OTThe OT IndexSalary

Metro ranking

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.

CitiesBLS OEWSMay 2025Metro labor markets
PublishedUpdated June 25, 2026BLS OEWS May 2025 metro time-series data for occupational therapists, occupation code 29-1122.

Ranking table

Top metro markets for occupational therapists

Official data is kept separate from The OT Index scoring and interpretation so readers can see what is measured and what is judgment.

RankOptionScoreBLS mean annual wageEmployment and concentrationBest forWatch out for
1Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH65.0$100,730 mean wage4,790 jobs; 1.70 LQ; 1.77 per 1kOTs comparing metro offers with source-backed wage, job-depth, and concentration signals.Not cost-adjusted. Check housing, commute patterns, and employer mix before choosing Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH.
2New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ64.2$107,110 mean wage11,640 jobs; 1.17 LQ; 1.23 per 1kOTs comparing metro offers with source-backed wage, job-depth, and concentration signals.Not cost-adjusted. Check housing, commute patterns, and employer mix before choosing New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ.
3Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR63.6$103,360 mean wage760 jobs; 2.04 LQ; 2.13 per 1kOTs comparing metro offers with source-backed wage, job-depth, and concentration signals.Not cost-adjusted. Check housing, commute patterns, and employer mix before choosing Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR.
4San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX63.4$111,140 mean wage1,780 jobs; 1.51 LQ; 1.58 per 1kOTs comparing metro offers with source-backed wage, job-depth, and concentration signals.Not cost-adjusted. Check housing, commute patterns, and employer mix before choosing San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX.
5Waterbury-Shelton, CT63.2$102,190 mean wage380 jobs; 2.25 LQ; 2.35 per 1kOTs comparing metro offers with source-backed wage, job-depth, and concentration signals.Small BLS employment base (380 jobs) can swing more sharply year to year.
6San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA62.5$136,250 mean wage1,560 jobs; 0.63 LQ; 0.66 per 1kOTs comparing metro offers with source-backed wage, job-depth, and concentration signals.Not cost-adjusted. Check housing, commute patterns, and employer mix before choosing San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA.
7Worcester, MA62.3$96,420 mean wage790 jobs; 2.17 LQ; 2.27 per 1kOTs comparing metro offers with source-backed wage, job-depth, and concentration signals.Not cost-adjusted. Check housing, commute patterns, and employer mix before choosing Worcester, MA.
8Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT61.8$107,180 mean wage750 jobs; 1.79 LQ; 1.87 per 1kOTs comparing metro offers with source-backed wage, job-depth, and concentration signals.Not cost-adjusted. Check housing, commute patterns, and employer mix before choosing Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT.
9San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA61.8$137,450 mean wage840 jobs; 0.71 LQ; 0.74 per 1kOTs comparing metro offers with source-backed wage, job-depth, and concentration signals.Not cost-adjusted. Check housing, commute patterns, and employer mix before choosing San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA.
10Victoria, TX61.7$102,120 mean wage100 jobs; 2.53 LQ; 2.64 per 1kOTs comparing metro offers with source-backed wage, job-depth, and concentration signals.Small BLS employment base (100 jobs) can swing more sharply year to year.
11Homosassa Springs, FL61.4$100,530 mean wage100 jobs; 2.56 LQ; 2.67 per 1kOTs comparing metro offers with source-backed wage, job-depth, and concentration signals.Small BLS employment base (100 jobs) can swing more sharply year to year.
12Jonesboro, AR60.7$108,210 mean wage140 jobs; 2.15 LQ; 2.25 per 1kOTs comparing metro offers with source-backed wage, job-depth, and concentration signals.Small BLS employment base (140 jobs) can swing more sharply year to year.
13North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL60.6$96,990 mean wage730 jobs; 2.06 LQ; 2.16 per 1kOTs comparing metro offers with source-backed wage, job-depth, and concentration signals.Not cost-adjusted. Check housing, commute patterns, and employer mix before choosing North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL.
14Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA60.3$118,500 mean wage4,950 jobs; 0.76 LQ; 0.79 per 1kOTs comparing metro offers with source-backed wage, job-depth, and concentration signals.Not cost-adjusted. Check housing, commute patterns, and employer mix before choosing Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA.
15Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT59.9$99,070 mean wage1,140 jobs; 1.82 LQ; 1.90 per 1kOTs comparing metro offers with source-backed wage, job-depth, and concentration signals.Not cost-adjusted. Check housing, commute patterns, and employer mix before choosing Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT.
16Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN59.8$101,400 mean wage5,960 jobs; 1.26 LQ; 1.32 per 1kOTs comparing metro offers with source-backed wage, job-depth, and concentration signals.Not cost-adjusted. Check housing, commute patterns, and employer mix before choosing Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN.
17San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA59.8$119,390 mean wage1,620 jobs; 1.01 LQ; 1.06 per 1kOTs comparing metro offers with source-backed wage, job-depth, and concentration signals.Not cost-adjusted. Check housing, commute patterns, and employer mix before choosing San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA.
18Colorado Springs, CO59.6$111,980 mean wage520 jobs; 1.58 LQ; 1.65 per 1kOTs comparing metro offers with source-backed wage, job-depth, and concentration signals.Not cost-adjusted. Check housing, commute patterns, and employer mix before choosing Colorado Springs, CO.
19Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX59.2$113,410 mean wage1,600 jobs; 1.18 LQ; 1.24 per 1kOTs comparing metro offers with source-backed wage, job-depth, and concentration signals.Not cost-adjusted. Check housing, commute patterns, and employer mix before choosing Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX.
20Winchester, VA-WV59.2$108,700 mean wage140 jobs; 2.04 LQ; 2.13 per 1kOTs comparing metro offers with source-backed wage, job-depth, and concentration signals.Small BLS employment base (140 jobs) can swing more sharply year to year.
21Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR58.9$112,010 mean wage450 jobs; 1.57 LQ; 1.64 per 1kOTs comparing metro offers with source-backed wage, job-depth, and concentration signals.Small BLS employment base (450 jobs) can swing more sharply year to year.
22Boulder, CO58.5$123,360 mean wage260 jobs; 1.31 LQ; 1.37 per 1kOTs comparing metro offers with source-backed wage, job-depth, and concentration signals.Small BLS employment base (260 jobs) can swing more sharply year to year.
23Rochester, MN57.6$91,300 mean wage300 jobs; 2.31 LQ; 2.41 per 1kOTs comparing metro offers with source-backed wage, job-depth, and concentration signals.Small BLS employment base (300 jobs) can swing more sharply year to year.
24Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO57.5$110,720 mean wage1,870 jobs; 1.11 LQ; 1.16 per 1kOTs comparing metro offers with source-backed wage, job-depth, and concentration signals.Not cost-adjusted. Check housing, commute patterns, and employer mix before choosing Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO.
25Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD56.8$103,970 mean wage3,410 jobs; 1.13 LQ; 1.18 per 1kOTs comparing metro offers with source-backed wage, job-depth, and concentration signals.Not cost-adjusted. Check housing, commute patterns, and employer mix before choosing Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD.

Methodology

How this ranking is weighted

Each ranking has its own weighting model. The table below shows the factors readers should consider before treating any rank as a final answer.

Mean annual wage40%

BLS OEWS mean annual wage for occupational therapists in each metro area.

Employment depth25%

Log-scaled BLS employment count, used to reward deeper markets without letting the largest metros dominate.

Employment density20%

BLS occupational therapist employment per 1,000 jobs, a signal for OT role density in the local economy.

Job concentration15%

BLS location quotient, used as a concentration signal relative to the national labor market.

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