Live OT Salary Insights WA Updated today · 8 open Washington jobs

Occupational Therapist Salary in Washington

Check the travel occupational therapist salary in Washington by city against staff pay and rent, and find out whether WA Cares and Paid Leave premiums apply to you.

Travel OT Jobs WA OT License Center OT Compact License Center
Median weekly · Occupational Therapy
$2,144
Current weekly range
$1,695–$2,408
Minimum to maximum, open contracts
Highest-paying city
Yakima
$2,408/wk highest eligible open rate

What Is the Occupational Therapist Salary in Washington?

Washington's median annual OT wage is $107,670, which is 7.3% higher than the $100,330 national median, but that statewide edge cannot tell you how a specific staff role in Spokane compares with a travel assignment near Seattle. The BLS wage survey offers a reference point. You'll need more detail for your comparison: the work hours, benefits, and cost of living near each job. Start with the annual wage, then use the current travel listings below to see the rates attached to openings you could accept.

Live weekly pay

What Is the Travel Occupational Therapist Salary in Washington?

The current Advantis Washington OT median is $2,144 per week across 8 eligible open assignments, with offers from $1,695 to $2,408. The chart shows how those openings spread across pay bands. A high rate is only useful if the schedule and pay breakdown fit, so read both for the jobs on your shortlist.

Across all open Washington contracts
<$1.8k $1.8–1.9k $1.9–2.1k $2.1–2.2k $2.2–2.3k $2.3k+
$2,144
Median weekly
$1,695–$2,408
Current range
Share of open Advantis Washington OT contracts by weekly-pay band.
See salary by specialty Physical Therapy
Travel vs. staff

Travel OT Packages vs. the Staff Occupational Therapist Salary in Washington

Use the interactive calculator to see how a Washington travel offer compares with the staff wage benchmark over the same period of work. The result is a starting point for your budget: if you'll keep a home elsewhere while renting near a Seattle or Tacoma assignment, include both housing bills when weighing the gap between travel and staff pay. Then compare paid leave and health coverage. A higher gross figure won't tell you which offer leaves more room once those costs are included.

Weekly difference

Select a state to compare the travel weekly rate with the weekly equivalent of the median staff Occupational Therapist wage and see current contracts in that state.

Travel Occupational Therapist weekly rate
$2,144/wk
Travel pay is structured differently. For eligible travelers, housing and meal stipends may not be treated as taxable wages. Depending on the package and individual tax circumstances, a lower gross amount could still result in higher take-home pay.

Open contracts in

Live weekly rates for Occupational Therapy assignments currently accepting interest.

See all jobs in

The staff weekly figure is calculated by dividing the selected state's BLS OEWS May 2025 median annual wage for Occupational Therapists by 52. It is a weekly equivalent for comparison, not an observed or guaranteed weekly staff paycheck. Travel figures use the selected gross weekly rate.

This is a gross-pay comparison only. Travel and staff compensation are structured differently. It does not include taxes, employer-paid benefits, overtime, shift differentials, bonuses, housing or travel expenses, paid or unpaid time off, or time between assignments. Results are for general comparison only and are not job offers, guaranteed earnings, or take-home-pay calculations.

Pay by city

Washington Cities With the Highest Open Travel OT Rates

To build this list, we take each Washington city's top eligible weekly rate from open Advantis jobs, so a city can lead on the strength of one opening even if that job's hours or setting do not fit what you need. It is not a local wage average.

Yakima $2,408
Moses Lake $2,240
Walla Walla $2,187
Seattle $2,100
Spokane $2,099
Housing is the next useful comparison. A travel occupational therapy salary in Washington can stretch differently in Seattle, Tacoma, or Spokane, even when the posted rates match. Start with the work address and a rental available for your full assignment, then compare utilities, parking, and travel time for your scheduled shifts.
After costs

OT Salary in Washington After Rent and Payroll Deductions

Washington has no state individual income tax on wages, but that does not remove every deduction from your paycheck. Paid Family and Medical Leave and WA Cares are separate programs that may carry employee premiums. Your coverage and any approved exemptions affect what payroll withholds. Federal taxes and any home-state obligations also need review. Keep those deductions separate from housing costs when you compare offers, so the absence of a state wage tax does not hide another expense.

