Occupational therapy schools in New York offer bachelors, masters, associates, and dual degree programs that are essential to be in this profession. These schools are approved by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE). Post-graduation degree in occupational therapy is also offered to the candidates having degree in some other stream. Employment opportunities for occupational therapists are expected to increase much faster than average as there is a huge requirement of these professionals in the United States to treat physically, emotionally or mentally challenged people. Due to this, it has become one of the most sought after jobs of nursing aspirants. You will have to submit an application, 2 letters of reference, and all other official transcripts to get enrolled in the occupational therapist program. As per the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) (as of May 2017), with an employment of 9080, New York stood second in the list of states with the highest employment level for OTs. The mean annual and hourly wages for these professionals in New York was $87,260 and $41.95, respectively as on May 2017.
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Approved Occupational Therapy Schools in New York
- Columbia University
Address – 116th Street and Broadway, New York, NY 10027
- Dominican College
Address – 470 Western Highway, Orangeburg, NY 10962
- D’Youville College
Address – 320 Porter Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14201
- Ithaca College
Address – 953 Danby Road, Ithaca, NY 14850
- Keuka College
Address – 141 Central Avenue, Keuka Park, NY 14478
- Long Island University, Brooklyn Campus
Address – 1 University Plaza, Brooklyn, New York 11201
- Mercy College
Address – 555 Broadway, Dobbs Ferry, NY 10522
- New York Institute of Technology
Address – Northern Boulevard, P.O. Box 8000, Old Westbury, NY 11568-8000
- Nazareth College
Address – 4245 East Avenue, Rochester, NY 14618
- New York University
Address – 70 Washington Square South, New York, NY 10012
- Sage College of Albany
Address – 65 1st Street, Troy, NY 12180
- Suny Downstate Medical Center
Address – 450 Clarkson Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11203
- Stony Brook University
Address – Stony Brook, NY 11794
- Touro College
Address – 500 7th Avenue, New York, NY 10018
- Touro College- Manhattan
Address– 27 West 23rd Street (b/w 5th & 6th Ave), New York, New York 10010
Contact No. – 631-665-1600
Official Website– https://www.touro.edu
- University at Buffalo
Address – 12 Capen Hall, Buffalo, New York 14260-1660
- Utica College
Address – 1600 Burrstone Road, Utica, NY 13502
- York College
Address – 94-20 Guy R. Brewer Boulevard, Jamaica, NY 11451
Stepwise Procedure to Become an Occupational Therapist in New York
To work as an OT in New York, aspirants need to have a license. In all the states of America, most of the prerequisites needed to get the licensure of an occupational therapist are almost same, but some requirements may differ from state to state. Here is the stepwise procedure to obtain an OT certificate in New York.
Step 1 – Obtain a Degree in Occupational Therapy
The first step is to complete the graduation from an accredited institute, school or college approved by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE). You have 3 options- bachelor’s, master’s and associate’s degree. You can pursue any degree course of your choice.
Step 2 – Pursue an Internship
The next step is to complete the internship. Candidates have to do this internship for at least 6 months under the supervision of a licensed occupational therapy expert.
Step 3 – Clear the National Certification Exam
The National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy conducts Occupational Therapist Registered (OTR) exam for the applicants. Candidates need to pass this exam in order to get the license from the board.
Step 4 – Application for New York State License
For the licensure in New York, candidates must submit a signed and completely filled application to the board. Pay the licensing fee through check or money order and provide the transcripts from all the colleges where they studied. Request NBCOT to provide verification of certification or the exam score reports to the board. Also, if you have practised in some other states, you need to submit the verification of licensure in those places. After submitting all the required documents, one has to wait for a few weeks or months for the board to give the license.
Step 5 – Maintain the Licensure
The licensure period of an occupational therapist is of about 3 years and in order to renew the license, one has to complete minimum 36 continuing competency hours.
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Salary of Occupational Therapists in New York
According to the BLS, the average annual and hourly income of these professionals in NY, in May 2017, was $87,260 and $41.95, respectively.
As per indeed.com, the average annual salary of an OT in NY was $98,384 (as of September 5, 2018).
Average Salary of Professionals with Similar Titles
| OT Occupational Therapist | $140,000 |
| Occupational Therapist Occupational Therapy | $118,000 |
| Occupational Therapist Home Health | $129,000 |
| Occupational Therapist Pediatric | $118,000 |
| Occupational Therapist Rotation | $70,000 |
| Occupational Therapist Psych | $118,000 |
| Occupational Therapist Hand | $126,000 |
| Occupational Therapist Skilled | $118,000 |
| Occupational Therapist School | $117,000 |
| Occupational Therapist Acute | $118,000 |
| Occupational Therapist Rehab | $118,000 |
| Occupational Therapist Pediatric Outpatient | $118,000 |
| OT Occupational Therapist Therapy | $138,000 |
| Occupational Therapist Outpatient | $118,000 |
| Outpatient Occupational Therapist | $130,000 |
Information Source: indeed.com (as of March 28, 2016)
As per the statistics of indeed.com, most of the OTs made $118,000 per annum. Occupational Therapist Rotation made an annual income of $70,000 while OT Occupational Therapist earned $140,000 per year.
Annual Median Salaries of OTs in Different Cities of New York
| Name of the City | Annual Median Salary |
| Albany | $87,299 |
| Binghamton | $82,303 |
| Brentwood | $92,287 |
| Bronx | $103,328 |
| Brooklyn | $103,328 |
| Buffalo | $81,665 |
| Clay | $84,541 |
| Hempstead | $92,346 |
| Henrietta | $84,738 |
| Huntington | $97,402 |
| Jamestown | $80,451 |
| Levittown | $92,346 |
| Mount Vernon | $98,390 |
| Nassau | $92,346 |
| New Rochelle | $97,561 |
| New York | $103,328 |
| Niagara Falls | $81,494 |
| Poughkeepsie | $91,971 |
| Queens Village | $101,620 |
| Rochester | $84,738 |
| Schenectady | $86,448 |
| Staten Island | $95,813 |
| Syracuse | $84,541 |
| Troy | $86,796 |
| Utica | $81,774 |
| White Plains | $98,412 |
| Yonkers | $98,432 |
Information Source – salary.com (as of September 1, 2018)
The top paying cities according to salary.com (in September 2018) were Bronx ($103,328), Brooklyn ($103,328), Mount Vernon ($98,390), New Rochelle ($97,561), New York ($103,328), Queens Village ($101,620), Staten Island ($95,813), White Plains ($98,412), and Yonkers ($98,432). The cities that paid minimum salaries were Binghamton ($82,303), Buffalo ($81,665), Niagara Falls ($81,494), Rochester ($84,738), Schenectady ($86,448), Syracuse ($84,541), Troy ($86,796), and Utica (81,774).
