Insights / Hardest metros by occupation / California
10 metros where Occupational Therapists are hardest to fill
San Francisco is the metro California should staff first for occupational therapists in California.
San Francisco still scores 8.1 for occupational therapists, so California should open that req first.
San Francisco's 0.63 share means about a third fewer California occupational therapists than a typical metro.
Las Vegas closes the occupational therapist slate at 7.3, and California should not call that metro light.
Each metro
1San Francisco, CA
- Score
- 8.1
- Band
- Hard
- Location quotient
- 0.63
- Jobs per 1,000
- 0.657
- Metro median
- $136,770
- Pay ratio
- 1.36
2San Jose, CA
- Score
- 8.1
- Band
- Hard
- Location quotient
- 0.71
- Jobs per 1,000
- 0.743
- Metro median
- $136,870
- Pay ratio
- 1.36
3Sacramento, CA
- Score
- 7.8
- Band
- Hard
- Location quotient
- 0.72
- Jobs per 1,000
- 0.748
- Metro median
- $122,780
- Pay ratio
- 1.22
4Los Angeles, CA
- Score
- 7.8
- Band
- Hard
- Location quotient
- 0.76
- Jobs per 1,000
- 0.789
- Metro median
- $122,040
- Pay ratio
- 1.22
5Riverside, CA
- Score
- 7.8
- Band
- Hard
- Location quotient
- 0.62
- Jobs per 1,000
- 0.648
- Metro median
- $119,530
- Pay ratio
- 1.19
6Portland, OR
- Score
- 7.5
- Band
- Hard
- Location quotient
- 0.58
- Jobs per 1,000
- 0.604
- Metro median
- $112,100
- Pay ratio
- 1.12
7San Diego, CA
- Score
- 7.5
- Band
- Hard
- Location quotient
- 1.01
- Jobs per 1,000
- 1.056
- Metro median
- $121,680
- Pay ratio
- 1.21
8Austin, TX
- Score
- 7.4
- Band
- Hard
- Location quotient
- 1.18
- Jobs per 1,000
- 1.235
- Metro median
- $122,050
- Pay ratio
- 1.22
9Atlanta, GA
- Score
- 7.4
- Band
- Hard
- Location quotient
- 0.70
- Jobs per 1,000
- 0.734
- Metro median
- $106,160
- Pay ratio
- 1.06
10Las Vegas, NV
- Score
- 7.3
- Band
- Hard
- Location quotient
- 0.72
- Jobs per 1,000
- 0.757
- Metro median
- $110,520
- Pay ratio
- 1.10
Ranked table
Swipe the table sideways. The same figures are in the blocks above.
| Rank | Metro | Score | Band | Location quotient | Jobs per 1,000 | Metro median | Pay ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | 8.1 | Hard | 0.63 | 0.657 | $136,770 | 1.36 |
| 2 | San Jose, CA | 8.1 | Hard | 0.71 | 0.743 | $136,870 | 1.36 |
| 3 | Sacramento, CA | 7.8 | Hard | 0.72 | 0.748 | $122,780 | 1.22 |
| 4 | Los Angeles, CA | 7.8 | Hard | 0.76 | 0.789 | $122,040 | 1.22 |
| 5 | Riverside, CA | 7.8 | Hard | 0.62 | 0.648 | $119,530 | 1.19 |
| 6 | Portland, OR | 7.5 | Hard | 0.58 | 0.604 | $112,100 | 1.12 |
| 7 | San Diego, CA | 7.5 | Hard | 1.01 | 1.056 | $121,680 | 1.21 |
| 8 | Austin, TX | 7.4 | Hard | 1.18 | 1.235 | $122,050 | 1.22 |
| 9 | Atlanta, GA | 7.4 | Hard | 0.70 | 0.734 | $106,160 | 1.06 |
| 10 | Las Vegas, NV | 7.3 | Hard | 0.72 | 0.757 | $110,520 | 1.10 |
Takeaways
- San Francisco pays about $136.8K for occupational therapists in that California metro.
- San Francisco occupational therapist pay is 36% above the national median for California.
- Las Vegas occupational therapists earn about $110.5K, which California should not dismiss as soft.
- Las Vegas at 0.72 shows about a fifth fewer Las Vegas occupational therapists than usual metros.
For recruiters
- Staff San Francisco occupational therapists before California spends weeks on an easier looking metro.
- Ask Las Vegas candidates what they earn before California treats that metro as the soft close.
- Underline the California wage in the Hiring Pack.
FAQ
- Are these posted wages or open jobs?
- No. The table is a government survey or a designation file.
- What should a recruiter do first?
- Follow the recruiter note on this page.
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
Related hiring pages
Methodology
Rows are the scored metro pages for Occupational Therapists (29-1122) with the highest public market difficulty score, up to 10. Metros under 500 workers are not scored. A metro page is scored only when OEWS employment for that occupation is at least 500. Below that, the page stays up and is left off this ranking. Postsecondary teaching occupations and medical scientists are left off even when they are scored. Nominal weights, before a missing shortage match is rescaled, are projected openings divided by 2025 employment 18%, projected growth 22%, the metro median divided by the U.S. median 40%, how common the occupation is locally compared with the country 8% (the location-quotient column; a lower figure means a thinner local bench), a matching HRSA shortage designation 8%, and statewide all-industry JOLTS for December 2025 4%. Bands are Standard under 4, Elevated from 4 up to 7, and Hard at 7 and above. The California total-nonfarm job openings rate for December 2025 is 3.6. The U.S. rate is 4.0. Both are all-industry JOLTS rates. The article is tagged to California because that state holds the leading metro, so the publishing calendar does not stack it with another California article the same day. Rounded figures in the prose: $136,770 is stated as about $136.8K. a comparison of 1.36 is stated as 36 percent. $100,330 is stated as about $100.3K. Rounded figures in the prose: $110,520 is stated as about $110.5K.
Sources
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics · May 2025
- BLS Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, total nonfarm · December 2025
Run this opening as a Hiring Pack
The figures above are public statistics. A Hiring Pack starts from the role and the city on the req. One pack is $24.00. Starter is $149 a month for 30 packs and 3 users, Team is $299 for 100 packs and 10 users, and Pro is $699 for 300 packs and 25 users. Annual billing is 20% off, so those monthly prices are $119, $239, and $559. Enterprise is self-serve at $1,499, $2,499, and $3,999 a month.
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