BlissPoint Analytics

Occupation AtlasOccupational Therapists

O*NET · 29-1122.00

Occupational Therapists

Assess, plan, and organize rehabilitative programs that help build or restore vocational, homemaking, and daily living skills, as well as general independence, to persons with disabilities or developmental delays. Use therapeutic techniques, adapt the individual's environment, teach skills, and modify specific tasks that present barriers to the individual.

Also called Acute Care OT · Acute Care OT (Acute Care Occupational Therapist) · Assistive Technology Trainer · Certified Hand Therapist (CHT) · CHT · Early Intervention Occupational Therapist · Home Care Occupational Therapist (Home Care OT) · Home Care OT
25 more

Home Health Occupational Therapist · Independent Living Specialist · Industrial Rehabilitation Consultant · Industrial Therapist · Inpatient Occupational Therapist (Inpatient OT) · Inpatient OT · Job Trainer · Occupational Therapist (OT) · OT · OTR · Outpatient Occupational Therapist (Outpatient OT) · Outpatient OT · Pediatric Occupational Therapist (Pediatric OT) · Pediatric OT · Pediatrics and Acute Care Occupational Therapist · Registered Occupational Therapist (OTR) · Rehab OT · Rehabilitation Engineer · Rehabilitation Occupational Therapist (Rehab OT) · School Occupational Therapist (School OT) · School OT · Travel Occupational Therapist (Travel OT) · Travel OT · Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist · Vocational Trainer

Job Zone 5 — Extensive Preparation NeededHolland code SIR35 skills on file

Compare with another occupationCompare with Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary

Job Zone

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5

Zone 5: Extensive Preparation Needed

Extensive preparation. Usually a graduate degree, with extensive skill, knowledge and experience — many of these occupations expect more than five years of experience.

Job Zone is O*NET's rating of how much education, experience and training an occupation typically needs — a property of the work, not of anyone doing it.

Occupational interest profile

SIRSocial · Investigative · Realistic — the three strongest interests, in order

  • S Social6.08
  • I Investigative4.23
  • R Realistic3.57
  • C Conventional3.12
  • A Artistic3.07
  • E Enterprising1.83

RIASEC (Holland) interests on O*NET's 0–7 scale: what the work draws on, not what any individual prefers. Hover a row for what each dimension means.

Education and experience

The education level respondents say the job requires, and the most common answer for experience and training.

  • Bachelor's Degree14%
  • Master's Degree86%
Related work experience
Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year (36%)
On-site or in-plant training
None (27%)
On-the-job training
Over 1 month, up to and including 3 months (41%)

Typically associated skills

All 35 O*NET skills, most important first. Importance (1–5) says how much a skill matters here; level (0–7) says how much of it the work calls for, with O*NET's example of a nearby level. Neither is a proficiency rating of a person.

