Average Occupational Therapist Salary in North Carolina

Occupational therapists (OTs) help people across the lifespan participate in meaningful daily activities — occupations — that have been affected by illness, injury, disability, or developmental conditions. They assess patients' physical, cognitive, sensory, and environmental barriers to function, then design individualized interventions to restore independence. OT practice spans pediatrics (sensory processing, handwriting, autism spectrum), orthopedics and hand therapy, traumatic brain injury and stroke rehabilitation, mental health, geriatric care, and emerging areas like telehealth and low-vision rehabilitation. The national median annual salary is approximately $93,180, with certified hand therapists, pediatric specialists, and travel OTs frequently earning over $110,000.

In North Carolina, occupational therapists earn an average of $95,705 per year as of 2026, with salaries ranging from $61,049 for entry-level roles to $134,897 for the most experienced professionals — +0.7% below the national average. Pay is influenced most by specialty certification — cht certification significantly increases earning potential in hand therapy, setting — travel ot contracts, home health, and private-pay pediatric practices often pay more than hospital staff ot, and the specific metro area within North Carolina.