State market profile

Tennessee OT job market

Compare Tennessee 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 #41$95,080 mean wage2,490 OT jobs0.73 location quotient

Market snapshot

How Tennessee 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$95,080BLS OEWS mean annual wage for occupational therapists.

Median wage$97,700Middle wage estimate for statewide OT roles.

Employment2,490Estimated occupational therapist jobs statewide.

Density0.76OT jobs per 1,000 statewide jobs.

Decision snapshot

Is Tennessee 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 Tennessee 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 Tennessee metros have enough openings in the setting you actually want?
How do rent, commute, taxes, and benefits change the value of a $95,080 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 Tennessee 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
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN Score 39.7	#189	$97,890	710	0.62 LQ; 0.65 per 1,000 jobs
Chattanooga, TN-GA Score 38.3	#204	$90,070	290	1.05 LQ; 1.09 per 1,000 jobs
Memphis, TN-MS-AR Score 38.2	#206	$98,130	420	0.66 LQ; 0.69 per 1,000 jobs
Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA Score 34.2	#260	$91,640	120	0.97 LQ; 1.01 per 1,000 jobs
Johnson City, TN Score 33.4	#271	$90,430	90	1.04 LQ; 1.08 per 1,000 jobs
Clarksville, TN-KY Score 32.8	#281	$94,220	90	0.87 LQ; 0.91 per 1,000 jobs
Jackson, TN Score 32.3	#283	$93,970	80	0.87 LQ; 0.91 per 1,000 jobs
Knoxville, TN Score 32.3	#284	$89,970	290	0.65 LQ; 0.68 per 1,000 jobs
Morristown, TN Score 26.2	#341	$91,080	40	0.76 LQ; 0.79 per 1,000 jobs

Programs

OT and OTA programs in Tennessee

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
Belmont University Campus-based; next review 2025/2026	Nashville, TN	OT Doctorate	100%
East Tennessee State University 1-24% distance; next review 2031/2032	Johnson City, TN	OT Doctorate	100%
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga 1-24% distance; next review 2033/2034	Chattanooga, TN	OT Doctorate	100%
Milligan University 1-24% distance; next review 2031/2032	Milligan, TN	OT Masters	100%
South College-Knoxville Campus 25-49% distance; next review 2025/2026	Knoxville, TN	OTA Associate	100%
Walters State Community College-Niswonger Campus 1-24% distance; next review 2032/2033	Greeneville, TN	OTA Associate	100%

Compare states

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