  • Active Listeningbasic4.14.0Level 4 looks like: Answer inquiries regarding credit references
  • Monitoringbasic4.14.0Level 4 looks like: Monitor a meeting and revise the agenda to ensure important topics are discussed
  • Service Orientation4.14.0Level 4 looks like: Make flight reservations for customers using an online booking site
  • Critical Thinkingbasic4.04.0Level 4 looks like: Evaluate customer complaints and determine appropriate responses
  • Instructing4.04.0Level 4 looks like: Instruct a coworker in how to operate a software program
  • Reading Comprehensionbasic4.04.0Level 4 looks like: Understand an email from management describing new personnel policies
  • Social Perceptiveness4.04.0Level 4 looks like: Be aware of how a coworker's promotion will affect a work group
  • Speakingbasic4.04.0Level 4 looks like: Interview applicants to obtain personal and work history
  • Writingbasic4.04.0Level 4 looks like: Write an email to staff outlining new directives
  • Judgment and Decision Making4.03.9Level 4 looks like: Evaluate a loan application for degree of risk
  • Active Learningbasic3.93.9Level 4 looks like: Determine the impact of new menu changes on a restaurant's purchasing requirements
  • Learning Strategiesbasic3.93.9Level 4 looks like: Identify an alternative approach to help trainees who are having difficulties
Show the other 23
  • Coordination3.83.9Level 4 looks like: Work with others to put a new roof on a house
  • Time Management3.83.9Level 4 looks like: Allocate the time of subordinates to projects for the coming week
  • Complex Problem Solving3.33.8Level 4 looks like: Redesign a floor layout to take advantage of new manufacturing techniques
  • Systems Analysis3.13.1Level 4 looks like: Determine how a new piece of equipment will affect production rates
  • Systems Evaluation3.13.1Level 4 looks like: Identify the reasons why a client might be unhappy with a product
  • Operations Analysis3.13.0Level 2 looks like: Select a printer for an office
  • Persuasion3.03.1Level 4 looks like: Convince a supervisor to purchase new office equipment
  • Management of Personnel Resources3.03.0Level 2 looks like: Encourage a coworker who is having difficulty finishing a project
  • Negotiation3.02.9Level 2 looks like: Present justification to a manager for altering a work schedule
  • Sciencebasic2.82.8Level 2 looks like: Conduct standard tests to determine soil quality
  • Management of Financial Resources2.31.6Level 2 looks like: Use available funds to buy office supplies and record the amount of the purchase
  • Operations Monitoring2.12.1Level 2 looks like: Monitor completion times while running a computer program
  • Management of Material Resources2.12.0Level 2 looks like: Reserve a room for a management meeting
  • Quality Control Analysis2.11.8Level 2 looks like: Inspect a draft email for errors (e.g., grammar, punctuation)
  • Mathematicsbasic2.02.0Level 2 looks like: Count the amount of change to be given to a customer
  • Technology Design1.91.4Level 2 looks like: Adjust exercise equipment for use by a customer
  • Troubleshooting1.91.0Level 2 looks like: Identify the source of a leak by looking under a machine
  • Programming1.81.0Level 2 looks like: Write a program to sort objects in a database
  • Operation and Control1.61.0Level 2 looks like: Navigate the settings on an office printer to print on both sides of the paper
  • Equipment Selection1.3—
  • Equipment Maintenance1.0—
  • Installation1.0—
  • Repairing1.0—

Tasks

16 core · 1 supplemental

What people in this occupation do, as O*NET records it, core tasks first by importance (1–5).

  1. Test and evaluate patients' physical and mental abilities and analyze medical data to determine realistic rehabilitation goals for patients.4.8
  2. Complete and maintain necessary records.4.7
  3. Plan, organize, and conduct occupational therapy programs in hospital, institutional, or community settings to help rehabilitate persons with disabilities because of illness, injury or psychological or developmental problems.4.6
  4. Evaluate patients' progress and prepare reports that detail progress.4.5
  5. Select activities that will help individuals learn work and life-management skills within limits of their mental or physical capabilities.4.5
  6. Plan and implement programs and social activities to help patients learn work or school skills and adjust to handicaps.4.5
  7. Train caregivers in providing for the needs of a patient during and after therapy.4.5
  8. Consult with rehabilitation team to select activity programs or coordinate occupational therapy with other therapeutic activities.4.3
  9. Lay out materials such as puzzles, scissors and eating utensils for use in therapy, and clean and repair these tools after therapy sessions.4.3
  10. Design and create, or requisition, special supplies and equipment, such as splints, braces, and computer-aided adaptive equipment.4.2
  11. Recommend changes in patients' work or living environments, consistent with their needs and capabilities.4.1
  12. Help clients improve decision making, abstract reasoning, memory, sequencing, coordination, and perceptual skills, using computer programs.3.9
Show the other 5
  1. Develop and participate in health promotion programs, group activities, or discussions to promote client health, facilitate social adjustment, alleviate stress, and prevent physical or mental disability.3.9
  2. Provide training and supervision in therapy techniques and objectives for students or nurses and other medical staff.3.9
  3. Conduct research in occupational therapy.3.8
  4. Advise on health risks in the workplace or on health-related transition to retirement.3.5
  5. Provide patients with assistance in locating or holding jobs.2.7

Knowledge

Bodies of knowledge the work draws on.

