SOC 29-1122
Occupational Therapists
Risk Score
โ ๏ธ28/100
Moderate
US Employment
๐ฅ152,280
Total workers
Median Wage
๐ฐ$98K
$67K โ $130K
Projected Growth
๐+13.8%
2023-2033 (BLS)
GenAI Exposure
๐ค77/100
High exposure
๐ก Occupational Therapists face a risk score of 28/100 โ 16 points below the national average of 44. With 77/100 GenAI exposure, this occupation faces significant pressure from AI tools despite strong projected growth. See our methodology โ
๐ก Workers in this field earn $98K ($52K above the national median). The 3 recommended career transitions all maintain competitive wages while reducing automation exposure. Explore transition paths โ
๐ AI Impact Analysis
With a risk score of just 28/100, Occupational Therapists is well-positioned against AI automation. Core responsibilities like interdisciplinary care coordination and empathetic patient communication and bedside manner rely heavily on human judgment and interpersonal skills that AI cannot easily replicate. The 152,280 Americans in this role can expect continued demand, though they should still stay informed about AI tools that can enhance their productivity.
Will AI Replace Occupational Therapists?
Read our full analysis with verdict, risk factors, safe tasks, and career transition paths โ
โ ๏ธ Top Risk Factors
Natural language processing for clinical documentation
AI summarization replacing manual report compilation
Automated patient monitoring and alert systems
๐ก๏ธ Tasks Safe from Automation
Interdisciplinary care coordination
Empathetic patient communication and bedside manner
Emergency triage requiring rapid human judgment
Hands-on physical examination and procedures
Complex clinical judgment in ambiguous presentations
๐ Task Automation Breakdown
Based on O*NET task analysis and GenAI exposure scoring. Shows the estimated proportion of this occupation's core tasks that are automatable by current AI, augmented by AI tools, or require essential human skills.
๐ O*NET Task Profile
Test and evaluate patients' physical and mental abilities and analyze medical data to determine realistic rehabilitation goals for patients.
Complete and maintain necessary records.
Plan, organize, and conduct occupational therapy programs in hospital, institutional, or community settings to help rehabilitate persons with disabilities because of illness, injury or psychological or developmental problems.
Plan and implement programs and social activities to help patients learn work or school skills and adjust to handicaps.
Select activities that will help individuals learn work and life-management skills within limits of their mental or physical capabilities.
๐ป Technology Skills
Medical software
Graphics or photo imaging software
Word processing software
Optical character reader OCR or scanning software
Electronic mail software
๐ Key Knowledge Areas
Therapy and Counseling
Psychology
Customer and Personal Service
English Language
Medicine and Dentistry
๐ vs National Average
National avg: $46K
National avg: 44/100
National avg: 38/100
National avg: 3.7%
๐ Career Transition Paths
| Occupation | Risk | Wage | Overlap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dentists, All Other Specialists | 13 | $226K | 75% |
| Dentists, General | 24 | $173K | 83% |
| Political Scientists | 25 | $139K | 51% |