Occupational Therapist vs Teacher Salary
Occupational Therapists earn approximately 33.7% more than Teachers nationally — $95,000 vs $63,000.
Occupational Therapists earn more today, but the more useful difference is direction: Occupational Therapist employment is growing faster than average while Teacher is slowly declining.
What it takes to get in
Occupational Therapist roles typically require a master's degree, while Teacher roles require a bachelor's degree. From standing start to hireable, including training hours and licensing, the totals are roughly 6 years for Occupational Therapist and 4 for Teacher.
Licensing applies on both sides: State license via NBCOT certification exam for Occupational Therapist and State teaching license/certification required for public schools for Teacher. Neither transfers automatically across state lines, which constrains where you can work on short notice.
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; Teacher runs $47,330 to $104,670. Position within the range is driven by what you specialize in and who you work for, not by the title on the offer.
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 a decline of 2% for Teacher.
Growth rate is not the same thing as opportunity. Occupational Therapist roles see roughly 10,200 openings a year and Teacher roles about 66,500, counting replacements for people who retire or leave. Teacher 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.
A declining projection is not a reason to rule out Teacher work — declining occupations still hire, and replacement demand often exceeds what the growth rate suggests. It does mean competition tightens over time and geographic flexibility matters more, so it belongs in the decision rather than being ignored.
What the work is actually like
Occupational Therapist: Hospitals, schools, rehab clinics, and patients' homes. Teacher: Public or private school classroom, standard academic-year calendar.
Moving between the two
There is little skill overlap here — Healthcare and Education train differently and recruit through different channels — so a move between them is closer to starting over than pivoting. Occupational therapy assistants (COTAs) must complete a full graduate program to become OTs; OTs can pivot into ergonomics/human factors consulting or educational settings. Career-changers can often enter via alternative certification programs while teaching on a provisional license, completing coursework nights/summers.
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. Teacher — Complete a bachelor's degree with a teacher-prep program, student-teach a semester, then pass state certification exams (e.g., Praxis) to get licensed.
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 — Teacher salary by state — Best cities for Occupational Therapist — Best cities for Teacher — Paycheck Calculator — Investment Calculator.