HUD's two-bedroom Fair Market Rents are $2,501 for Seattle-Bellevue, $1,971 for Tacoma, and $1,531 for Spokane. The gap from Seattle-Bellevue to Spokane is $970 a month, about $224 a week, among these three areas. These are standard rental benchmarks, not furnished short-term quotes. Price a place you can book for the full assignment. The statewide benchmark below helps compare states; it cannot replace that local search. BEA's price index is 107.0 with the U.S. at 100. Subtracting its price premium from the wage premium will not show what is left to spend.

0%
Washington individual income tax on wages
Washington Department of Revenue. Federal and any applicable home-state taxes are separate.
$2,011 /mo
Washington two-bedroom comparison benchmark
Advantis benchmark built from HUD FY2026 Fair Market Rent areas; not an official statewide HUD rent or a furnished-rental quote.
8
Open OT jobs in Washington
Live eligible Advantis contract count; updates as assignments open and close.
$970 /mo
Gap among three areas compared
Seattle-Bellevue minus Spokane, the highest and lowest of the three HUD FY2026 two-bedroom rents shown.
Demand outlook

Washington OT Workforce and National Job Outlook

BLS Washington workforce data count OTs across the state, including staff roles; they do not count travel vacancies. The BLS outlook for OTs estimates U.S. openings from new jobs and workers who leave the occupation. That national figure is useful context, though it does not forecast openings in Seattle, Tacoma, or Spokane. Workforce figures do not determine current contract pay. The cards describe the profession at two different scales; neither is a count of assignments you could start next month. For that decision, return to the live listings and compare their settings, start dates, and weekly rates. A role suited to your recent clinical work deserves a closer look even when its city does not lead the pay ranking.

License planning

Washington OT Licensing at a Glance

Washington occupational therapist salary guide

A Washington OT license, or a state-issued permit you qualify for, has to be in hand before your first shift. New applicants pay a $150 application and initial license fee plus a separate $16 HEAL-WA surcharge, and every new OT license requires an FBI fingerprint check; DOH sends the instructions after you apply. DOH publishes no routine OT approval timeframe, so don't treat its general processing guidance as a start date, and confirm the credential has issued before you book housing. A first license expires on your birthday, which a 13-week contract can straddle. Washington has joined the OT Compact, but privileges aren't being issued here yet. For application routes and interstate practice, see the OT License Center and OT Compact License Center.

Not yet Washington is an OT Compact member Privileges aren't being issued here yet; you need Washington licensure or a qualifying permit before the first shift.
$150 OT application and initial license Board fee; a separate $16 HEAL-WA surcharge also applies.
Birthday First-license expiry Expires on your birthday; issued within 90 days of it, it runs to the next one.

Planning information, not legal or licensure advice. Confirm current requirements with the Washington State Department of Health.

Wages and stipends

Washington Travel OT Wages, Stipends, and Benefits

A Washington offer should separate wages from housing and meal stipends, and the word stipend doesn't make a payment tax-free; that depends on your tax home. Before accepting an extension, check how the added weeks affect your housing plan and your stipend eligibility.

Taxed May be tax-free

Washington has no individual income tax on wages, but Paid Leave and WA Cares premiums may still affect pay, along with federal and any applicable home-state taxes.

How to qualify for tax-free stipends

Stipend eligibility generally depends on three conditions, and documenting them is the traveler’s responsibility, not the agency’s.

You keep a tax home
A permanent residence you actually pay for and return to between assignments.
You’re paying twice
Covering a place back home and a place near the assignment at the same time.
The work is temporary
Generally expected to last a year or less. Assignments expected to run longer, or that stretch on in one area, are typically treated as indefinite.

