Occupational Therapists Salary
Occupational Therapists in Tucson, AZ make a median of $100,920 a year, or about $48.52 an hour. The range runs from $81K at the entry level to $125K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 96.9), that's roughly $104,149 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,402/month, or 21.6% of estimated take-home pay.
Where the paycheck goes
What $101K actually covers in Tucson, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Tucson’s Regional Price Parity (96.9). 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 Tucson
Occupational therapists pay in Tucson tracks closely to the national median, $101K locally vs. $100K nationwide, a 1% difference. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,402/month, 21.9% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Cost of living (RPP 96.9) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for occupational therapists in metros near Tucson, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler | $105K | $102K |
| Prescott Valley-Prescott | $104K | $106K |
| Flagstaff | $103K | $103K |
| Yuma | $99K | $107K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Tucson, AZ
Entry-level occupational therapists (10th percentile) start around $81K. Mid-career wages sit at $101K. Top earners bring in $125K or more, a $45K 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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Related careers in Healthcare
Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a occupational therapist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Tucson?
Yes — at the median salary of $101K, rent takes 21.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,402/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for occupational therapists in Tucson?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new occupational therapists typically earn — is $81K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,833/month. At HUD’s $1,402/month FMR, rent would take 29% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is occupational therapist a high-paying job in Tucson?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $101K locally vs. $100K nationally, a 1% difference.
How does Tucson compare to the national average for occupational therapists?
Tucson pays $101K median vs. the U.S. average of $100K — that’s +1%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 96.9), the purchasing-power equivalent is $104K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do occupational therapists make in Tucson, AZ?
The median is $100,920 a year, that works out to about $49 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $80,550, and experienced occupational therapists can clear $125,060. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $101K enough to live in Tucson?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $6,405/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,402/month, which eats 21.9% 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 Tucson?
Tucson has a Regional Price Parity of 96.9 (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 $104,149 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.