Occupational Therapy consistently ranks amongst the best healthcare jobs
Did you know that occupational therapy consistently ranks among the most popular jobs in healthcare? There are several reasons why the profession is so popular. We outline a few of the reasons below.
#1 OTs have a unique job unlike any other health professional!
OTs help people do the meaningful and necessary everyday things that makeup life. Getting dressed, making a meal, driving, and spending time with friends are all ‘occupations’ and we take for granted that we can do those things until something happens (illness or injury) that makes it difficult for us to do so. OTs diagnose and treat functional impairments that prevent someone from living a full life. To do that they need to understand the whole person. Thus, OTs learn about psychological processes, anatomy and physiology, neuroanatomy, movement science, cognition, vision, and perception. They also receive extensive training in how to modify and adapt activities and environments so that people can live the fullest life possible even if they have a disability, injury, or illness.
Help clients live life to the fullest.
#2 A degree in occupational therapy provides almost endless career possibilities.
Occupational therapists can of course work in traditional occupational therapy role. However, OTs can also be case managers, clinic managers, hospital administrators, heads of non-profit organizations, independent business owners, and so on. OTs can work with any population (e.g., pediatric clients, adults, older adults). OTs can also work in virtually any setting. For example, occupational therapists may work in settings such as school systems, clients’ homes, community organizations, hospitals, nursing facilities, outpatient clinics, non-governmental organizations, aid groups, prison systems and other settings not listed here. OTs are unique in that they are trained to address the physical and psychosocial (e.g., mental health and behavioral health) needs of clients. Also, OTs can (and often do) change their practice interests throughout their career. For example, you could start your career working with adults with behavioral health challenges in an inpatient treatment center and later become a specialist in visual rehabilitation.
#3 You can obtain a degree in occupational therapy in as little as two years.
You can be an occupational therapist by either earning a master’s degree in occupational therapy OR a clinical doctorate in occupational therapy. Both degree options are considered ‘entry-level’ degrees. That means OTs in the clinic have the same scope of practice and the same clinical job responsibilities whether they have earned an OT master’s or an OT clinical doctorate. Master’s programs are generally 2-2.5 years in length and clinical doctorate programs are generally 3-3.5 years long. The main difference between the two programs is that the last year of a clinical doctorate program is typically a ‘capstone,’ which is similar to a research project. OTs generally earn the same amount in salary regardless of whether they have earned an OT master’s or OT doctorate. The median salary for an occupational therapist is approximately $93K annually.
Those are a few reasons why a career in occupational therapy remains popular. To find out more about careers in occupational therapy, we recommend the following resources:
Contact Information
Heather Fritz, PhD, OTR/L CHC
Associate Professor and Founding Dean
School of Occupational Therapy
MultiCare Learning Center, Room 107
hfritz@pnwu.edu
509-249-7956
Jami Flick, PhD, MS, OTR/L
Director of Clinical Education
School of Occupational Therapy
MultiCare Learning Center, Room 123
jflick@pnwu.edu
509-249-7956
Kathleen Carrillo, BSHM
Executive Assistant to the Dean
School of Occupational Therapy
MultiCare Learning Center, Room 105
kcarrillo@pnwu.edu
509-249-7839