Occupational Therapist.
Albuquerque.
$90,000
median salary, 8% below the national average
$73,000 to $101,000. Last updated August 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
The median Occupational Therapist salary in Albuquerque is $90,000, 8% below the national average. Entry level starts near $73,000. Experienced professionals push past $101,000. Albuquerque's economy is driven by Sandia and Los Alamos National Laboratories, Kirtland Air Force Base, and a growing film production industry. That spread is your negotiation window. 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 Albuquerque, 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 $99,170 for Occupational Therapists (SOC 29-1122) in the Albuquerque, NM metropolitan area, based on 550 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$74,150
25th percentile
$86,930
Median
$99,170
75th percentile
$120,360
90th percentile
$133,050
Workers surveyed
550
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 Albuquerque range 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 $81,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$59,000
to $72,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$77,000
to $95,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$99,000
to $117,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$113,000
to $140,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $25,000 to the total package.
Base
$90,000
Equity
$14,000
Bonus
$9,000
Signing
$2,000
Estimated total: $115,000
How Albuquerque compares.
Albuquerque, NM
$90,000
Cost of living: 12% below average
National Average
$98,000
Albuquerque is $8,000 below
Occupational Therapist salary by city.
Salary by role in Albuquerque.
What you should know.
If you are interviewing for Occupational Therapist roles in Albuquerque, here is what you are walking into. Albuquerque's economy is driven by Sandia and Los Alamos National Laboratories, Kirtland Air Force Base, and a growing film production industry. The city offers affordable living and a strong pipeline of research and engineering jobs tied to national defense and energy programs. 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 Albuquerque, your dollars stretch further. Cost of living runs 12% below the national average, which means even a median salary buys a stronger lifestyle.
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: new Mexico's top income tax rate is 5.9%. Albuquerque has no city income tax. The moderate state rate and affordable housing create reasonable net compensation. When someone quotes you $90,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Highlight security clearance or national lab experience. Sandia and Los Alamos pay nationally competitive salaries with excellent federal benefits packages. The range for Occupational Therapists in Albuquerque runs from $73,000 to $101,000. 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 Biomedical Engineer in Albuquerque earns $91,000 (1% more)
- The highest-paying role in Albuquerque is CTO at $267,000
Common questions.
Occupational Therapist salary in other cities.
Other salaries in Albuquerque.
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Cite this data
Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.
"Occupational Therapist Salary in Albuquerque, NM." Orbyt Salary Explorer, August 2026. https://www.orbytlabs.ai/orbyt-jobs/salaries/occupational-therapist/albuquerque
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