National salary comparison — BLS OES 2024-2025 data
Compare a different job:
VS
QUICK ANSWER
Social Workers earn a national median of $54,150/year vs Occupational Therapists at $96,320/year. Occupational Therapists earn 78% more nationally. The gap is $42,170 per year — or $3,514 per month.
Built by Pierre — MBA, Business Strategist & AI Consultant, Founder of DayblipAbout the author →
Social Worker
$54,150
national median/year
$4,513/mo • $26/hr
VS
Occupational Therapist
$96,320
national median/year
$8,027/mo • $46/hr
Annual salary gap
$42,170
Occupational Therapists earn 78% more per year nationally. Over 30 years at 7% investment return that gap compounds to approximately $478,009.
Best states for Occupational Therapists
vs Social Workers
Hawaii+$48,000
Oregon+$48,000
Washington+$48,000
New Jersey+$46,000
Massachusetts+$44,000
Best states for Social Workers
vs Occupational Therapists
West Virginia+$-30,000
North Dakota+$-32,000
Wyoming+$-32,000
Mississippi+$-34,000
Ohio+$-34,000
Share Your Result
Surprised by this number? Share it with friends and family
Occupational Therapists earn more nationally. The median annual salary for Social Workers is $54,150 versus $96,320 for Occupational Therapists — a difference of $42,170 per year or $3,514 per month.
The national median salary gap between Social Workers and Occupational Therapists is $42,170 per year. Occupational Therapists earn 78% more. Over a 30-year career this difference, if invested at 7% annual return, compounds to approximately $478,009.
Based on BLS OES 2024-2025 data, California pays Social Workers the highest median salary at $68,320 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 — Occupational Therapists earn more nationally. But career choice involves job satisfaction, work-life balance, education requirements, and job growth. Child, Family, and School Social Workers 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, Social Workers earn approximately $26 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.