  • Therapy and Counseling4.76.0Level 7 looks like: Counsel an abused child
  • Psychology4.66.0Level 7 looks like: Treat a person with a severe mental illness
  • Customer and Personal Service4.35.6
  • Medicine and Dentistry4.24.5Level 4 looks like: Fill a tooth cavity
  • English Language4.14.4Level 4 looks like: Edit an article for a news website
  • Education and Training3.94.8Level 4 looks like: Lead a quality improvement seminar
  • Biology3.53.6Level 4 looks like: Investigate the effects of pollution on marine plants and animals
  • Sociology and Anthropology3.23.8Level 4 looks like: Write an article about cultural differences
Show all 33
  • Administration and Management2.83.6Level 4 looks like: Monitor progress of a project to ensure timely completion
  • Administrative2.84.1Level 4 looks like: Type 30 words per minute
  • Philosophy and Theology2.83.3Level 4 looks like: Understand another culture's religious practices
  • Communications and Media2.53.1Level 4 looks like: Host a music radio show
  • Mathematics2.42.5Level 1 looks like: Add two numbers
  • Public Safety and Security2.42.3Level 1 looks like: Use a seatbelt
  • Computers and Electronics2.32.5Level 1 looks like: Operate a media player to watch a training video
  • Law and Government2.22.2Level 1 looks like: Describe the length of a U.S. presidential term
  • Physics2.21.9Level 1 looks like: Use a crowbar to pry open a box
  • Foreign Language2.12.2Level 1 looks like: Say "please" and "thank you" in a foreign language
  • Personnel and Human Resources2.12.4Level 1 looks like: Fill out a medical claim form
  • Sales and Marketing2.12.2Level 1 looks like: Sell cakes at a bake sale
  • Transportation1.91.6Level 1 looks like: Ride a train to work
  • Engineering and Technology1.81.8Level 1 looks like: Install a door lock
  • Mechanical1.81.8Level 1 looks like: Replace the filters in a furnace
  • Chemistry1.71.6Level 1 looks like: Use a common household bug spray
  • Design1.71.7Level 1 looks like: Draw a straight line 4 3/16 inches long
  • Economics and Accounting1.71.4Level 1 looks like: Answer billing questions from credit card customers
  • Fine Arts1.61.2Level 1 looks like: Attend a popular music concert
  • Telecommunications1.60.7Level 1 looks like: Send an email
  • Production and Processing1.40.9Level 1 looks like: Put a computer back into its packing materials
  • Building and Construction1.30.6Level 1 looks like: Choose the proper type of wood for adding a deck onto a house
  • Food Production1.30.8Level 1 looks like: Grow herbs in the kitchen
  • History and Archeology1.30.7Level 1 looks like: Take a class in US history
  • Geography1.2—

Abilities

Enduring capacities the work calls for.

