How to become an occupational therapist
Official title: Occupational therapist
Also called: Ergotherapist, Principal Occupational Therapist (Clinical), Principal Occupational Therapy Manager, Principal Occupational Therapy Researcher, Senior Occupational Therapist, Senior Principal Occupational Therapist (Clinical), Senior Principal Occupational Therapy Manager, Senior Principal Occupational Therapy Researcher, Ergotherapist
Occupational therapist helps people of all ages to improve their ability to perform tasks in their daily living and working environments. He/she works with individuals who have conditions that are physically, developmentally, socially or emotionally disabling. He/she also helps them to develop, recover, or maintain daily living and work skills. He/she helps clients not only to improve their basic motor functions and reasoning abilities, but also to compensate for permanent loss of function.
Main tasks
- Assessing patients or clients to determine the nature of the disorder, illness or problem by questioning, examining and observing
- Developing and implementing treatment plans and evaluating and documenting patients’ progress through treatment plans
- Assessing functional limitations of people resulting from illnesses and disabilities, and providing therapy to enable people to perform their daily activities and occupations
- Assessing clients’ emotional, psychological, developmental and physical capabilities using clinical observations and standardised tests
- Assessing clients’ functional potential in their home, leisure, work and school environments and recommending environmental adaptations to maximise their performance
- Planning and directing programmes through the use of vocational, remedial, social, artistic and educational activities on an individual and group basis
How to become one
Occupational therapists are required to register with the Allied Health Professions Council (AHPC) or its equivalent in order to practise in Singapore.
Ways in
- University: Allied Health degrees, Offered by 1 universities in Singapore
- Licence or registration: Five professions are regulated: physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech-language therapists, diagnostic radiographers and radiation therapists. They must be registered with the Allied Health Professions Council and hold a practising certificate. Law: Allied Health Professions Act 2011. Regulator: Allied Health Professions Council (AHPC) (https://www.ahpc.gov.sg).
Pay · Outlook · AI and this job
- Median pay: $59,196 a year. The middle half earn $49,020 to $77,856 a year.
- Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.
Related jobs
- General dental practitioner
- Specialised dentist
- Pharmacist (patient care)
- Occupational health and safety professional
- Environmental officer (public health)
- Physiotherapist
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Questions people ask
How do I become an occupational therapist?
Occupational therapists are required to register with the Allied Health Professions Council (AHPC) or its equivalent in order to practise in Singapore.
How much does an occupational therapist earn in Singapore?
Median full-time pay is $59,196 a year (Ministry of Manpower (via data.gov.sg)). The middle half earn $49,020 to $77,856.
Will AI change the work of an occupational therapist?
Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.
Sources
- Ministry of Manpower (via data.gov.sg): Resident Occupational Wages (Occupational Wage Survey) (June 2024 (data.gov.sg update 2026-04-01)), Singapore Open Data Licence v1.0, retrieved 4 October 2026
- Singapore Department of Statistics (Ministry of Health data): Registered Health Personnel (End Of Period), Annual (M870011) (SingStat Table Builder M870011), Singapore Open Data Licence, retrieved 4 October 2026
- Singapore Department of Statistics (SingStat): Singapore Standard Occupational Classification (SSOC) 2024 (SSOC 2024 (definitions and index updated 2026-06-24)), Singapore Open Data Licence, retrieved 4 October 2026
- International Labour Organization, Generative AI and Jobs: A Refined Global Index of Occupational Exposure (ILO Working Paper 140, Gmyrek et al.) (ILO Working Paper 140, May 2025, Annex Table A1), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 4 October 2026
Updated 4 October 2026