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Therapy & rehab

Occupational therapist salary in California

Open occupational therapist jobs in California post a median of $64 an hour, the middle half $58–$70.50 (about $133,100 a year full time), $11 above the national posted median. From 145 jobs at 42 employers that state their pay.

$64
Median posted /hr
$58–$71
Middle half /hr
$133,100
A year, full time
estimate, 2,080 hours
$59.86
BLS median in CA
May 2025

The jobs themselves: Occupational therapist jobs in California · Occupational therapist pay nationwide

What occupational therapists are paid in California

Each bar counts the open jobs posting an hourly rate in its step of pay (a range at its midpoint).

Posted hourly rates of 145 open jobs in California. Lowest posted $31.62, highest $100.

Posted on open jobs in California

$58–$70.50/hr

Middle half of 91 employer rates (each employer's advertised range once), median $64. 49% of the 295 open occupational therapist jobs in California state an hourly rate.

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Occupational therapist pay by town in California

Towns where at least three open jobs state an hourly rate, the towns with the most such jobs first.

TownMedian postedPosted rangeJobs (employers)
Los Angeles$62$37.69–$84.7512 (6)
San Francisco$75$54.87–$91.0111 (2)
Oakland$74.25$61.91–$90.538 (4)
Santa Clara$68.75$56.67–$75.216 (1)
Loma Linda$57.25$31.62–$73.506 (1)
Berkeley$74.25$61.91–$86.675 (1)
Monterey$72.25$45–$1005 (2)
Santa Rosa$68.75$54.87–$86.675 (3)
Palo Alto$67$55.50–$90.785 (3)
Visalia$62.75$50.24–$75.365 (2)
Sacramento$70.25$58.71–$82.494 (3)
Santa Maria$59.50$39.18–$74.054 (1)
San Leandro$74$45–$1003 (2)
Roseville$70.75$58.71–$82.493 (2)
Stockton$70$34.23–$1003 (2)
Redwood City$67$55.50–$76.223 (3)
Torrance$62.25$45–$1003 (3)

Median of employers' rates in the town, the lowest and highest rate posted, and the jobs and employers behind them. A town opens its own job page.

Occupational therapist pay by employer in California

What each employer posts for occupational therapists here, the employers with the most jobs stating pay first.

EmployerMedian postedPosted rangeJobs stating pay
Sutter Health$74.25$54.87–$91.0125
Kaiser Permanente$68.75$56.67–$94.9622
Providence$65.50$37.69–$84.987
PACS Group$62.50$55–$757
CommonSpirit Health$61$39.18–$81.107
Loma Linda University Health$55.75$31.62–$73.506
Montage Health$65$54.16–$82.595
Kaweah Health$62.75$50.24–$75.365
UCSF Health$77$64.05–$90.534
Stanford Health Care$69$57.53–$90.784
Genesis HealthCare$67.50$45–$1004
Cedars-Sinai$61$45.89–$84.084
Cortica$51.50$45.05–$62.084
AltaMed Health Services$55.25$49.07–$61.343
Plumas District Hospital$85$69.94–$99.962
Alameda Health System$75.75$65.84–$82.242
Scripps Health$66.50$54.24–$78.662
MarinHealth$64.75$49.27–$81.482
Stanford Medicine Children's Health$60.75$51.50–$71.622
Select Medical$59.75$51–$68.642
Ridgecrest Regional Hospital$56.50$46–$672
MemorialCare$56.25$52.43–$602
UnitedHealth Group$50.50$34.23–$63.942
Keck Medicine of USC$45.25$39.18–$51.422
Access TLC$95$90–$1001
El Camino Health$73$62.76–$83.411
Valley Children's Healthcare$70.75$57.74–$83.721
Ernest Health$70$701
John Muir Health$66$56.22–$75.891
By the Bay Health$65.75$58–$73.601
Jewish Family and Children's Services$65$62.50–$67.311
Sonoma Specialty Hospital$65$60–$701
Tenet Healthcare$63.25$49.69–$77.021
Community Memorial Hospital - Ventura$58.50$47.18–$69.571
Colusa Medical Center$57.50$50–$651
E-Therapy$57$571
Compassus$55.75$49.91–$61.661
Sharp HealthCare$54.50$47.60–$61.431
Lompoc Valley Medical Center$53.75$45.23–$62.351
Compass Health$53.50$52–$551

Median of each employer's jobs in California (a range at its midpoint), and its lowest and highest rate here. An employer's name opens its pay for occupational therapists nationwide when it has such a page.

