Office of Rural Health & Primary Care
Health Workforce Analysis Program
Occupational Therapists: Minnesota Demographics 2005
Minnesota’s occupational therapists workforce is relatively young and predominately female.
The Health Occupations Program (HOP) of the Minnesota Department of Health reported 2,605
actively licensed occupational therapists as of October 27, 2005. The Office of Rural Health and
Primary Care analyzed the HOP data on residence, workplace, gender and age.
The HOP data includes 2,410 with Minnesota mailing addresses. For most, it is believed that the
mailing address corresponds to residence. Of the 195 with mailing addresses outside Minnesota, 151
have Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota or Wisconsin addresses.
Age and Gender
ƒ
ƒ
The median age for all licensed occupational therapists is 40. One-third are under age 35, while
11 percent are 55 or older.
Females account for 95 percent of all licensees. Nonmetropolitan area therapists are somewhat
less likely to be female, compared to the seven metropolitan area counties.
AGE
< 25
25-34
35-44
45-54
55-64
65+
Total
Median age
N
36
837
707
719
250
32
2,581
40
%
1.4%
32.4%
27.4%
27.9%
9.7%
1.2%
100.0%
Includes all licensees for whom a birth date is available, regardless of mailing address.
ƒ
Twin Cities area therapists are somewhat less likely to be female, compared to the
80 nonmetropolitan counties.
GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION
7-county metropolitan area
80-county nonmetropolitan area
Statewide total
% MALE
4.0%
7.8%
5.2%
% FEMALE
96.0%
92.2%
94.8%
N
1,581
809
2,390
Geographic location based on mailing address; excludes addresses outside Minnesota.
P.O. Box 64882
St. Paul, MN 55164-0882
(651) 201-3838
http://www.health.state.mn.us
November 2005
Minnesota Demographics: Occupational Therapists
page 2
Geography
The HOP data also includes a licensee-reported employment address. The data reported here is based
on city and county reported for each licensee.
ƒ
ƒ
ƒ
Of those with Minnesota mailing addresses, 66 are in the seven-county Twin Cities area
(Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott and Washington counties).
Eighty occupational therapists, or nearly half of those with a non-Minnesota mailing address,
reported a Minnesota employment location. Of these, about 40 percent reported a metropolitan
area employment location and 60 percent a nonmetropolitan location.
A similar number reported a Minnesota mailing address, but an employment location
outside Minnesota.
Employment Location
Mailing
Address
Seven county
metropolitan
NonMetropolitan
Minnesota
subtotal
NonMinnesota
TOTAL
Seven
county
metro
Minnesota
NonNonmetro subtotal Minnesota TOTAL
1,420
39
1,459
53
1,512
75
688
763
27
790
1,495
727
2,222
80
2,302
34
52
86
98
184
1,529
779
2,308
178
2,486
Excludes licensees who reported being unemployed.
ƒ
Of those reporting an employment location in Minnesota, 66 percent worked in the Twin Cities
seven-county area.
N
Sevencounty
metro
Nonmetro
Mailing address
2,222
65.7%
34.3%
Employment Location
2,308
66.2%
33.8%
Minnesota Demographics: Occupational Therapists
page 3
Work Settings
ƒ
ƒ
Occupational therapists employed in Minnesota most commonly work in hospitals and long
term care facilities.
Nonmetropolitan area therapists are more likely than metropolitan area therapists to work in
long term care facilities or home care.
WORK
SETTING
Hospital
Long-term care facility
Clinic
School
Home care
Community-based care
Academic
Other
Total sites reported
Licensees included
in data
7-county
metropolitan
504
333
295
262
144
121
47
126
1,832
80-county
nonmetropolitan
300
345
167
166
163
49
25
57
1,272
State
total
804
678
462
428
307
170
72
183
3,104
1,529
779
2,486
Many licensees report more than one work setting, especially in nonmetropolitan areas. Includes only
those with a Minnesota employment location. Licensees who said they were unemployed are excluded.