An extremely underrated profession, occupational therapy is finally getting its due recognition, especially from these 11 cities with the highest demand for occupational therapists. Occupational therapy is the process by which patients who have suffered from either physical or mental ailments or deficiencies learn how to resume their basic skills and reintegrate into the world.
It is one of the occupations which is centered around the specific needs of the client; in this case, their rehabilitation. Occupational therapy attempts to help the client adapt to the environment surrounding him or her while also teaching skills which will enable them to carry out daily activities with relative ease. Further, it aims to involve the family, friends and relatives of the client as well, which is an integral part of restoring the skill set of the client.
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In order to ensure that their practice is effective for the client, occupational therapists often work alongside other professionals such as speech therapists, nurses, and physical therapists.
Occupational therapy has been in use since ancient Greek times, with Asclepiades being one of the first physicians, who practiced this type of therapy.
Due to the inherent nature of the work, occupational therapists can practice in a variety of settings, such as working with children or people who suffer from mental illnesses.
Occupational therapy can be a rewarding job, not just in terms of spirit, but in monetary terms as well. In some of the cities in this country, occupational therapists can make over $100,000 annually, a salary on par with psychologists, as seen in the 11 cities with the highest demand for psychologists.
In order to determine the cities with the highest demand for occupational therapists, we ascertained the cities which pay the highest salaries to occupational therapists as higher salaries are a direct result of high demand. Furthermore, we also traced the cities which have the highest number of occupational therapists since more jobs are also a direct result of high demand. We used the average of both the criteria mentioned in order to determine our ranking.
11. Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
Average annual salary in the city: $88,980
Ranking according to average annual salary in the city: 50
Total number of jobs in the city: 960
Ranking according to total number of jobs in the city: 23
Overall score: 13.5
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10. Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX
Average annual salary in the city: $87,980
Ranking according to average annual salary in the city: 67
Total number of jobs in the city: 1,560
Ranking according to total number of jobs in the city: 9
Overall score: 15.5
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9. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division
Average annual salary in the city: $88,440
Ranking according to average annual salary in the city: 55
Total number of jobs in the city: 1,530
Ranking according to total number of jobs in the city: 11
Overall score: 17
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7. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
Average annual salary in the city: $100,510
Ranking according to average annual salary in the city: 11
Total number of jobs in the city: 500
Ranking according to total number of jobs in the city: 49
Overall score: 20
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7. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division
Average annual salary in the city: $88,210
Ranking according to average annual salary in the city: 57
Total number of jobs in the city: 2,360
Ranking according to total number of jobs in the city: 3
Overall score: 20
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6. Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach-Deerfield Beach, FL Metropolitan Division
Average annual salary in the city: $98,170
Ranking according to average annual salary in the city: 14
Total number of jobs in the city: 570
Ranking according to total number of jobs in the city: 44
Overall score: 21
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5. Edison-New Brunswick, NJ Metropolitan Division
Average annual salary in the city: $93,050
Ranking according to average annual salary in the city: 34
Total number of jobs in the city: 1,260
Ranking according to total number of jobs in the city: 15
Overall score: 25.5
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4. San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos, CA
Average annual salary in the city: $94,430
Ranking according to average annual salary in the city: 26
Total number of jobs in the city: 1,050
Ranking according to total number of jobs in the city: 22
Overall score: 26
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3. Las Vegas-Paradise, NV
Average annual salary in the city: $114,320
Ranking according to average annual salary in the city: 1
Total number of jobs in the city: 550
Ranking according to total number of jobs in the city: 45
Overall score: 27
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2. Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine, CA Metropolitan Division
Average annual salary in the city: $93,650
Ranking according to average annual salary in the city: 29
Total number of jobs in the city: 1,310
Ranking according to total number of jobs in the city: 14
Overall score: 28.5
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1. Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX Metropolitan Division
Average annual salary in the city: $94,880
Ranking according to average annual salary in the city: 24
Total number of jobs in the city: 2,010
Ranking according to total number of jobs in the city: 5
Overall score: 35.5
With a high number of jobs and a decent pay to boot, Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX Metropolitan Division tops the list of 11 cities with the highest demand for occupational therapists.
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