Occupational Therapist vs Social Worker Salary
Occupational Therapists earn approximately 42.1% more than Social Workers nationally — $95,000 vs $55,000.
Occupational Therapists earn approximately $40,000 more per year than Social Workers — about 73% — with comparable entry requirements.
What it takes to get in
Occupational Therapist roles typically require a master's degree, while Social Worker roles require a bachelor's degree. Adding up the whole path to a first real job, including any apprenticeship, residency, or exam, comes to about 6 years for Occupational Therapist and 4 for Social Worker.
Both are licensed — State license via NBCOT certification exam for Occupational Therapist, State license (e.g., LSW/LCSW) required for clinical practice for Social Worker. Licensure is state-specific, so check reciprocity if you expect to move.
Pay range, not just the median
The medians hide most of what matters. Occupational Therapist pay runs from roughly $67,090 at the low end to $129,830 at the high end; Social Worker runs $41,580 to $99,500. Where you land inside that band depends far more on specialization, employer, and metro than on the job title.
Where each field is heading
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects Occupational Therapist employment to grow 14% over the decade to 2034 — growing faster than average — against growth of 6% for Social Worker.
Growth rate is not the same thing as opportunity. Occupational Therapist roles see roughly 10,200 openings a year and Social Worker roles about 74,000, counting replacements for people who retire or leave. Social Worker has the larger raw number, which is usually what you feel when actually job hunting — a small field growing fast can still be harder to break into than a large flat one.
What the work is actually like
Occupational Therapist: Hospitals, schools, rehab clinics, and patients' homes. Social Worker: Schools, hospitals, clinics, or government/nonprofit agency offices and field visits.
Moving between the two
Crossing between Healthcare and Social Services means rebuilding credentials and network from close to zero — the day-to-day skills do not carry, and neither does the résumé. Occupational therapy assistants (COTAs) must complete a full graduate program to become OTs; OTs can pivot into ergonomics/human factors consulting or educational settings. Professionals from counseling, nursing, or education backgrounds often pursue an MSW (2 years, or 1 year advanced standing with a BSW) to switch in.
If you are entering rather than switching: Occupational Therapist — Complete a bachelor's degree, then a 2-3 year master's (or doctoral) program in occupational therapy, then pass the NBCOT exam. Social Worker — Earn a BSW (or related bachelor's) for entry-level roles; clinical practice requires an MSW plus 2-3 years of supervised experience before licensure.
Pay ranges, education requirements, and employment projections come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook and Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. See our methodology for how these are compiled and updated.
Other comparisons in Healthcare
Related tools
Occupational Therapist salary by state — Social Worker salary by state — Best cities for Occupational Therapist — Best cities for Social Worker — Paycheck Calculator — Investment Calculator.