In every type of job, you should have that feeling of being adequately paid for the amount of work and responsibility that you have. This will only encourage you to continue working there whilst giving the best of your abilities. In the field of occupational therapy, people are generally paid well in relation to the type of work that they do. And the occupational therapist salary that is received is usually more than enough to satisfy the avarage small family.
However, it is common for people in this field to be there for more than just the occupational therapist salary that they receive each month. In fact, most occupational therapists are pursuing this career because they love what they do and they love helping people live and work as normally as possible in the midst of the conditions that these patients live with. This is not an exaggeration, as most occupational therapists will tell you that you will not succeed and work for a long time in this field if you don’t like, at least, what you’re doing every working day. The occupational therapist salary, as important as it is, can be considered the icing on the cake, something to complete the rewarding and satisfying feeling of being an occupational therapist.
It goes without saying that occupational therapists have bills to pay, too, just like most of us of course. The mean annual occupational therapist salary, according to May 2009 data provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, is $70,680 or about $33.98 an hour. The highest 10% of occupational therapists earning the largest salary make $100,430 a year. The lowest 10%, on the other hand, are at $45,340 in mean annual salary. The 50% median is $69,630 a year.
Occupational therapists working in home health care services are among those with the highest occupational therapist salary. They earn on average $81,360 a year. Compare this with those working in general medical and surgical hospitals where the largest number of occupational therapists are employed. Those individuals working in these types of hospitals earn a lower salary at $71,300 a year. A total of 12,570 occupational therapists work with children in elementary and secondary schools (as of May 2009), and they earn a median annual salary of $63,190 a year. However, there is another group, albeit a small group, that earns a considerably higher occupational therapist salary. A total of 30 individuals working in higher education schools earn $88,700 mean annual occupational therapist salary.
No one can blame you if you are desiring to pursue a career in occupational therapy with these salary ranges foremost in mind. But remember that, before you can earn this very attractive occupational therapist salary, you will need to make sure you are qualified for the job. Qualified, in terms of not just the educational, training, certification, and licensure aspect the job entails, but also in the traits that you should possess. Some of the desired traits are patience, creativity, and adaptability. Of course, if you think you possess these qualities, then the first step for you to take is to find the right school which is offering the best training program to get you on your way.
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- Occupational Therapists and the Roles They Play in Improving Mental Health
- Occupational Therapy A Rewarding Career Path
- Good Shepherd Occupational Therapist Gets Overwhelmed With Patients
- Occupational Therapy Offers Diversified Roles