  • Oral Expression4.14.1Level 4 looks like: Give instructions to a lost motorist
  • Deductive Reasoning4.04.0Level 5 looks like: Decide what factors to consider in selecting stocks
  • Inductive Reasoning4.04.0Level 4 looks like: Determine the prime suspect based on crime scene evidence
  • Problem Sensitivity4.04.0Level 4 looks like: Notice from a subtle difference in a client's mood that something is bothering them
  • Written Expression4.04.0Level 4 looks like: Write a job recommendation for a subordinate
  • Information Ordering3.94.0Level 2 looks like: Follow the correct steps to make change
  • Oral Comprehension3.94.1Level 4 looks like: Understand a coach's oral instructions for a sport
  • Speech Clarity3.94.0Level 4 looks like: Make stadium-wide announcements during a sporting event
Show all 52
  • Speech Recognition3.94.0Level 4 looks like: Identify a former customer's voice over the phone
  • Written Comprehension3.94.0Level 4 looks like: Understand an apartment lease
  • Fluency of Ideas3.83.9Level 4 looks like: Think of as many ideas as possible for the name of a new company
  • Originality3.83.9Level 4 looks like: Redesign job tasks to be interesting for employees
  • Near Vision3.43.4Level 2 looks like: Read indicators on the dashboard of a car
  • Category Flexibility3.33.4Level 3 looks like: Classify flowers according to size, color, and smell
  • Selective Attention3.33.1Level 4 looks like: Watch security monitors for intruders throughout the night shift
  • Far Vision3.02.9Level 2 looks like: Read a roadside billboard
  • Finger Dexterity3.03.0Level 2 looks like: Put coins in a parking meter
  • Flexibility of Closure2.93.0Level 2 looks like: Detect that your phone is ringing while at a concert
  • Time Sharing2.92.8Level 3 looks like: Watch street signs while driving at 30 miles an hour
  • Visualization2.92.9Level 2 looks like: Imagine how to place paper in a printer so that the letterhead comes out on top
  • Arm-Hand Steadiness2.82.9Level 2 looks like: Light a candle
  • Auditory Attention2.82.5Level 2 looks like: Listen to a lecture while people nearby are talking
  • Hearing Sensitivity2.82.1Level 2 looks like: Notice a doorbell ringing
  • Perceptual Speed2.82.9Level 2 looks like: Sort mail according to ZIP codes with no time pressure
  • Static Strength2.82.4Level 1 looks like: Push an empty shopping cart
  • Trunk Strength2.82.6Level 2 looks like: Sit up in an office chair
  • Multilimb Coordination2.62.6Level 2 looks like: Row a boat
  • Speed of Closure2.62.6Level 3 looks like: Recognize a song after hearing only the first few notes
  • Number Facility2.52.1Level 3 looks like: Calculate a discounted price
  • Visual Color Discrimination2.52.1Level 1 looks like: Separate laundry into colors and whites
  • Manual Dexterity2.42.8
  • Memorization2.42.4Level 1 looks like: Remember the number on your bus to be sure you get back on the right one
  • Extent Flexibility2.12.1Level 2 looks like: Reach to adjust the radio in a car
  • Gross Body Coordination2.12.0Level 2 looks like: Get in and out of a truck
  • Gross Body Equilibrium2.12.0Level 2 looks like: Stand on a ladder
  • Stamina2.12.1Level 1 looks like: Walk 1/4 mile
  • Control Precision2.02.1Level 2 looks like: Adjust a room light with a dimmer switch
  • Depth Perception2.02.0Level 2 looks like: Merge a car into traffic on a city street
  • Dynamic Strength2.01.9Level 2 looks like: Use pruning shears to trim a bush
  • Mathematical Reasoning2.02.5Level 1 looks like: Determine how much 20 oranges will cost when they are priced at 5 for 4 dollars
  • Response Orientation1.60.5
  • Explosive Strength1.50.6
  • Speed of Limb Movement1.40.6
  • Wrist-Finger Speed1.3—
  • Spatial Orientation1.1—
  • Dynamic Flexibility1.0—
  • Glare Sensitivity1.0—
  • Night Vision1.0—
  • Peripheral Vision1.0—
  • Rate Control1.0—
  • Reaction Time1.0—
  • Sound Localization1.0—

Work activities

Kinds of activity the work is made of.

  • Documenting/Recording Information4.74.8Level 4 looks like: Document the results of a crime scene investigation
  • Assisting and Caring for Others4.65.5Level 4 looks like: Help a medical patient find in-home assistance or healthcare
  • Getting Information4.54.9Level 4 looks like: Review a budget
  • Making Decisions and Solving Problems4.45.1Level 4 looks like: Select the location for a major retail store
  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates4.35.0Level 4 looks like: Report the results of a sales meeting to a supervisor
  • Developing Objectives and Strategies4.34.7Level 4 looks like: Develop the plan to complete the merger of two organizations over a 3-year period
  • Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships4.35.2Level 4 looks like: Maintain good working relationships with almost all coworkers and clients
  • Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events4.24.9Level 4 looks like: Judge the suitability of food products for an event
Show all 41
  • Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge4.25.4Level 4 looks like: Keep current on changes in maintenance procedures for repairing sports cars
  • Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work4.15.2Level 4 looks like: Plan and adjust a personal to-do list according to changing demands
  • Thinking Creatively4.15.1Level 4 looks like: Adapt popular music for a high school marching band
  • Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others4.04.2Level 4 looks like: Interpret how foreign tax laws apply to U.S. exports
  • Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings4.04.9Level 4 looks like: Test electrical circuits
  • Coaching and Developing Others3.95.0Level 4 looks like: Provide on-the-job training for administrative workers
  • Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards3.94.3Level 4 looks like: Evaluate a complicated insurance claim for compliance with policy terms
  • Handling and Moving Objects3.85.0Level 4 looks like: Arrange books in a library
  • Performing General Physical Activities3.84.5Level 4 looks like: Paint the outside of a house
  • Training and Teaching Others3.84.7Level 4 looks like: Teach a social sciences course to high school students
  • Analyzing Data or Information3.74.5Level 4 looks like: Determine the interest cost to finance a new building
  • Performing for or Working Directly with the Public3.74.1Level 4 looks like: Sell shoes in a crowded shoe store
  • Processing Information3.74.6Level 4 looks like: Calculate the adjustments for insurance claims
  • Communicating with People Outside the Organization3.64.1Level 4 looks like: Present information to potential clients about available services
  • Working with Computers3.63.4Level 4 looks like: Write software for keeping track of parts in inventory
  • Developing and Building Teams3.53.6Level 4 looks like: Lead an assembly team in an automobile plant
  • Providing Consultation and Advice to Others3.54.4Level 4 looks like: Recommend a new software package to increase operational efficiency
  • Scheduling Work and Activities3.54.1Level 4 looks like: Prepare the work schedule for salesclerks in a large retail store
  • Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People3.43.6Level 4 looks like: Determine the value of property lost in a fire
  • Performing Administrative Activities3.43.6Level 4 looks like: Complete tax forms for a small business
  • Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others3.34.0Level 4 looks like: Get two subordinates to agree about vacation schedules
  • Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others3.13.6Level 4 looks like: Organize the cleanup crew after a major sporting event
  • Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information3.13.1Level 4 looks like: Estimate the time required to evacuate a city in the event of a major disaster
  • Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates3.13.9Level 4 looks like: Manage a small team of employees in a dynamic workplace
  • Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials3.02.9
  • Monitoring and Controlling Resources2.53.0Level 4 looks like: Work as a chef responsible for ordering food for the menu
  • Staffing Organizational Units2.42.9
  • Selling or Influencing Others2.32.6
  • Controlling Machines and Processes2.22.8
  • Drafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment1.61.4Level 1 looks like: Specify the lighting for a work area
  • Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment1.61.1Level 1 looks like: Drive a car
  • Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment1.61.4Level 1 looks like: Make simple, external adjustments to a door hinge with ordinary hand tools
  • Repairing and Maintaining Electronic Equipment1.50.9Level 1 looks like: Use display settings to adjust a television picture

