Rankings hub
A comprehensive ranking library for occupational therapy decisions.
The OT Index organizes every ranking around a reader decision, source links, scoring criteria, and an update cadence.
SchoolsCareersCitiesEmployersSpecialtiesTools
Database
The ranking database is now the foundation.
The OT Index stores source registries, ranking datasets, career-setting records, BLS geography rows, school-program profiles, NBCOT performance rows, CMS home health agency rows, and scoring runs in a Postgres-ready structure.
| Dataset | Status | Records | Freshness | Cadence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best Documentation Tool Features for OTs Ranks OT documentation features by clinical specificity, time savings, compliance support, data quality, and privacy controls. | guide | 5 | 2026 methodology review | Quarterly tool-market review |
| Home Health Agency Index Ranks Medicare-certified home health agencies that offer OT services using CMS quality, functional outcome, timely care, and readmission-pressure measures. | live | 3640 | CMS Provider Data Catalog imported June 25, 2026 | Monthly CMS Provider Data refresh |
| Best Hybrid OT Programs Ranks active ACOTE-matched hybrid and distance-format OT master's and doctoral programs by distance range, latest NBCOT result, five-year average, and consistency. | live | 128 | ACOTE format data and NBCOT 2021-2025 outcomes imported June 25, 2026 | Quarterly ACOTE review plus annual NBCOT outcomes refresh |
| Best OT Programs by NBCOT Pass Rate Ranks active ACOTE-matched OT master's and doctoral programs by latest NBCOT pass rate, five-year average, and consistency. | live | 160 | NBCOT 2021-2025 outcomes imported June 25, 2026 | Annual NBCOT outcomes refresh |
| Best Occupational Therapy Career Settings Combines BLS wage data with autonomy, schedule quality, skill growth, and documentation tradeoffs. | live | 5 | May 2024 wage data with 2026 methodology | Annual BLS refresh plus methodology review |
| Best Cities for Occupational Therapists Ranks metro labor markets by BLS OEWS wage strength, employment depth, job density, and location quotient for occupational therapists. | live | 364 | May 2025 OEWS metro time-series data imported June 25, 2026 | Annual BLS metro refresh |
| Occupational Therapy Program Index Program comparison database for accreditation, exam readiness, cost, debt pressure, format, and regional opportunity. | live | 667 | ACOTE directory and NBCOT performance imported June 25, 2026 | Quarterly ACOTE refresh and annual NBCOT outcomes refresh |
| OT Salary and Setting Index Ranks major occupational therapist work settings by BLS-published median wage and practical career tradeoffs. | live | 5 | May 2024 wage data | Annual BLS refresh |
| Best OT Specialties for Career Growth Ranks OT specialty paths by demand durability, pay upside, defensible expertise, flexibility, and training leverage. | live | 6 | 2026 methodology review | Semiannual specialty review |
| Best States for Occupational Therapists Ranks top state markets by BLS OEWS mean wage, employment depth, and job concentration for occupational therapists. | live | 20 | May 2025 OEWS data | Annual BLS refresh |
| Best OTA Programs by NBCOT Pass Rate Ranks active ACOTE-matched OTA associate and baccalaureate programs by latest NBCOT pass rate, five-year average, and consistency. | live | 166 | NBCOT 2021-2025 outcomes imported June 25, 2026 | Annual NBCOT outcomes refresh |
| OTA Salary and Setting Index Ranks major occupational therapy assistant work settings separately from OT roles so readers can compare the right market. | live | 5 | May 2024 wage data | Annual BLS refresh |
| Best Public OT Programs by Value Ranks public accredited occupational therapy programs by tuition, debt, completion, accreditation timing, and state labor-market opportunity. | live | 6 | ACOTE and College Scorecard review, June 2026 | Quarterly school-data refresh |
Ranking categories
Explore the major OT comparisons
Each category focuses on a real decision: choosing a program, comparing a setting, relocating, evaluating an employer, selecting a specialty, or finding better tools.
Published
Schools
Best Occupational Therapy Programs
A live ACOTE-backed program database plus NBCOT outcomes and public-program value rankings.
Source coverage92%
Published
Careers
OT Salary and Setting Index
BLS wage data ranked by practice setting, with OTA pay and growth context included for comparison.
Source coverage95%
Published
Geography
Best States and Cities for OTs
BLS-backed state and metro rankings for relocation, wage leverage, and local job-market depth.
Source coverage91%
Published
Employers
Home Health Agency Index
A CMS-backed ranking of Medicare-certified home health agencies offering OT services, with quality and functional outcome signals.
Source coverage88%
Published
Specialties
OT Specialty Opportunity Index
A career strategy ranking for hand therapy, pediatrics, neuro, mental health, home modification, and non-clinical roles.
Source coverage84%
Guide
Tools
Documentation and CEU Tools
Commercial-intent rankings for EMRs, documentation workflows, CEU platforms, adaptive equipment, and clinical apps.
Source coverage66%
Published rankings
Published ranking pages
Start with the comparisons that answer real decisions for OT students, applicants, clinicians, and practice owners.
