CA · Sacramento · Updated October 15, 2026

Occupational Therapist jobs in Sacramento, CA

Pay for occupational therapists in the Sacramento area centers on $59.57 per hour, or about $123,900 a year. The lower quarter earns under $49.50 and the upper quarter over $64.76. The CMS hospital directory lists 10 hospitals in Sacramento. That ranks 8th of 354 U.S. metro areas for occupational therapist pay, and 12th of 327 once local prices are factored in. Tell us your role and we email current openings near Sacramento.

Open Occupational Therapist roles near Sacramento

Roles in other cities of the Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom area.

More open Occupational Therapist roles in Sacramento

1 more open role from employers in Sacramento. Each employer’s range arrives with your free pay report.

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Named employers near Sacramento, what they pay and the roles open now. Free for candidates, email only.

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Who is hiring occupational therapists near Sacramento

EmployerRolesMedian pay / hour
CommonSpirit Health1$61.91
BrightSpring Health Services1$62.50

Occupational Therapist pay in Sacramento, CA

The metro median is 4% above the California statewide median of $57.44 per hour. Nationally the median is $47.28 per hour. BLS counts about 650 occupational therapists employed in the Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom metro area, 0.6 per 1,000 jobs. Employment is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole (location quotient 0.62).

LevelPer hourPer yearCompared with U.S.
Lowest 10%$45.47$94,5804% below U.S. median
Lower quartile$49.50$102,9605% above U.S. median
Median$59.57$123,90026% above U.S. median
Upper quartile$64.76$134,70037% above U.S. median
Top 10%$72.77$151,36054% above U.S. median

How Sacramento ranks

  • 8th of 354 U.S. metro areas by median hourly pay
  • 12th of 327 after adjusting for local prices
  • 8th of 22 California metro areas

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024, Occupational Therapists (SOC 29-1122), all industries. This is what employers report paying, not an offer for a specific role.

What your pay buys in Sacramento

  • Overall prices in Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom run 7% above the U.S. average (index 106.7, U.S. = 100).
  • Housing is the biggest driver: 30% above the U.S. average (index 130.2).
  • Adjusted for local prices, a $59.57 median hour buys what $55.85 buys at the national price level, 18% above the national median.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024. Prices are for the metro area, not for a single neighborhood.

Estimate your Sacramento paycheck

Estimated weekly gross$2,145
  • Per year: $107,226
  • Per month: $8,936

Gross pay before taxes and benefits, from BLS pay levels for the Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom metro area. For take-home pay use the take-home pay calculator.

Travel assignment per diem in Sacramento

ItemFederal rate
Lodging per night$150
Meals and incidentals per day$86
Per week (7 nights, 7 days)$1,652
13-week assignment$21,476

Travel occupational therapist assignments commonly pay housing and meals stipends. The GSA per diem is the federal benchmark for what those stipends can be tax-free. Whether a stipend is tax-free for you depends on keeping a valid tax home, so confirm with your recruiter and a tax professional. Compare with your offer in the travel pay calculator.

Source: U.S. General Services Administration per diem rates, fiscal year 2026 (average across months).

Hospitals in Sacramento

CMS lists 10 hospitals in Sacramento, 3 of the 6 rated ones with 4 or 5 stars. Hospitals are a major employer of occupational therapists.

HospitalTypeOwnershipCMS ratingEmergency
Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Sacramento
Sacramento, CA
Acute careNonprofit4 of 5Yes
Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento
Sacramento, CA
Acute careNonprofit4 of 5Yes
University Of California Davis Medical Center
Sacramento, CA
Acute careGovernment and federal4 of 5Yes
Mercy General Hospital
Sacramento, CA
Acute careNonprofit3 of 5Yes
Methodist Hospital Of Sacramento
Sacramento, CA
Acute careNonprofit3 of 5Yes
Kaiser Foundation Hosp So Sacramento
Sacramento, CA
Acute careNonprofit2 of 5Yes
Shriners Hospitals For Children Northern Calif
Sacramento, CA
Children'sNonprofitNot ratedNo
Bhc Sierra Vista Hospital, Inc
Sacramento, CA
PsychiatricFor-profitNot ratedNo
Heritage Oaks Hospital
Sacramento, CA
PsychiatricFor-profitNot ratedYes
Sutter Center For Psychiatry
Sacramento, CA
PsychiatricNonprofitNot ratedNo

Source: CMS Hospital General Information, public data. A directory of hospitals, not a list of our clients.

