Occupational Therapist.
New Orleans.
$92,000
median salary, 6% below the national average
$75,000 to $103,000. Last updated August 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
If you are evaluating an Occupational Therapist offer in New Orleans, LA, here is the reality: $75,000 to $103,000, with $92,000 as the midpoint. 6% below the national average. Practice setting is the primary salary driver, with acute care hospitals and home health paying above outpatient and school-based roles. Do not accept the first number. These figures are Orbyt estimates, computed rather than measured, and must not be cited as Bureau of Labor Statistics figures; the published BLS wage for the occupation this role maps to is shown separately on this page.
Salary range.
Where do you fall?
Orbyt estimate for Occupational Therapist in New Orleans, modelled from national occupation wages adjusted for local cost of living. The published government benchmark for this occupation is below.
Government benchmark for this occupation
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $102,520 for Occupational Therapists (SOC 29-1122) in the New Orleans-Metairie, LA metropolitan area, based on 390 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$64,890
25th percentile
$78,770
Median
$102,520
75th percentile
$109,210
90th percentile
$124,870
Workers surveyed
390
BLS publishes wages by occupation code, not by job title, so this figure covers every role mapped to Occupational Therapists (SOC 29-1122) rather than Occupational Therapist specifically. The New Orleansrange at the top of this page is Orbyt’s role-level estimate, which is a different thing and is labelled as such.
View the BLS source for SOC 29-1122Salary by experience.
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $83,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$60,000
to $74,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$78,000
to $97,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$101,000
to $120,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$115,000
to $143,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $25,000 to the total package.
Base
$92,000
Equity
$14,000
Bonus
$9,000
Signing
$2,000
Estimated total: $117,000
How New Orleans compares.
New Orleans, LA
$92,000
Cost of living: 8% below average
National Average
$98,000
New Orleans is $6,000 below
Occupational Therapist salary by city.
Salary by role in New Orleans.
What you should know.
The Occupational Therapist landscape in New Orleans is not what most salary sites will tell you. New Orleans has a distinctive economy shaped by energy, port operations, tourism, and a growing digital media sector. The city's creative and cultural industries are unique employment drivers. Post hurricane rebuilding has created ongoing demand in construction, engineering, and resilience planning roles. Practice setting is the primary salary driver, with acute care hospitals and home health paying above outpatient and school-based roles. Hand therapy certification commands a notable premium. States with higher Medicaid reimbursement rates and metropolitan areas with greater demand also push compensation upward.
New OTs start around $68,000 to $78,000 depending on setting. Mid-career OTs with specialty certifications reach $88,000 to $100,000. OT directors or program managers in hospital systems can earn $105,000 to $125,000 with administrative and clinical oversight responsibilities. In New Orleans, cost of living sits near the national average, so the numbers you see are roughly what you keep.
Base salary is not the full picture. OTs typically receive CEU allowances, student loan assistance programs, and comprehensive health benefits. Some employers offer productivity bonuses tied to billable units, adding $3,000 to $8,000 annually for high-performing therapists. And on the tax side: louisiana's top income tax rate is 4.25%. New Orleans has no city income tax. The moderate state rate and affordable living costs yield good take home pay. When someone quotes you $92,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Highlight energy sector or resilience engineering experience. New Orleans employers pay premiums for professionals who understand the region's unique environmental and infrastructure challenges. The range for Occupational Therapists in New Orleans runs from $75,000 to $103,000. That is not a narrow window. Where you land inside it depends almost entirely on whether you negotiate and how well you prepare.
Sources: BLS OES, H-1B LCA (DOL). COL: BEA Regional Price Parities (2025). Data verified by Justin Bartak, Founder & Chief AI Officer. Last verified July 1, 2026. Full methodology
Considering a related role?
- A Physical Therapist in New Orleans earns $93,000 (1% more)
- The highest-paying role in New Orleans is CTO at $273,000
Common questions.
Occupational Therapist salary in other cities.
Other salaries in New Orleans.
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