What Type of Occupational Therapist Should I Be

How it works

In an occupational therapy program, or weighing one? Press the button for a practice area, from the neonatal unit to hand therapy and driver rehabilitation, each with the people it serves.

Read the full guide

Three areas carry an advanced certificate

The American Occupational Therapy Association offers exam-based advanced certifications in gerontology, pediatrics and physical rehabilitation. They are for practitioners, with eligibility requirements to meet before the exam, so each is something to aim at once you are working.

Or choose by where you would work

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics names therapy offices as the largest employer of occupational therapists in 2025, with 28 percent of jobs, then hospitals with 26 percent, educational services with 13, home healthcare with 8 and nursing care facilities with 7.

A license is required in every US state and the requirements differ, so look up your state’s before you pick a program.

Questions and answers

What are the different types of occupational therapists?

Some work with children, in neonatal units, early intervention, schools and clinics. Some work with older adults at home or in nursing facilities. Others treat hands, assess driving, or work in mental health, workplaces and community programs.

How do I know what type of occupational therapist I should be?

Ask who you want to help and where: a baby in a neonatal unit, a student in a classroom, an adult after a stroke, an older person at home. Then use your fieldwork to spend time in that setting.

What is a hand therapist?

In occupational therapy, a hand therapist treats conditions of the hand and upper limb, from soft tissue injuries such as tennis elbow to neuropathies such as carpal tunnel syndrome, with splints, soft braces and education.

What degree does an occupational therapist need?

The Bureau of Labor Statistics says occupational therapists typically need a master’s degree in occupational therapy, earned in an accredited program that includes supervised fieldwork.

All 26 practice areas

Children and schools 5

Early intervention Supports children from birth to three, with their parents, through play and daily living.
Neonatal intensive care Works with medically fragile newborns on feeding, positioning and development.
Pediatrics Works with infants, children and youth and their families, in clinics, schools and homes.
School-based practice Supports students who receive special education services, one to one or in groups.
Sensory integration Works with children who have sensory processing disorder, using a therapy developed in the 1970s.

Older adults and home life 5

Driver rehabilitation Tests a person’s ability to drive and recommends adaptive equipment or training.
Gerontology Helps older adults live independently and improve their quality of life.
Home health Travels to clients and works with them in their own homes.
Home modification Checks a home for fall hazards and recommends changes that make it safer.
Skilled nursing facility Works with the residents of a nursing care facility.

Hands, injury and recovery 8

Assistive technology Recommends equipment such as wheelchairs and eating aids and shows how to use it.
Chronic pain Works in a team to help people with chronic pain manage it themselves.
Hand therapy Treats hand and arm conditions, from tennis elbow to carpal tunnel syndrome.
Hippotherapy Works with a client and a horse, as one treatment strategy among others.
Hospital practice Works on a hospital team with patients after a stroke or a spinal cord injury.
Low vision Assesses how low vision affects daily life and suggests changes such as better lighting.
Outpatient therapy office Sees clients in a therapy office, the largest employer of occupational therapists.
Physical rehabilitation Works across rehab settings with people recovering from illness or injury.

Work, mind and community 8

Academia Teaches future therapists; one of the settings counted in the AOTA workforce survey.
Community-based practice Promotes health and wellness through programs run with community groups.
Mental health Helps clients with skills such as managing time, using public transport and doing chores.
Primary care An emerging area: joins a primary care team for screenings and wellness advice.
Telehealth Assesses clients and delivers therapy remotely, over the internet.
Vocational rehabilitation Helps people overcome barriers to getting work or returning to it.
Work and industry Evaluates a client’s workspace and works with the employer on changes to it.
Work with displaced people Helps people displaced by disaster or conflict rebuild their roles and routines.