Work context

The conditions most characteristic of the work, on O*NET's 1–5 context scale.

  • Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.9
  • Contact With Others4.8
  • E-Mail4.7
  • Indoors, Environmentally Controlled4.7
  • Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals4.5
  • Physical Proximity4.5
  • Freedom to Make Decisions4.4
  • Frequency of Decision Making4.4
  • Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team4.4
  • Exposed to Disease or Infections4.2

Technology

33 tools

Software used in this work. In demand: among the tools job postings for this occupation name most. Hot: often named in job postings across the economy.

Hot (5)

  • eClinicalWorks EHR software
  • Facebook
  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Office software
  • Microsoft Word
Other tools (28)
  • Bizmatics PrognoCIS EMR
  • Casamba Smart
  • Computer drawing software
  • Crick Software Clicker 4
  • Duxbury Braille Translator
  • Email software
  • Fifth Walk BillingTracker
  • FileMaker Pro
  • HMS
  • Language arts educational software
  • Lexrotech LxPediatric
  • Math educational software
  • Mayer-Johnson Boardmaker
  • Music software
  • OpenOffice WRITER
  • Physical education educational software
  • Rehab Documentation Company ReDoc Suite
  • Science educational software
  • Screen magnification software
  • Screen reader software
  • Social studies educational software
  • Special education educational software
  • Speech recognition software
  • Synapse Adaptive Connect Outloud
  • Tactile graphic production kits software
  • Text reader software
  • Text scanning software
  • Text to speech software

Related occupations

O*NET's own list of the occupations most related to this one, closest first.

  1. Occupational Therapy Assistants
  2. Occupational Therapy Aides
  3. Physical Therapists
  4. Physical Therapist Assistants
  5. Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Physicians
  6. Recreational Therapists
  7. Psychiatric Technicians
  8. Clinical Nurse Specialists
  9. Rehabilitation Counselors
  10. Low Vision Therapists, Orientation and Mobility Specialists, and Vision Rehabilitation Therapists

ESCO equivalents

From the official ESCO–O*NET crosswalk, strongest match first. A broader occupation takes in this one; a narrower one is a part of it.

Closest occupations

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This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. ESCO occupations and skills are from the European Commission's ESCO classification, and the occupation crosswalk is the official ESCO–O*NET mapping by the ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA. This service uses the ESCO classification of the European Commission. BlissPoint Analytics has modified all or some of this information: skill, task and descriptor ratings are rounded to one decimal, and ESCO occupations show Job Zone and interests copied from a crosswalked O*NET occupation. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.