National salary comparison — BLS OES 2024-2025 data
Compare a different job:
VS
QUICK ANSWER
Doctors earn a national median of $236,000/year vs Occupational Therapists at $96,320/year. Doctors earn 59% more nationally. The gap is $139,680 per year — or $11,640 per month.
Built by Pierre — MBA, Business Strategist & AI Consultant, Founder of DayblipAbout the author →
Doctor
$236,000
national median/year
$19,667/mo • $113/hr
VS
Occupational Therapist
$96,320
national median/year
$8,027/mo • $46/hr
Annual salary gap
$139,680
Doctors earn 59% more per year nationally. Over 30 years at 7% investment return that gap compounds to approximately $1,583,314.
Best states for Occupational Therapists
vs Doctors
Arkansas+$-132,000
Hawaii+$-134,000
Oregon+$-134,000
Arizona+$-136,000
Idaho+$-136,000
Best states for Doctors
vs Occupational Therapists
Wisconsin+$154,000
Massachusetts+$152,000
Minnesota+$152,000
Connecticut+$150,000
Ohio+$150,000
Share Your Result
Surprised by this number? Share it with friends and family
Doctors earn more nationally. The median annual salary for Doctors is $236,000 versus $96,320 for Occupational Therapists — a difference of $139,680 per year or $11,640 per month.
The national median salary gap between Doctors and Occupational Therapists is $139,680 per year. Doctors earn 59% more. Over a 30-year career this difference, if invested at 7% annual return, compounds to approximately $1,583,314.
Based on BLS OES 2024-2025 data, Massachusetts pays Doctors the highest median salary at $258,320 per year.
Based on BLS OES 2024-2025 data, California pays Occupational Therapists the highest median salary at $110,320 per year.
Salary is one factor — Doctors earn more nationally. But career choice involves job satisfaction, work-life balance, education requirements, and job growth. Physicians and Surgeons and Occupational Therapists both have different educational paths, licensing requirements, and long-term growth projections. Use salary as a starting point, not the only factor.
Based on a standard 2,080-hour work year, Doctors earn approximately $113 per hour nationally and Occupational Therapists earn approximately $46 per hour. Actual hourly rates vary based on overtime, part-time work, and whether the role is salaried or hourly.
Methodology: Salary data from Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) 2024-2025. Figures represent median annual wages for wage and salary workers. Self-employed excluded. Hourly rates calculated at 2,080 hours per year. State salary figures from same BLS OES dataset. Updated annually.