Salary rankingHighest-Paying Occupational Therapy SettingsCompare the major occupational therapist work settings by BLS-published median annual wage, then read the practical tradeoffs that matter before choosing a job.PublishedOTA salary rankingHighest-Paying Occupational Therapy Assistant SettingsOTA pay should be evaluated separately from occupational therapist pay because the credential path, market ceiling, and employer mix are different.PublishedCareer fit rankingBest Occupational Therapy Career SettingsThe best OT setting is not just the highest-paying one. This ranking combines wage strength with autonomy, schedule quality, skill growth, documentation burden, and long-term optionality.PublishedSpecialty rankingBest Occupational Therapy Specialties for Career GrowthA practical ranking of OT specialties by demand durability, pay upside, independence, training leverage, and ability to build a defensible career niche.PublishedState rankingBest States for Occupational TherapistsA BLS-backed ranking of top state markets for occupational therapists, using wage strength, employment depth, and job concentration as separate auditable signals.PublishedSchool value rankingBest Public OT Programs by ValueA source-backed ranking of public accredited occupational therapy programs where tuition, debt, completion, accreditation, and state labor-market signals can be audited.PublishedSchool outcomes rankingBest OT Programs by NBCOT Pass RateA source-backed ranking of active ACOTE-matched occupational therapy programs using the latest NBCOT pass rate, five-year average, and five-year consistency.PublishedSchool outcomes rankingBest OTA Programs by NBCOT Pass RateA source-backed ranking of active ACOTE-matched occupational therapy assistant programs using the latest NBCOT pass rate, five-year average, and five-year consistency.PublishedSchool format rankingBest Hybrid OT ProgramsA source-backed ranking of active ACOTE-matched hybrid and distance-format OT master's and doctoral programs, balancing format flexibility with NBCOT outcomes.PublishedMetro rankingBest Cities for Occupational TherapistsA BLS-backed ranking of metro labor markets for occupational therapists, balancing wage strength, job depth, employment density, and OT concentration.PublishedEmployer quality rankingBest Home Health Agencies for Occupational TherapistsA CMS-backed ranking of Medicare-certified home health agencies that offer occupational therapy services, using quality stars, functional outcomes, timely care, medication follow-up, readmission pressure, and quality-measure volume.Published
Complete library
All OT ranking guides
Every page has a specific reader decision, visible source context, methodology weights, and practical caveats.
| Status | Ranking | Source basis | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|
| Published | Highest-Paying Occupational Therapy Settings Compare the major occupational therapist work settings by BLS-published median annual wage, then read the practical tradeoffs that matter before choosing a job. | BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, May 2024 wage table for occupational therapists. | June 25, 2026 |
| Published | Highest-Paying Occupational Therapy Assistant Settings OTA pay should be evaluated separately from occupational therapist pay because the credential path, market ceiling, and employer mix are different. | BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, May 2024 wage table for occupational therapy assistants and aides. | June 25, 2026 |
| Published | Best Occupational Therapy Career Settings The best OT setting is not just the highest-paying one. This ranking combines wage strength with autonomy, schedule quality, skill growth, documentation burden, and long-term optionality. | The OT Index score using BLS wage data plus transparent career-fit criteria. | June 25, 2026 |
| Published | Best Occupational Therapy Specialties for Career Growth A practical ranking of OT specialties by demand durability, pay upside, independence, training leverage, and ability to build a defensible career niche. | The OT Index specialty score using BLS growth context, aging-population demand, school and home-health demand signals, and specialty portability. | June 25, 2026 |
| Published | Best States for Occupational Therapists A BLS-backed ranking of top state markets for occupational therapists, using wage strength, employment depth, and job concentration as separate auditable signals. | BLS OEWS May 2025 state time-series data for occupational therapists, occupation code 29-1122. | June 25, 2026 |
| Published | Best Public OT Programs by Value A source-backed ranking of public accredited occupational therapy programs where tuition, debt, completion, accreditation, and state labor-market signals can be audited. | ACOTE school directory, College Scorecard institution-level cost and outcomes data, and The OT Index BLS state-market score. | June 25, 2026 |
| Published | Best OT Programs by NBCOT Pass Rate A source-backed ranking of active ACOTE-matched occupational therapy programs using the latest NBCOT pass rate, five-year average, and five-year consistency. | NBCOT 2021-2025 public school-performance rows matched to active ACOTE OT master's and doctoral program profiles. | June 25, 2026 |
| Published | Best OTA Programs by NBCOT Pass Rate A source-backed ranking of active ACOTE-matched occupational therapy assistant programs using the latest NBCOT pass rate, five-year average, and five-year consistency. | NBCOT 2021-2025 public school-performance rows matched to active ACOTE OTA associate and baccalaureate program profiles. | June 25, 2026 |
| Published | Best Hybrid OT Programs A source-backed ranking of active ACOTE-matched hybrid and distance-format OT master's and doctoral programs, balancing format flexibility with NBCOT outcomes. | ACOTE distance-format ranges matched to NBCOT 2021-2025 public school-performance rows for active OT master's and doctoral programs. | June 25, 2026 |
| Guide | Best OT Program Value Factors Before ranking individual OT programs, applicants need a reliable way to judge value. These are the factors that separate a strong OT school choice from an expensive mistake. | Framework built around ACOTE accreditation, NBCOT performance, College Scorecard cost data, and BLS regional opportunity. | June 25, 2026 |
| Published | Best Cities for Occupational Therapists A BLS-backed ranking of metro labor markets for occupational therapists, balancing wage strength, job depth, employment density, and OT concentration. | BLS OEWS May 2025 metro time-series data for occupational therapists, occupation code 29-1122. | June 25, 2026 |
| Published | Best Home Health Agencies for Occupational Therapists A CMS-backed ranking of Medicare-certified home health agencies that offer occupational therapy services, using quality stars, functional outcomes, timely care, medication follow-up, readmission pressure, and quality-measure volume. | CMS Provider Data Catalog Home Health Care Agencies dataset 6jpm-sxkc, filtered to agencies offering occupational therapy services with complete quality fields. | June 25, 2026 |
| Guide | Best Documentation Tool Features for OTs Documentation tools should be judged by how much time they return to clinical reasoning, not by how many generic features they advertise. | The OT Index tool framework for comparing EMRs, AI-assisted documentation, templates, dictation, and compliance workflows. | June 25, 2026 |