Salary · CA · SOC 29-1122

Occupational Therapist (OT) salary in California, per year and per hour

BLS data for May 2025. Median, mean, and percentile pay for occupational therapists in California, with every metro area BLS publishes.

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates, released May 15, 2026. Publisher page

Quick answer

The median pay for occupational therapists in California was $124,510 a year, or $59.86 an hour, in May 2025 (BLS). The middle 80% earned $85,550 to $158,560. About 13,810 were employed.

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Occupational Therapist pay in California vs the US

Occupational Therapist wages in California and the US, May 2025
Measure	CA annual	CA hourly	US annual
Median (50th percentile)	$124,510	$59.86	$100,330
Mean (average)	$121,920	$58.61	$101,280
10th percentile	$85,550	$41.13	$71,690
25th percentile	$103,950	$49.98	$82,510
75th percentile	$136,380	$65.57	$116,670
90th percentile	$158,560	$76.23	$131,950

Employment in California: 13,810. Location quotient: 0.73 (1.0 = the national share of jobs).

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Publisher page

Occupational Therapist salary by metro area in California

Occupational Therapist median wage by metro area, California
Metro area	Median annual	Median hourly	Employed
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	$122,040	$58.68	4,950
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA	$121,680	$58.50	1,620
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA	$136,770	$65.76	1,560
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA	$119,530	$57.47	1,110
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA	$136,870	$65.80	840
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA	$122,780	$59.03	810
Fresno, CA	$116,690	$56.10	320
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA	$120,570	$57.97	300
Stockton-Lodi, CA	$122,990	$59.13	230
Bakersfield-Delano, CA	$123,200	$59.23	170
Modesto, CA	$121,110	$58.23	170
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA	$125,890	$60.53	170
Visalia, CA	$122,690	$58.99	140
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA	$128,010	$61.54	130
Salinas, CA	$123,180	$59.22	110
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA	$110,170	$52.96	100
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA	$130,420	$62.70	100
Vallejo, CA	$135,000	$64.90	100
Chico, CA	$129,260	$62.14	70
Redding, CA	$110,230	$53.00	70
Napa, CA	$124,490	$59.85	40
Merced, CA	$117,970	$56.72	30
Yuba City, CA	$107,760	$51.81	30

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Publisher page

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Occupational Therapist salary in California

Median pay: $124,510 a year ($59.86 an hour)

Middle 80% earn $85,550 to $158,560 a year

Employed: 13,810

BLS OEWS, May 2025. Source: Rivvi

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<div style="font:14px/1.45 system-ui,sans-serif;color:#222;border:1px solid #E6E6EE;border-radius:12px;padding:14px 16px;max-width:360px;background:#fff"><div style="font-weight:600;font-size:15px;margin-bottom:6px">Occupational Therapist salary in California</div><div style="margin:2px 0">Median pay: <strong>$124,510</strong> a year ($59.86 an hour)</div><div style="margin:2px 0">Middle 80% earn $85,550 to $158,560 a year</div><div style="margin:2px 0">Employed: 13,810</div><div style="margin-top:8px;font-size:12px;color:#555">BLS OEWS, May 2025. Source: <a href="https://rivvi.ai/salary/occupational-therapist/ca" style="color:#3C38C9">Rivvi</a></div></div>

Questions

How much does an OT make per hour in California?

The median hourly wage was $59.86 in May 2025, per BLS. The 10th percentile was $41.13 and the 90th was $76.23.

What is the average OT salary in California?

BLS reports a mean (average) of $121,920 a year and a median of $124,510 for May 2025. The median is the middle wage; the mean is pulled up by the highest earners.

Do occupational therapists in California earn more than the US median?

The California median of $124,510 is 24% higher than the US median of $100,330 (BLS, May 2025).

How does California rank for occupational therapist pay?

California ranks 1 of 51 states (plus DC) by median annual wage for occupational therapists (BLS, May 2025).

Where do these numbers come from?

The BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2025 estimates, SOC 29-1122. Figures BLS did not publish are left out.