs0.57 location quotient

Market snapshot

How Oregon 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$112,000BLS OEWS mean annual wage for occupational therapists.

Median wage$112,310Middle wage estimate for statewide OT roles.

Employment1,170Estimated occupational therapist jobs statewide.

Density0.59OT jobs per 1,000 statewide jobs.

Decision snapshot

Is Oregon 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 Oregon 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 Oregon metros have enough openings in the setting you actually want?
How do rent, commute, taxes, and benefits change the value of a $112,000 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 Oregon 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
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA Score 47.6	#82	$114,410	730	0.58 LQ; 0.60 per 1,000 jobs
Bend, OR Score 41.9	#145	$111,340	100	0.86 LQ; 0.90 per 1,000 jobs
Eugene-Springfield, OR Score 40.6	#169	$111,110	120	0.73 LQ; 0.77 per 1,000 jobs
Salem, OR Score 40.1	#182	$109,330	140	0.72 LQ; 0.75 per 1,000 jobs
Medford, OR Score 31.9	#292	$102,050	60	0.65 LQ; 0.68 per 1,000 jobs

Programs

OT and OTA programs in Oregon

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
Linn-Benton Community College-Healthcare Occupations Center 75-100% distance; next review 2032/2033	Lebanon, OR	OTA Associate	100%
Pacific University 25-49% distance; next review 2029/2030	Hillsboro, OR	OT Doctorate	97%
George Fox University Format not listed; next review 2025/2026	Newberg, OR	OT Doctorate	Outcome not linked
University of Western States Format not listed; next review 2026/2027	Portland, OR	OT Doctorate	Outcome not linked
Western Oregon University Format not listed; next review 2026/2027	Monmouth, OR	OT Doctorate	Outcome not linked

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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