Jobs that state a yearly salary

Measured on their own, never converted to hourly.

18 open jobs in California state a yearly salary: a median of $122,000, the middle half $110,100 to $142,300.

Best-paid open occupational therapist jobs in California

The open jobs posting the highest hourly rates tonight, at most two from one employer.

What BLS measures in California

What people employed in the occupation earned in the state, at every level of experience, from the BLS survey. A posting advertises what a new hire is offered.

Hourly wages, BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, California. Each figure opens its BLS page.
BLS occupation10th pct25th pctMedian75th pct90th pctEmployed
Occupational Therapists (29-1122)$41.13 (source: BLS OEWS, Occupational Therapists, opens in a new tab)$49.98 (source: BLS OEWS, Occupational Therapists, opens in a new tab)$59.86 (source: BLS OEWS, Occupational Therapists, opens in a new tab)$65.57 (source: BLS OEWS, Occupational Therapists, opens in a new tab)$76.23 (source: BLS OEWS, Occupational Therapists, opens in a new tab)13,810 (source: BLS OEWS, Occupational Therapists, opens in a new tab)

BLS median by metro area

Occupational therapist salary in California: common questions

How much does an occupational therapist make in California?

Open occupational therapist jobs in California that state an hourly rate post a median of $64, the middle half $58–$70.50 (145 jobs from 42 employers). Full time that is about $133,100 a year. BLS measured a median of $59.86/hr ($124,510 a year) for people employed in the occupation in California (May 2025).

Where in California do occupational therapists earn the most?

By the median rate open jobs post, in the towns with the most jobs stating pay: Los Angeles ($62), San Francisco ($75), Oakland ($74.25) and Santa Clara ($68.75). The town table lists 17.

Which employers in California pay occupational therapists the most?

Among employers stating a rate on at least three open jobs here: UCSF Health ($77), Sutter Health ($74.25) and Stanford Health Care ($69).

How does California compare with the rest of the country?

The posted median in California ($64) is $11 above the national posted median of $53. In the BLS survey California ranks 1 of 52 by median wage.

Where do these figures come from?

From the pay open jobs state, read every night from each employer's own job board: 145 of 295 open occupational therapist jobs in California (49%) state an hourly rate. No pay is estimated for a job that states none; "up to" ceilings and weekly travel rates are left out.

Occupational therapist pay in other states

Occupational therapist salary nationwide →Every healthcare salary →

Sources and method

Only pay a job states is used, a range at its midpoint. In the state's median and middle half each employer's advertised range counts once, so an employer posting one range in many towns does not set the figure; a town's median follows the same rule. "Up to" ceilings, weekly travel rates and rates far from the occupation's median are left out. A state has a page while at least 8 jobs from 3 employers state a rate there. The yearly estimate is the hourly rate times 2,080 hours. BLS figures are as published.
  1. CareJobs.Now job board: the pay open jobs state, read nightly from each employer's own careers site, published October 24, 2026
  2. BLS OEWS May 2025: Occupational Therapists (SOC 29-1122), every state, published May 15, 2026
  3. BLS OEWS May 2025: Occupational Therapists, national, published May 15, 2026
  4. BLS OEWS May 2025: Occupational Therapists by metropolitan area, published May 15, 2026

Cite this page

CareJobs.Now. (2026). Occupational therapist salary in California. Data as of October 24, 2026. https://carejobs.now/salaries/occupational-therapist/california

How the board counts