Jobs · Occupational therapist

Will AI replace occupational therapists?

Part of the work, not the whole job. AI could take on about 25% of the working time in a typical occupational therapist job today. The other 75% still needs a person.

16 responsibilities · a typical occupational therapist job

75% of the work still needs a person.

Still needs a person: 75% of the timeAI could take on: 25%

Evidence range: 16 to 25%. It runs between what has been measured or rated for each responsibility and our figure, which also follows industry-wide research.

Median pay $100,330 a year in the U.S. (BLS, May 2025).

Still needs a person

  • Run therapy programs with patients
  • Choose activities that build daily skills
  • Lead skill-building social activities
  • Test abilities and set rehab goals
  • Set up and clean therapy materials
  • Train caregivers on home care

AI can do or help with

  • Keep patient records up to date AI helps
  • Write progress reports on patients AI helps
  • Coordinate care with the treatment team AI helps
  • Build thinking skills using computer programs AI helps
  • Run health and wellness programs AI helps
  • Advise on workplace health risks AI helps

The biggest responsibilities of each kind. "AI helps" means AI takes on part of the work, or most of it with a person checking what it produces. See all 16, with the reason for each and the cost of handing them to AI.

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Questions people ask

Will AI replace occupational therapists?

Part of the work, not the whole job. AI could take on about 25% of the working time in a typical occupational therapist job today. The other 75% still needs a person. That is a split of the work, not a forecast of jobs lost.

Which parts of the job can AI do?

The biggest ones AI can do or help with: keep patient records up to date, write progress reports on patients, coordinate care with the treatment team, build thinking skills using computer programs, run health and wellness programs, advise on workplace health risks.

Which parts still need a person?

The biggest ones: run therapy programs with patients, choose activities that build daily skills, lead skill-building social activities, test abilities and set rehab goals, set up and clean therapy materials, train caregivers on home care.

How is this measured?

The U.S. Department of Labor lists 17 responsibilities for this job (O*NET 31.0), and the split covers the 16 people in it do today. Each is scored on 4 questions: can AI do it, does it get it right, must a person sign for it, and do people need to deal with a real person. The split is weighted by how much of the job each responsibility takes up. The evidence range is 16 to 25%. It runs between what has been measured or rated for each responsibility and our figure, which also follows industry-wide research. Scores version 0.5.2, updated September 30, 2026.

Responsibilities from O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor). Pay from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025. Scores are calibrated to published research and updated every month. How it works.

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