The median occupational therapist salary in New York is $96,390 per year, or $46.34 per hour, based on May 2025 wage data. But a statewide number cannot tell you whether an SNF, school, or outpatient position offers the best compensation for you. This guide helps New York OTs understand what they can reasonably expect from current salary benchmarks and what to compare across different work settings.
Occupational therapists in NY earned a median annual wage of $96,390, or $46.34 per hour, according to 2025 wage data from O*NET OnLine, which uses data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
For comparison, the national median was $100,330 per year, or $48.24 per hour. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a national mean annual wage of $101,280 for occupational therapists in May 2025.
| Benchmark | Median Annual Wage | Median Hourly Wage | Data Period |
| New York | $96,390 | $46.34 | May 2025 |
| United States | $100,330 | $48.24 | May 2025 |
These figures provide a useful starting point, but they do not represent what every New York employer will offer. Pay across the occupational therapy field can change depending on the employer, location, work setting, schedule, employment model, and benefits. OTs who are actively comparing roles can also review ot staffing and job opportunities for more information about its recruiting and placement support.
That makes the next question more useful than the statewide average alone: How do SNF, school, and outpatient OT opportunities compare?
There is no single reliable New York dataset that gives a clean, apples-to-apples salary ranking for SNF, school, and outpatient occupational therapists. Each setting may use different pay structures, schedules, benefits, and workload expectations. OTs should therefore compare the complete employment package rather than assume one setting always pays more.
| Factor | Skilled Nursing Facility | School | Outpatient |
| Pay benchmark | Varies by employer and location | May follow a published salary schedule in public systems | Varies by employer and location |
| Pay structure | May be hourly or salaried | Often salary-based in public systems | May be hourly or salaried |
| Work calendar | Generally employer-defined | May follow an academic calendar | Generally employer-defined |
| Benefits | Employer-specific | Employer or contract-specific | Employer-specific |
| Weekend requirements | Vary by facility | Depend on employer and position | Depend on clinic and schedule |
| Caseload or productivity | Ask the employer | Ask about caseload and school requirements | Ask about caseload and productivity expectations |
| Best comparison method | Total compensation and work terms | Salary schedule, calendar, benefits, and work terms | Total compensation and work terms |
Licensed occupational therapists provide clinical care within the facilities or schools where they work. Those employers oversee care delivery according to their policies and applicable professional standards. Flagstar Rehab recruits and places therapy professionals; it does not evaluate patients, create treatment plans, or provide occupational therapy care.
An OT considering a skilled nursing facility should look beyond the advertised annual salary or hourly rate. Compensation can vary from one SNF employer to another, and a statewide occupational therapist salary does not establish what a specific facility will pay.
When comparing an SNF offer, ask about:
These details matter because two SNF jobs with similar advertised pay may have different schedules, benefits, or workload expectations.
Productivity requirements and caseload expectations are also employer-specific. Candidates should ask for the actual standards attached to the position rather than relying on general assumptions about skilled nursing facilities. A guide to therapy productivity expectations provides additional context on how productivity can affect therapists and facilities.
School OT compensation can be easier to interpret when a public employer uses a published salary schedule. However, those schedules apply only to the specific employer or bargaining agreement.
NYC Public Schools provides one useful example of how a public school system may structure OT compensation. According to NYC Public Schools, occupational therapists work in general education and District 75 programs, and applicants must meet the system’s employment requirements.
The current UFT OT/PT salary schedule shows how compensation is structured for occupational and physical therapists covered by that agreement. The schedule effective September 14, 2025 lists $82,807 at the zero-year experience level. A scheduled 3.5% increase raises that amount to $85,705 beginning September 14, 2026.
Those figures are useful for evaluating that specific employment arrangement. They are not an average salary for every school occupational therapist in the New York community.
When comparing a school job with an SNF or outpatient position, consider:
An annual school salary should not automatically be compared with a year-round clinical position without considering the full work calendar and compensation package.
Outpatient OT salaries also vary by employer, location, experience, and job structure. There is no single current NY outpatient wage that applies across every clinic.
When evaluating an outpatient offer, compare:
For example, one outpatient employer may offer a higher base rate but require evening hours or different productivity standards. Another may offer lower headline pay with a schedule or benefits package that better fits the candidate’s priorities.
The better offer depends on the full set of employment terms, not just the salary listed at the top of a job posting.