Occupational Therapist pay in nearby cities

CityDistanceMedian payPopulation
West Sacramento, CA4 mi$59.57/hr55,991
Elk Grove, CA11 mi$59.57/hr182,797
Vacaville, CA31 mi$62.42/hr103,994
Lodi, CA32 mi$56.97/hr68,642

Occupational Therapist jobs in California · Occupational Therapist jobs nationwide

License and tax basics in California

Master’s or doctoral degree in occupational therapy. Credentials are issued state by state, so confirm what California requires for your role with the California licensing board and with your recruiter before you commit to a start date.

California taxes wage income. Use your own rates in the take-home pay calculator.

California state guide

Other healthcare roles in Sacramento

Sacramento city guide: hospitals, employers and licensing

Common questions

How much do occupational therapists make in Sacramento, CA?

Occupational Therapists in the Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom metro area have a median pay of $59.57 per hour, about $123,900 a year. The middle half earn between $49.50 and $64.76 per hour (BLS, May 2024).

Is Sacramento a good place for occupational therapists once cost of living is counted?

Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom ranks 12th of 327 metro areas for occupational therapist pay after adjusting for local prices, and 8th of 354 before adjusting. Overall prices run 7% above the U.S. average.

Who is hiring occupational therapists in Sacramento?

We list 2 open roles with published pay from 2 employers in the Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom area. Your free report adds named employers and pay near Sacramento.

Do I need a California license to work in Sacramento as an occupational therapist?

Master’s or doctoral degree in occupational therapy. Credentials are issued state by state, so confirm what California requires for your role with the California licensing board and with your recruiter before you commit to a start date. Confirm with the board before you accept a role.

What is the per diem for a travel assignment in Sacramento?

The federal per diem benchmark in Sacramento is $150 a night for lodging and $86 a day for meals and incidentals, about $1,652 a week (GSA, fiscal year 2026). Your actual stipend depends on the assignment and your tax home.

Does Valorem Health place occupational therapists in Sacramento?

Yes. We place healthcare staff in Sacramento and across California. Tell us your profession and we email the roles open near Sacramento.

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What do employers near Sacramento pay occupational therapists? Get the report.

Tell us your role and city. Within 24 hours you get an email with three things, by employer name. It costs you nothing, because employers pay us.

  1. 1
    Pay for your role at other hospitals

    The hourly pay at named employers near you, so you see who pays most.

  2. 2
    What they are offering now

    The pay range and median across current postings, and how many were posted this month.

  3. 3
    Roles open for you right now

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Pay report · OT near Sacramento, CA
Valorem Health Shift ReportFrom your recruiting team · [email protected]

Your OT pay reportSacramento, CA · pay published by hospitals, collected October 15, 2026

1Pay for your role at other hospitals

  • Montage HealthMonterey, CA · 4 postings$67.73/ hr$54–$83
  • CommonSpirit HealthNORTHRIDGE, CA · 9 postings$64.73/ hr$48–$81
  • Kaweah Delta Health Care DistrictVisalia, CA · 5 postings$62.80/ hr$50–$75
  • BrightSpring Health ServicesBURBANK, CA · 7 postings$62.50/ hr$60–$65

Median posted pay per hour, with the range each employer published.

2What they are offering now

Low$50Median$62.50High$75

38 OT postings with published pay in California, 35 of them posted in the last 30 days. Month-by-month history by employer comes with your full report.

3Open now: 38 OT roles

  1. Occupational TherapistPer diem
    $52.04–$77.42/ hour
    CommonSpirit Health · Northridge, CA · posted today
  2. Occupational Therapist Home HealthPermanent
    $49.78–$74.05/ hour
    CommonSpirit Health · Rancho Cordova, CA · posted today

+ 36 more in your report. Each one has pay, shift and start date.

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