When these conditions are not met, stipends are generally treated as taxable wages, so the same gross contract amount can leave less after taxes. Individual outcomes depend on facts and circumstances. Read more in our guide to how a tax home works.

Estimate only, to show the shape of the difference. It assumes a 22% federal bracket plus 7.65% in payroll tax on the wage portion; state income tax may change the result. Example figures for illustration, not offers. Many agencies align stipend amounts with U.S. General Services Administration per-diem rates for the assignment locality. Whether any stipend is excluded from your taxable income depends on your own circumstances. General information only, not tax advice.

Live openings

Highest-Paying Open Travel OT Jobs in Washington

You'll find the current weekly rates in the Washington OT listings below, but a useful shortlist also accounts for the setting where you want to work, your available dates, and housing you could book near each assignment. Those details narrow the choice. Review the pay mix with your recruiter once a role fits.

Occupational Therapy · Yakima, WA
Days · 13 wks
 View →
Occupational Therapy · Moses Lake, WA
Evenings · 13 wks
 View →
Occupational Therapy · Walla Walla, WA
Evenings · 13 wks
 View →
Occupational Therapy · Walla Walla, WA
Days · 13 wks
 View →
Offer details

What Affects a Travel Occupational Therapist Salary in Washington?

The weekly rate becomes more useful when you know what a Washington assignment expects you to do. Start with the workday: in a home health role, find out how visits, driving, and charting fit into the paid schedule, and what happens when a patient cancels. In a facility role, review caseload and productivity expectations. Two jobs may quote similar weekly pay while asking for different amounts of work, so compare the written terms before treating the rates as equal value.

Your timing matters too. If a Washington job starts after your current contract ends, allow for the unpaid gap and any housing overlap. An extension may change your lease needs or run beyond your license's end date. Check both before you agree. Recent experience can help you qualify for a role, but the posting alone doesn't establish why that employer set its rate. Your recruiter can clarify the requirements and the complete offer.

Good to know

Washington Travel OT Salary FAQs

What is the current travel occupational therapist salary in Washington?
The median across eligible open Advantis contracts in Washington is $2,144 a week. It's recalculated as assignments post and fill, so it describes today's job set rather than any single offer. For the staff benchmark, Washington's BLS median is $107,670 a year; divide that by 52 to set it against a weekly rate.
What is the occupational therapist salary in Seattle?
BLS reports a $109,860 median for OTs in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue metro. That is about $2,200 above the occupational therapist salary in Washington statewide, and roughly 2,020 OTs work across the area. One caution: HUD prices Seattle-Bellevue and Tacoma as separate rent areas, $2,501 and $1,971 for a two-bedroom. The metro median says little about what a Tacoma contract costs to live on.
Can an out-of-state travel OT avoid the WA Cares and Paid Leave premiums in Washington?
Yes, if you file for it. WA Cares premiums apply unless you hold an approved exemption; out-of-state residents can apply, and withholding stops once your employer has the approval letter. Paid Leave premiums can be waived for workers based outside Washington who expect fewer than 820 Washington hours in a qualifying period, which a 13-week contract sits well under.
Can my first Washington OT license expire during a travel assignment?
Yes. A first Washington OT license expires on your birthday, and if it was issued within 90 days of that birthday it runs to the following one. After the first cycle you renew every two years on your birthday. Read the expiration date on the license before signing an extension, because a 13-week contract can straddle it.
Does Washington's OT Compact membership let me start with another state's license?
No, not yet. Washington has joined the OT Compact but isn't issuing privileges, so there's no privilege to buy and another state's license alone doesn't authorize work here. You need a Washington license or a state-issued permit you qualify for before the first shift, and new applicants complete an FBI fingerprint check with instructions DOH sends after you apply.
Your next role

Find a Washington OT Assignment That Fits Your Pay Goals

Compare the current openings with your salary and housing plan, then bring your shortlist to an Advantis recruiter. We can help you review the pay package and the steps needed to start.

Search Travel OT Jobs in Washington
Keep exploring

Continue your search with OT salary guides, licensing resources, and jobs in the states you are considering.