New York OT salary estimates can differ because salary sources measure different things. A government wage survey, active job postings, and an employer salary schedule should not be treated as interchangeable. Understanding how each source collects and reports its data can help OTs compare salary figures more accurately and decide which benchmark is most helpful for the comparison they are making.
| Source Type | What It Measures | Best Use |
| BLS/O*NET wage data | Occupational wages across a defined labor market | State, national, and regional benchmark |
| Job-posting data | Pay listed or reported for advertised positions | Current hiring-market context |
| Active-job marketplaces | Pay associated with jobs available on that platform | Platform-specific job comparison |
| Employer or union salary schedule | Compensation under a specific employer or agreement | Evaluating that particular position |
The BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program publishes national, state, metropolitan, and industry wage estimates. The latest OEWS data available for this article are from May 2025 and were released in May 2026.
Other salary websites may rely on current advertisements, employer submissions, user-reported salaries, or jobs listed on their own platforms. That difference in methodology can produce noticeably different averages.
It is also important to check whether a figure is a mean or median. The median represents the midpoint of reported wages. The mean is calculated by averaging wages together.
Before comparing two OT salary numbers, check:
This is why choosing the highest number found online is not a reliable way to judge a New York OT offer.
Yes. Occupational therapist pay varies across NY labor markets, which means the statewide median should not be treated as the expected salary in every city or region.
Current O*NET New York wage data, based on BLS data, allows occupational therapist wages to be compared across areas of the state. Regional BLS releases also show differences in local OT wages.
For example, the BLS Rochester wage report reports a mean annual occupational therapist wage of $84,190, or $40.48 per hour, in the Rochester metropolitan area for May 2025.
In the Buffalo-Cheektowaga area, the mean annual wage was $83,790, or $40.29 per hour.
These are mean wages, while the $96,390 statewide figure discussed earlier is a median. They should therefore not be treated as identical measures. They do, however, show why location matters when evaluating OT compensation.
OTs considering New York City or downstate jobs should use the same caution. BLS reports data for the broader New York-Newark-Jersey City metropolitan area, which crosses state boundaries. A figure for that metro area is not the same as a New York City-only salary.
Lists of the “highest-paying cities” can also be misleading if one source defines locations differently or uses a different data year.
For a useful comparison, keep the source, time period, wage measure, and geographic definition consistent.
The best OT offer is not always the one with the highest annual salary or hourly rate. Before you accept an SNF, school, or outpatient position, compare each opportunity using the same set of questions. Being prepared with consistent questions can make it easier to compare employers fairly.
A $50 hourly rate and a $100,000 annual salary cannot be compared fairly without knowing how many hours are expected and whether those hours are guaranteed. Ask how compensation is calculated and what happens if scheduled hours change.
This is especially important when comparing school positions with year-round SNF or outpatient jobs. A school role may follow an academic calendar, while an SNF or outpatient position may operate throughout the year. Compare the actual number of working days and hours rather than the annual salary alone.
Ask what the employer provides, including:
Do not assume two full-time jobs have similar benefit packages.
Ask about:
A higher rate may be less attractive if the required schedule does not fit your priorities.
The facility or school determines these requirements. For an SNF or outpatient position, ask how productivity is measured and how documentation time is handled. For a school job, ask about caseload size, scheduling, documentation, and other school-specific responsibilities.
Employment type can change how compensation should be evaluated. For example, a per diem role may advertise a different hourly rate than a permanent position. Compare the rate alongside expected hours, benefits, paid leave, and other employment terms.
Consider the actual commute, travel requirements, and work site. A higher salary may not automatically make a position the better fit if the location creates significant travel or scheduling challenges.
OTs who are ready to move from salary comparison into their job search can review Flagstar Rehab’s guide on where to find occupational therapy jobs.
The occupational therapist salary in New York gives OTs a useful benchmark, but it does not answer which job offers the best overall compensation. SNF, school, and outpatient positions can differ in salary structure, work calendar, benefits, expected hours, employment model, location, and workload expectations. Compare those factors together before deciding which opportunity fits your career priorities.
Flagstar Rehab is a therapy staffing and recruiting agency that connects occupational therapists with employers rather than providing clinical care itself. If you are considering your next New York OT role, you can explore occupational therapist jobs and placement support through Flagstar Rehab and discuss the setting, location, and job preferences that matter to you.
The median occupational therapist wage in New York was $96,390 per year in May 2025, but a good offer depends on more than its position relative to that number. Compare the salary with similar jobs in the same region and consider benefits, work schedule, employment type, and other terms.
Use the pay format that best reflects how the job actually works, but convert offers to comparable terms when possible. An hourly rate should be evaluated alongside expected hours, while an annual salary should be considered with the work calendar, benefits, and schedule.
Pay can differ by labor market, but candidates should avoid assuming every New York City job pays more than every upstate position. Compare current data using the same wage measure and source, then review the actual employer’s offer.
No. A higher base rate does not automatically mean better total compensation. Benefits, expected hours, paid leave, work calendar, schedule, commute, and employer requirements can all affect the value of an SNF, school, or outpatient offer.