How to Become an Occupational Therapist
An occupational therapist helps people who struggle with everyday tasks — like getting dressed, driving, using a computer or shopping for groceries — because of a disability, illness, injury, old age or long-term health condition.
A Day In The Life
If you were an occupational therapist, you’d spend your day…
Meeting patients to assess their needs, guiding them through personalised therapy activities and updating their progress,
Planning and adjusting treatment goals, preparing therapy tools and working closely with families, doctors or teachers,
Completing paperwork and updating a patient's medical history at the end of the day.
Wanna see an occupational therapist in action? Check out this video!
Is This Career Right for Me?
According to the Holland Codes, people in this career generally possess the following traits:
Challenges & Skills
No job is easy, but if you’ve got the right skills, you’ll be ready to handle anything that comes your way!
Challenges & Skills Needed to Overcome Them
Dealing with difficult cases and emotionally taxing situations
Skills: Being strong emotionally, and knowing how to use patient records and safety tools to help make things clearer, more organised and less stressful
Physical work like lifting or helping patients move
Skills: Learning safe patient handling and transfer techniques, and the use of special equipment and tools
Limited resources and money to buy tools and equipment for patient development
Skills: Planning finances smartly and understanding insurance and billing procedures
Long work hours, especially in certain settings
Skills: Good time management and being organised help you stay on top of your tasks.
Keeping up with new health technology
Skills: Always be ready to learn new things and stay updated with the latest tools and tech in healthcare.
Sound like you? Then you might just have what it takes to tackle these challenges and thrive as an occupational therapist!
Career Pathway
Thinking long term? This career path shows you how you can grow your role (and salary!) in the world of occupational therapy.
With every step, you’ll gain more skills, responsibility and opportunities. If you’re passionate about medicine, health & sciences, this career path could be your perfect match!
Global Opportunities
Pros in this field are in demand everywhere—your career could literally take you places!
Top countries hiring professionals in this field:
United States
The United States offers strong job demands, good salaries and various work settings for occupational therapists, such as hospitals, schools and private practices.
Germany
Germany’s robust healthcare system and multiple training pathways make it a great place to start or grow a career in occupational therapy.
Canada
Canada has a steady demand for occupational therapists, great pay and various opportunities for foreign professionals to move and work there.
We hope this guide has helped you understand what to expect and inspired you to explore a path that fits your strengths and passions. Good luck—and have fun discovering your future!
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