All About Occupational Therapy Aides
Occupational Therapy Aide Job Description Under close supervision of an occupational therapist or occupational therapy assistant, perform only delegated, selected, or routine tasks in specific situations. These duties include preparing patient and treatment room.
Life As an Occupational Therapy Aide: What Do They Do?
- Evaluate the living skills and capacities of physically, developmentally, or emotionally disabled clients.
- Instruct patients and families in work, social, and living skills, the care and use of adaptive equipment, and other skills to facilitate home and work adjustment to disability.
- Encourage patients and attend to their physical needs to facilitate the attainment of therapeutic goals.
- Adjust and repair assistive devices and make adaptive changes to other equipment and to environments.
- Observe patients' attendance, progress, attitudes, and accomplishments and record and maintain information in client records.
- Perform clerical, administrative, and secretarial duties, such as answering phones, restocking and ordering supplies, filling out paperwork, and scheduling appointments.
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What Skills Do You Need to Work as an Occupational Therapy Aide?
Occupational Therapy Aides state the following job skills are important in their day-to-day work.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people.
Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Related Job Titles for this Occupation:
- Rehabilitation Technician (Rehab Tech)
- Rehabilitation Tech
- Certified Occupational Rehabilitation Aide (CORA)
- Direct Service Professional
- Occupational Therapy Aide (OT Aide)
Job Opportunities for Occupational Therapy Aides
In the United States, there were 7,500 jobs for Occupational Therapy Aide in 2016. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 24% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 1,800 new jobs for Occupational Therapy Aide by 2026. There will be an estimated 1,200 positions for Occupational Therapy Aide per year.
The states with the most job growth for Occupational Therapy Aide are Delaware, Arizona, and Colorado. Watch out if you plan on working in Wyoming, Oregon, or Maine. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Do Occupational Therapy Aides Make A Lot Of Money?
The salary for Occupational Therapy Aides ranges between about $18,260 and $58,660 a year.
Occupational Therapy Aides who work in Washington, New York, or Arizona, make the highest salaries.
How much do Occupational Therapy Aides make in each U.S. state?
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
Arizona | $38,760 |
California | $35,240 |
Colorado | $33,060 |
Connecticut | $33,740 |
Delaware | $34,220 |
Florida | $26,770 |
Georgia | $27,490 |
Illinois | $28,820 |
Indiana | $30,360 |
Iowa | $30,900 |
Louisiana | $40,940 |
Maryland | $34,300 |
Massachusetts | $36,190 |
Michigan | $35,120 |
Minnesota | $33,020 |
Missouri | $29,890 |
Nebraska | $27,700 |
New Hampshire | $35,880 |
New Jersey | $29,330 |
New York | $46,600 |
North Carolina | $29,480 |
North Dakota | $35,900 |
Ohio | $32,140 |
Oklahoma | $31,340 |
Pennsylvania | $32,080 |
South Carolina | $29,330 |
Tennessee | $30,540 |
Texas | $31,390 |
Utah | $23,930 |
Virginia | $38,360 |
Washington | $51,360 |
West Virginia | $29,120 |
Wisconsin | $28,970 |
What Tools do Occupational Therapy Aides Use?
Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Occupational Therapy Aides may use on a daily basis:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Access
- Data entry software
- MEDITECH software
- Scheduling software
- Electronic medical record EMR software
- Billing software
How to Become an Occupational Therapy Aide
What kind of Occupational Therapy Aide requirements are there?
How many years of work experience do I need?
Where Occupational Therapy Aides Work
The table below shows the approximate number of Occupational Therapy Aides employed by various industries.
Related Careers
Those interested in being an Occupational Therapy Aide may also be interested in:
References:
Image Credit: Sgt. Courtney Richardson, 4th Fighter Wing Public Affairs via Public domain
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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