Occupational Therapists Salary
Occupational Therapists in Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA make a median of $128,010 a year, or about $61.54 an hour. The range runs from $87K at the entry level to $162K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 107.78), so that salary is closer to $118,770 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,827/month, about 37.4% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $128K get you in Santa Rosa-Petaluma?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Santa Rosa-Petaluma’s Regional Price Parity (107.78). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About occupational therapists
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What this looks like in Santa Rosa-Petaluma
Santa Rosa-Petaluma sits well above the national pay line for occupational therapists, local pay runs about 28% higher than the U.S. median of $100K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,827/month, which is 37.6% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 8% above the national average (BEA RPP 107.78), so groceries and services cost more too. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for occupational therapists in metros near Santa Rosa-Petaluma, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $122K | $107K |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $122K | $109K |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $137K | $118K |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $120K | $112K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA
Entry-level occupational therapists (10th percentile) start around $87K. Mid-career wages sit at $128K. Top earners bring in $162K or more, a $75K spread from bottom to top.
Occupational Therapists pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Occupational Therapists salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $125K | +24% | 13,810 |
| Oregon | $112K | +12% | 1,170 |
| Nevada | $111K | +10% | 1,080 |
| District of Columbia | $109K | +9% | 540 |
| Washington | $108K | +7% | 3,340 |
| Maryland | $107K | +7% | 2,390 |
| Colorado | $107K | +6% | 3,390 |
| Arkansas | $106K | +6% | 2,160 |
| Texas | $106K | +6% | 13,400 |
| Oklahoma | $104K | +4% | 1,180 |
| Georgia | $104K | +4% | 3,650 |
| Alaska | $104K | +3% | 410 |
| Arizona | $104K | +3% | 2,680 |
| New Jersey | $103K | +3% | 6,290 |
| Hawaii | $103K | +3% | 390 |
| Connecticut | $102K | +2% | 3,150 |
| Delaware | $102K | +2% | 490 |
| South Carolina | $101K | +1% | 1,840 |
| Massachusetts | $101K | +1% | 6,510 |
| Virginia | $101K | +0% | 4,150 |
| Rhode Island | $100K | -0% | 770 |
| Illinois | $100K | -1% | 7,710 |
| Ohio | $99K | -1% | 6,760 |
| Florida | $99K | -1% | 10,650 |
| New Mexico | $99K | -1% | 1,030 |
| Kansas | $99K | -1% | 1,560 |
| Louisiana | $98K | -2% | 2,060 |
| Pennsylvania | $98K | -2% | 6,560 |
| Idaho | $98K | -3% | 840 |
| Tennessee | $98K | -3% | 2,490 |
| Kentucky | $98K | -3% | 2,190 |
| Missouri | $97K | -3% | 3,400 |
| Utah | $97K | -3% | 1,030 |
| Indiana | $97K | -3% | 3,830 |
| New York | $96K | -4% | 11,690 |
| West Virginia | $96K | -4% | 700 |
| Mississippi | $95K | -5% | 1,340 |
| Alabama | $94K | -6% | 1,500 |
| Nebraska | $94K | -7% | 1,500 |
| Vermont | $93K | -7% | 320 |
| Minnesota | $93K | -7% | 3,670 |
| North Carolina | $93K | -7% | 4,490 |
| Wisconsin | $92K | -8% | 3,710 |
| Iowa | $90K | -10% | 1,290 |
| Michigan | $90K | -10% | 5,120 |
| Montana | $89K | -11% | 420 |
| Wyoming | $86K | -14% | 350 |
| South Dakota | $85K | -15% | 490 |
| Maine | $84K | -16% | 1,120 |
| New Hampshire | $84K | -16% | 1,240 |
| North Dakota | $83K | -17% | 570 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track occupational therapists salary changes
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Frequently asked questions
Can a occupational therapist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Santa Rosa-Petaluma?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $128K, rent takes 37.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,827/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $2,300/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for occupational therapists in Santa Rosa-Petaluma?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new occupational therapists typically earn — is $87K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $5,227/month. At HUD’s $2,827/month FMR, rent would take 54% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is occupational therapist a high-paying job in Santa Rosa-Petaluma?
Local pay is 28% above the national median — $128K here vs. $100K nationally. Keep in mind cost of living here is 8% above the national average, which offsets some of that premium.
How does Santa Rosa-Petaluma compare to the national average for occupational therapists?
Santa Rosa-Petaluma pays $128K median vs. the U.S. average of $100K — that’s +28%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 107.78), the purchasing-power equivalent is $119K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do occupational therapists make in Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA?
The median is $128,010 a year, that works out to about $62 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $87,120, and experienced occupational therapists can clear $161,910. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $128K enough to live in Santa Rosa-Petaluma?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $7,517/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,827/month, which eats 37.6% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a occupational therapists salary go in Santa Rosa-Petaluma?
Santa Rosa-Petaluma has a Regional Price Parity of 107.78 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median occupational therapists salary is worth about $118,770 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do occupational therapists get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.