What are the official BLS wage statistics for Texas occupational therapists?

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics), the median annual wage for occupational therapists in Texas is $106,140. The 10th percentile stands at $76,350, the 90th percentile is $135,200, and total statewide employment is 13,400 clinicians.

What credentials are required to practice as an OT in Texas?

Occupational therapists in Texas must maintain state licensure through the state licensing board along with national certification (OTR) through the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT).

Where are the strongest occupational therapy shortages in Texas?

Candidate supply is consistently short in pediatrics and school contracts, with particularly high demand for clinicians with feeding therapy or sensory integration experience.

In which Texas metropolitan areas does Take a Seat People recruit?

Recruitment for therapists in Texas covers the major metropolitan areas of Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, Austin, and San Antonio.

Texas Occupational Therapist Salary Guide

Advertised pay ranges, official federal wage benchmarks, and clinical hiring factors for occupational therapists across Texas.

Pay · Last reviewed August 2026 · Take a Seat People editorial team

What do occupational therapist roles pay in Texas?

Advertised salaries for occupational therapist roles typically range from $78,000 to $108,000 annually. By comparison, official federal wage estimates from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics record a median annual wage of $106,140 for occupational therapists in Texas, with the 10th percentile at $76,350 and the 90th percentile at $135,200. Final compensation offers depend directly on practice setting, clinical caseload, supervisory scope, and specialization, with high demand observed in school contracts and pediatric clinics requiring feeding or sensory integration experience.

Advertised Pay Ranges for Texas Occupational Therapists

In our recruitment across the state, the advertised range for occupational therapist (OT) vacancies sits at $78,000 to $108,000 per year. These figures represent active compensation targets placed on job descriptions across major clinical facilities, public school systems, and private practice environments.

Ranges reflect what we typically see advertised on roles we recruit for in the US. They are a market guide, not a survey, and vary by setting, caseload and experience. Reviewed August 2026.

Advertised hiring range: $78,000 to $108,000
Market baseline: Reflects active postings across health systems, school districts, and outpatient centers
Pay variability: Structured around provider practice setting, experience, and caseload volume

Official Federal Wage Estimates for Texas

It is essential to separate advertised compensation ranges from official federal wage estimates published by government agencies. Advertised ranges capture current hiring targets in open requisitions, whereas government wage surveys evaluate total earnings across all employed clinicians, including tenured practitioners and senior department heads.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program (May 2025), there are 13,400 individuals employed as occupational therapists in Texas. The official wage metrics established by this federal survey provide an additional benchmark for clinicians and healthcare employers assessing Texas compensation levels.

Texas 10th percentile wage: $76,350 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025)
Texas median annual wage: $106,140 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025)
Texas 90th percentile wage: $135,200 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025)
Total Texas occupation employment: 13,400 clinicians (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025)

Practice Settings and Clinical Hiring Factors

Occupational therapist compensation shifts according to the specific setting where a role sits. In Texas, clinical vacancies are distributed across pediatric clinics, school districts, hospitals and rehab facilities, skilled nursing centers, early intervention programs, and home health services.

Within these environments, clinical demand is consistently short in pediatrics and school contracts. This shortage is especially noticeable where clinicians possess specialized experience in sensory integration or feeding therapy. The operational demands of each environment—including caseload size, direct therapy hours, travel responsibilities in home health, and administrative workload—directly influence the baseline offer.

Supervisory responsibilities and payer mixes also drive compensation variance. Inpatient hospital programs and skilled nursing facilities manage distinct insurance billing requirements compared to school districts or commercial outpatient pediatric clinics, which influences the structural compensation models offered to incoming clinicians.

Primary settings: Pediatric clinics, School districts, Hospitals and rehab, Skilled nursing, Early intervention, Home health
Clinical demand areas: High need in school contracts and pediatric facilities
High-demand clinical competencies: Sensory integration experience and feeding therapy experience
Offer drivers: Daily caseload volume, direct patient contact hours, setting complexity, and supervisory requirements

Texas Licensure and Credential Requirements

Practicing as an occupational therapist in Texas requires specific professional credentials. Candidates must possess National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy certification (OTR) alongside state licensure granted by the state licensing board.

Clinical practices operate alongside a broader behavioral health and therapy landscape in Texas. The state maintains specific licensing frameworks for allied behavioral health disciplines, including behavior analysts (LBA licensed through TDLR alongside BCBA certification) as well as independently licensed LPC, LCSW, and LMFT professionals. Texas is also an enacted member of the Counseling Compact, an enacted member of the Social Work Compact, and a member of PSYPACT.

Required OT credentials: State licensure and NBCOT certification (OTR)
Regulatory authority: State licensing board and National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy
Texas allied regulatory context: Behavior analysts licensed as LBA via TDLR; separate licensure for LPC, LCSW, and LMFT

Metropolitan Recruiting Across Texas

Recruiting for occupational therapists takes place across the primary metropolitan hubs of Texas, including Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, Austin, and San Antonio. Each metropolitan market presents distinctive staffing dynamics, influenced by local population growth and expanding healthcare systems.

While Texas serves as the fastest-growing ABA market we recruit in—where rapid center expansion across Houston, DFW, and Austin has outrun local BCBA supply, making relocation packages routine—occupational therapy roles also see strong geographic demand across these same major metro areas. Pediatric outpatient networks and local school contracts in these urban centers continually seek licensed OTs to manage growing pediatric caseloads.

Active Texas recruitment metros: Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, Austin, San Antonio
Urban clinical demand: Multi-site pediatric clinics and metropolitan school district contracts
Regional employment concentration: Texas supports 13,400 employed occupational therapists statewide

Questions people ask

What is the advertised salary range for an OT in Texas?: Advertised ranges for occupational therapist roles in Texas sit between $78,000 and $108,000. Ranges reflect what we typically see advertised on roles we recruit for in the US. They are a market guide, not a survey, and vary by setting, caseload and experience. Reviewed August 2026.
What are the official BLS wage statistics for Texas occupational therapists?: According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics), the median annual wage for occupational therapists in Texas is $106,140. The 10th percentile stands at $76,350, the 90th percentile is $135,200, and total statewide employment is 13,400 clinicians.
Which clinical settings hire occupational therapists in Texas?: Occupational therapist roles sit in pediatric clinics, school districts, hospitals and rehab facilities, skilled nursing environments, early intervention programs, and home health organizations.
What credentials are required to practice as an OT in Texas?: Occupational therapists in Texas must maintain state licensure through the state licensing board along with national certification (OTR) through the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT).
Where are the strongest occupational therapy shortages in Texas?: Candidate supply is consistently short in pediatrics and school contracts, with particularly high demand for clinicians with feeding therapy or sensory integration experience.
In which Texas metropolitan areas does Take a Seat People recruit?: Recruitment for therapists in Texas covers the major metropolitan areas of Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, Austin, and San Antonio.

Sources and method

Take a Seat People live vacancy inventoryTake a Seat People
Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, state estimatesUS Bureau of Labor Statistics

Take a Seat People is a recruitment business, not a clinical or licensing authority. Certification requirements come from the BACB and wage statistics from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics; our own figures are advertised ranges and vacancy observations, labelled as such. Full research methodology.