Occupational Therapists Salary
Occupational Therapists in Traverse City, MI make a median of $84,260 a year, or about $40.51 an hour. The range runs from $67K at the entry level to $105K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.37), which stretches that salary to about $90,243 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,224/month, or 23% of estimated take-home pay.
Where the paycheck goes
What $84K actually covers in Traverse City, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Traverse City’s Regional Price Parity (93.37). 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 Traverse City
Pay for occupational therapists in Traverse City runs about 16% below the U.S. median of $100K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,224/month, 22.9% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 93.37 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 7% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Lower pay, lower costs, Traverse City can be a reasonable trade-off for occupational therapistss who value affordability over top-dollar markets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for occupational therapists in metros near Traverse City, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn | $90K | $89K |
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood | $94K | $99K |
| Ann Arbor | $96K | $95K |
| Flint | $86K | $92K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Traverse City, MI
Entry-level occupational therapists (10th percentile) start around $67K. Mid-career wages sit at $84K. Top earners bring in $105K or more, a $38K 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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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a occupational therapist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Traverse City?
Yes — at the median salary of $84K, rent takes 22.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,224/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for occupational therapists in Traverse City?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new occupational therapists typically earn — is $67K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,020/month. At HUD’s $1,224/month FMR, rent would take 30% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is occupational therapist a high-paying job in Traverse City?
Local pay runs 16% below the national median — $84K here vs. $100K nationally. Cost of living is 7% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Traverse City compare to the national average for occupational therapists?
Traverse City pays $84K median vs. the U.S. average of $100K — that’s -16%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.37), the purchasing-power equivalent is $90K — below the national median.
How much do occupational therapists make in Traverse City, MI?
The median is $84,260 a year, that works out to about $41 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $67,000, and experienced occupational therapists can clear $105,020. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $84K enough to live in Traverse City?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,340/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,224/month, which eats 22.9% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a occupational therapists salary go in Traverse City?
Traverse City has a Regional Price Parity of 93.37 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median occupational therapists salary is worth about $90,243 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.