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Occupational Therapy Aides in Wisconsin

Considering working as an Occupational Therapy Aides in Wisconsin? Here’s what the data says. 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.

What do Occupational Therapy Aides Make in Wisconsin?

For a occupational therapy aides working in Wisconsin, the typical annual salary is $40,270 per year (or roughly $19.36/hour).Annual wages span from $30,680 at the 10th percentile to $46,340 at the 90th percentile.

Wage Statistic	Annual	Hourly
10th percentile	$30,680	$14.75
25th percentile	$31,630	$15.21
Median (50th)	$40,270	$19.36
75th percentile	$44,370	$21.33
90th percentile	$46,340	$22.28

The location quotient — a measure of how concentrated this occupation is in Wisconsin compared to the national average — is 1.17, indicating that occupational therapy aides are more concentrated here than the national average.

National Wage Comparison

Nationally, occupational therapy aides earn a median of $25,085 per year ($12.06/hour), exceeding the Wisconsin median.

Employment Outlook

National employment for 1,216,837 occupational therapy aides nationwide. In Wisconsin alone, about 110 people work in this role. That’s right around the typical state median of 110.

Top Wisconsin Metros for Occupational Therapy Aides

These are the Wisconsin metros with the most occupational therapy aides in Wisconsin.

Metro Area	Number Employed	Annual Median Salary
Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI	30	$39,750

Top States for Occupational Therapy Aides Employment

The table below shows the states where the most occupational therapy aides work.

State	Number Employed
California	560
Pennsylvania	450
Texas	330
Massachusetts	260
New York	230
Ohio	210
Louisiana	210
North Carolina	200
Missouri	140
Georgia	130
South Carolina	130
Wisconsin	110
Idaho	90
Tennessee	80
Mississippi	70
New Mexico	70
Oklahoma	70
Oregon	50
Michigan	50
Virginia	50

Highest-Paying States for Occupational Therapy Aides

Where occupational therapy aides earn the most: occupational therapy aides.

State	Annual Median Salary
North Carolina	$73,450
Florida	$70,660
New Mexico	$67,890
Nevada	$61,870
Colorado	$48,840
Nebraska	$43,800
New York	$42,120
Virginia	$40,610
New Jersey	$40,550
Wisconsin	$40,270

Skills

Top occupational therapy aides skills, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Knowledge Areas

Core knowledge areas for this occupation, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Abilities

Top abilities for occupational therapy aides, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Daily Tasks

Occupational Therapy Aides typically:

• Encourage patients and attend to their physical needs to facilitate the attainment of therapeutic goals.
• Report to supervisors or therapists, verbally or in writing, on patients' progress, attitudes, attendance, and accomplishments.
• Observe patients' attendance, progress, attitudes, and accomplishments and record and maintain information in client records.
• Prepare and maintain work area, materials, and equipment and maintain inventory of treatment and educational supplies.
• Transport patients to and from the occupational therapy work area.
• 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.
• Assist occupational therapists in planning, implementing, and administering therapy programs to restore, reinforce, and enhance performance, using selected activities and special equipment.
• Demonstrate therapy techniques, such as manual and creative arts and games.
• Manage intradepartmental infection control and equipment security.
• Perform clerical, administrative, and secretarial duties, such as answering phones, restocking and ordering supplies, filling out paperwork, and scheduling appointments.
• Supervise patients in choosing and completing work assignments or arts and crafts projects.
• Adjust and repair assistive devices and make adaptive changes to other equipment and to environments.

Work Activities

• Assisting and Caring for Others
• Performing for or Working Directly with the Public
• Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
• Performing General Physical Activities
• Getting Information
• Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
• Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
• Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
• Training and Teaching Others
• Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others
• Making Decisions and Solving Problems
• Working with Computers

Tools & Technology

Common tools and software used in this occupation include: Hot technologies: MEDITECH software

What Major Will Prepare You For This Career?

Several college majors map to this occupation:

• Health Aids & Attendants

Related Careers

Related occupations to occupational therapy aides include:

• Rehabilitation Counselors
• Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers
• Occupational Therapists
• Physical Therapists
• Recreational Therapists
• Respiratory Therapists

Also Known As

Certified Occupational Rehabilitation Aide (CORA), Direct Service Professional (DSP), Direct Support Professional (DSP), Independent Living Specialist, Occupational Rehabilitation Aide, Occupational Therapist Aide (OT Aide), Occupational Therapy Aide (OT Aide), Rehabilitation Aide (Rehab Aide), Rehabilitation Nursing Technician (Rehab Nursing Tech), Rehabilitation Services Aide, Rehabilitation Services Technician (Rehab Services Tech), Rehabilitation Therapy Aide (Rehab Therapy Aide), Rehabilitation Therapy Technician (Rehab Therapy Tech), Restorative Aide, SNF COTA (Skilled Nursing Facility Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant).

References

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — https://www.bls.gov/oes/
• O*NET Online — https://www.onetonline.org/
• BLS Employment Projections — https://www.bls.gov/emp/
• O*NET-SOC code: 31-2012.00