Occupational Therapist Salary Canada

See table for salaries.

Average Occupational Therapist Salary in Canada

The table below details the hourly wages for Occupational Therapists.

The Canadian national occupation classification code (NOC) for this role is 3143.

Job titles and exact duties vary in this occupation and examples of some job titles are: occupational therapist (OT), clinical occupational therapist and community occupational therapist.

A typical full-time annual salary is in the region of $70,000 – $90,000.

According to the latest figures, the highest hourly average (median) wages are earned in Calgary, Alberta at $46.50 per hour and the lowest average (median) wages are earned in Prince Edward Island at $34.00 per hour.

Employment prospects for occupational therapists are very good in Canada. The government forecasts that because the Canadian population is aging, the demand in this profession will increase for the near future.

Average Hourly (Median) Wages for Occupational Therapists in Canada

Location Low Wage
$ per hr
Average Wage
$ per hr
High Wage
$ per hr
Year
Calgary – Alberta* 41.82 46.50 51.05 2019
Edmonton – Alberta* 29.13 45.70 54.95 2019
Vancouver / Lower Mainland – British Columbia 24.04 40.00 49.72 2018
Winnipeg – Manitoba 31.27 35.00 41.00 2018
Fredericton / Oromocto – New Brunswick(1) 11.50 35.59 42.00 2018
Halifax – Nova Scotia 29.67 37.50 41.62 2018
Toronto – Ontario 17.00 43.08 55.00 2018
Ottawa – Ontario 17.00 43.08 55.00 2018
Hamilton / Niagara Peninsula – Ontario 15.75 39.42 48.95 2018
Kitchener / Waterloo / Barrie – Ontario 17.00 43.08 55.00 2018
Prince Edward Island 24.05 34.00 36.00 2018
Montreal – Quebec 25.06 35.00 45.00 2018
Saskatoon / Biggar – Saskatchewan* 29.33 38.43 45.00 2018

Methodology

Duties in this occupation include:
›› Assessing clients’ abilities and helping them set goals to gain or regain skills
›› Planning and directing therapy treatment to address clients’ needs relating to self-care, work and leisure activities
›› Maintaining clients’ records
›› Consulting and advising on health promotion programs
Comparison with employment group

The 2020 full-time average hourly wage rate for professional occupations in health (except nursing), which includes occupational therapists, is $43.74. The 2020 corresponding median weekly wage rate is $1,600, giving an approximate full-time annual salary for this employment sector of $83,000.

Licensing

Membership of the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists is required in some provinces.

Number In Employment

There are over 26,000 occupational therapists and other professional occupations in therapy and assessment working in Canada.

Visa

Currently, this occupation is an eligible occupation to apply for express entry immigration with the federal skilled worker permanent resident visa.

These occupations may also be of interest:

Audiologists/Speech Language Pathologists
Physiotherapists
Registered Nurses

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