SalariesByCity
Occupational Therapist · Salary Comparison · BLS OEWS May 2025

Occupational Therapist Salary: Indianapolis, IN vs New York, NY

Side-by-side comparison of wages and local price levels for Occupational Therapists in Indianapolis, IN and New York, NY, based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data and BEA regional price parities for 2024.

1Which City Pays More?

Higher Median Wage
✓ New York, NY
$100,080 vs $101,460
Higher at National-Average Prices
✓ Indianapolis, IN
$104,581 vs $90,136
2

Detailed Comparison

MetricIndianapolis, INNew York, NYDiff
Median Annual Salary$100,080$101,460▲-$1,380
25th Percentile$84,040$84,130▲-$90
75th Percentile$105,730$127,030▲-$21,300
90th Percentile$124,680$144,090▲-$19,410
Price Level (BEA 2024, US = 100)95.7112.6-16.9
Median at National-Average Prices$104,581▲$90,136+$14,445
Total Employment1,66011,640-9,980
▲ = Higher value wins for this metric. Diff = Indianapolis, IN minus New York, NY.

3Summary Analysis

On paper, New York, NY pays $1,380 more (median: $100,080 vs $101,460). BEA's regional price parity is 95.7 in Indianapolis, IN and 112.6 in New York, NY (United States = 100). At national-average prices the medians are $104,581 and $90,136, so Indianapolis, IN comes out ahead once local prices are counted.

5Reading This Comparison

The $1,380 gap between the two medians is a gap in dollars, not in what those dollars buy. Dividing each median by its area's regional price parity restates it at national-average prices: $104,581 for Indianapolis and $90,136 for New York, a difference of $14,445.

The price levels come from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, which describes them this way: “Regional price parities (RPPs) measure the differences in price levels across states and metropolitan areas for a given year and are expressed as a percentage of the overall national price level.” The figures used here are the all-items index for each whole metropolitan area (Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN; New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ) and cover prices only, not taxes.

BLS estimates 1,660 Occupational Therapist jobs in the Indianapolis area and 11,640 in the New York area. For broader context, see our Indiana overview and the full Occupational Therapist city ranking.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Occupational Therapist salary higher in Indianapolis, IN or New York, NY?

New York, NY has the higher median wage for Occupational Therapists ($101,460 per year, against $100,080 in Indianapolis, IN; BLS OEWS May 2025). Restated at national-average prices using BEA regional price parities, the medians are $104,581 in Indianapolis, IN and $90,136 in New York, NY.

How do prices compare between Indianapolis, IN and New York, NY?

The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis puts the 2024 regional price parity at 95.7 for the Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN metropolitan area and 112.6 for the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metropolitan area, where the United States is 100. That is 4.3% below the national level for Indianapolis, IN and 12.6% above the national level for New York, NY.

Which city pays Occupational Therapists more once local prices are counted?

Indianapolis, IN: at national-average prices its median Occupational Therapist wage is $104,581, against $90,136 for New York, NY. The adjustment divides each median by the area's BEA regional price parity and covers prices only, not taxes.

Wages and employment: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025. Price levels: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, regional price parities (all items) for 2024, tables last updated February 19, 2026.