Occupational Therapy Career Outlook
There are many great reasons to consider a career in Occupational Therapy or as an Occupational Therapy Assistant, among them is the excellent job outlook for Occupational Therapy sector. Currently the Bureau of Labor and statistics is expecting the overall Healthcare sector to grow at a rate much faster than the economy as a whole throughout the foreseeable future. In addition, the Bureau of Labor and Statistics is expecting the Occupational Therapy job outlook to improve to the tune of a rate of growth that is 33% faster than the average for all economic sectors.
A significant factor in the growth of the sector and the overall Occupational Therapy job outlook is that America is undergoing a dramatic demographic shift. This is due the Baby Boom generation (the largest in American history) entering retirement age. As the Baby Boomers begin to retire and enter their golden years, there will be a tremendous increase in demand for all medical services. Occupational Therapy is poised to take advantage of this sea change in American demographics. The Bureau of Labor and Statistics is expecting that approximately 36,400 additional Occupational Therapist jobs will be created by 2020. This figure does not include the jobs that will be created for Occupational Therapy Assistants which the BLS is predicting will add an additional 14,800 and grow at a rate of 41% faster than the economy as a whole. Occupational Therapy Aides are also expected to see growth at a rate that is similar to Occupational Therapy Assistants. Overall the sector looks excellent in terms of job outlook growth potential.
The salary for Occupational Therapists is also excellent with the Bureau of Labor and statistics reporting that the median yearly wage according to data from the 2010 census was $72,320. This is for fully licensed Occupational Therapists who have earned a Master’s degree in Occupational Therapy from a program that is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) and have met any additional state requirements to become licensed. The key to entering this profession is to first discover if the field resonates with you to ensure that you have the necessary motivation to not only complete your schooling, but also to enjoy a lengthy and satisfying career. A Master’s degree in any discipline is an enormous, but potentially extremely fulfilling undertaking. If you have a desire to help people to learn adaptive behaviors to overcome physical and mental limitations, then a career as an Occupational Therapist could be an excellent fit for you.
Once you have evaluated all the aspects of the Occupational Therapy job outlook it becomes clear that this field has the potential to be extremely fulfilling as a career and offers a rare combination of job security and job satisfaction as well as being very rewarding financially. Occupational Therapy is considered by some experts to be among the best potential careers available over the next decade in terms of job growth, schooling requirements and overall salary.