Occupational therapists

Occupational therapists

NOC
3143

Help people take part in everyday activities, who are experiencing challenges due to injury, illness, disability or mental health, or barriers in the social and physical environment.

Quick facts

3-Year Outlook

Good
Good

3-Year Job Openings

30
 

Median Hourly Wage

$39.00
$24.00
Low
$45.00
High

Median Salary

$57,598
 

Typically Required

University

Employed

371
 

% Working Full Time

82%
 

% Working Full Year

68%
 
Job details

Full NOC Description

Occupational therapists develop individual and group programs with people affected by illness, injury, developmental disorders, emotional or psychological problems and ageing to maintain, restore or increase their ability to care for themselves and to engage in work, school or leisure. They also develop and implement health promotion programs with individuals, community groups and employers. They are employed in health care facilities, in schools, and by private and social services agencies, or they may be self-employed.

Main Duties

Occupational therapists perform some or all of the following duties:

  • Analyse clients' capabilities and expectations related to life activities through observation, interviews and formal assessments
  • Develop intervention programs to address clients' needs related to self-care, work and leisure activities
  • Maintain clients' records
  • Establish personalized care plans working as a member of an interdisciplinary team
  • Consult and advise on health promotion programs to prevent disabilities and to maximize independent function in all activities of life
  • May supervise support personnel and students and provide training.

Occupational therapists may specialize in working with specific populations such as children or adults, or persons with distinct problems such as dementia, traumatic brain injury and chronic pain, or provide special interventions such as return-to-work programs.

Also Known As

  • case manager occupational therapist
  • clinical occupational therapist
  • community occupational therapist
  • occupational therapist (OT)
  • occupational therapy rehabilitation consultant
  • research and development occupational therapist
Requirements

Employment Requirements

  • A university degree in occupational therapy including supervised fieldwork is required.
  • Completion of a national or provincial certification examination is required.
  • Licensure with a regulatory body is required in all provinces and territories.
  • Membership in the national association, Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists, is required in some provinces.
  • Occupational therapists may obtain expertise in a particular area through additional training or experience.

Provincial Regulation

  • Provincially Regulated: Yes
  • Compulsory: Yes
  • Red Seal: No
  • Certified Interprovincial Mobility: Yes
Employment by Sex

The following graph shows the percentage of men and women working in this occupation in New Brunswick.

Data legend

97.5%
Female
2.5%
Male
Employment by age

The following graph shows the breakdown of all persons working in this occupation in New Brunswick by age group.

Data legend

3.1%
15-24
27.7%
25-34
46.2%
35-44
13.9%
45-54
9.2%
55-64
0.0%
65+
Employment by highest level of education

The following graph shows the breakdown of all persons working in this occupation in New Brunswick by highest level of education achieved.

Data legend

0.0%
No Certificate, Diploma or Degree
0.0%
High School, Diploma or Equivalent
0.0%
Apprenticeship or Trades Certificate or Diploma
3.1%
College or University Below Bachelor Level
96.9%
University - Bachelor Level or Above
Employment by Industry

The following graph shows the industry groups in which the largest shares of persons working in this occupation in New Brunswick are employed. Small percentages for all top three industry groups may suggest employment for this occupation is widely distributed amongst many industry groups.

Data legend

89.2%
Health care and social assistance
7.7%
Finance and insurance
3.1%
Retail trade
0.0%
All Other Industries
Employment by Economic Regions

The following graph shows the breakdown of all persons employed in this occupation in New Brunswick by which economic region they reside in.

Data legend

21.50%
Northeast
27.70%
Southeast
24.60%
Southwest
15.40%
Central
10.80%
Northwest
Province of New Brunswick Economic Regions

Economic Regions

The following map displays New Brunswick’s five economic regions. An economic region (ER) is a grouping of counties, created as a standard unit for analysis of regional economic activity across Canada.

Annual Median Salary by Economic Regions

The following graph shows the median salary of all persons employed in this occupation in each of New Brunswick’s five economic regions.

Data legend

$66,517
Northeast
$50,128
Southeast
$59,610
Southwest
$41,621
Central
$55,171
Northwest
Province of New Brunswick Economic Regions

Economic Regions

The following map displays New Brunswick’s five economic regions. An economic region (ER) is a grouping of counties, created as a standard unit for analysis of regional economic activity across Canada.

Hourly Median Wages by Economic Regions

The following represents the median hourly wage of all persons employed in this occupation in each of New Brunswick’s five economic regions.

No Data Available
Salary

This following represents the median salary of all persons employed in this occupation compared to the median salary of workers employed in this occupation that work full-time year-round.

All Workers Employed in this Occupation

$57,598

Workers Employed Full-time, Full-year

$69,458

This following represents the median salary of persons employed in this occupation across each of the Atlantic Provinces and nationally.

New Brunswick

$57,598

Newfoundland

$71,628

Prince Edward Island

$39,662

Nova Scotia

$64,403

Canada

$62,921
Employment Outlook

The following represents the number of job openings that are expected to occur in this occupation over the next three and ten years respectively, broken down by openings expected to result from growth (“new jobs”) and openings expected to result from attrition (death and retirements).

Three Year Outlook

Total Openings: 3-Year

30
 

New Jobs: 3-Year

9
 

Retirements/Deaths: 3-Year

22
 

Ten Year Outlook

Total Openings: 10-Year

88
 

New Jobs: 10-Year

20
 

Retirements/Deaths: 10-Year

69