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Occupational Therapy Assistants: Job Description
Assist occupational therapists in providing occupational therapy treatments and procedures. May, in accordance with state laws, assist in development of treatment plans, carry out routine functions, direct activity programs, and document the progress of treatments. Generally requires formal training.
What Do Occupational Therapy Assistants Perform?
The day-to-day responsibilities of occupational therapy assistants cover:
- Instruct, or assist in instructing, patients and families in home programs, basic living skills, or the care and use of adaptive equipment.
- Maintain and promote a positive attitude toward clients and their treatment programs.
- Report to supervisors, verbally or in writing, on patients' progress, attitudes, and behavior.
- Implement, or assist occupational therapists with implementing, treatment plans designed to help clients function independently.
- Monitor patients' performance in therapy activities, providing encouragement.
- Observe and record patients' progress, attitudes, and behavior and maintain this information in client records.
- Select therapy activities to fit patients' needs and capabilities.
- Attend continuing education classes.
Skills and Knowledge
Top occupational therapy assistants combine a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Most Important Skills
The abilities that matter most in this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Top Knowledge Areas
Related Job Titles
People in this occupation may also be known by titles such as:
- Acute Care Occupational Therapy Assistant (Acute Care OT Assistant)
- Certified Occupational Assistant
- Certified Occupational Therapist Assistant (COTA)
- Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA)
- Certified Travel OTA (Certified Travel Occupational Therapist Assistant)
- Home Health COTA (Home Health Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant)
- Independent Living Specialist
- Licensed Occupational Therapist Assistant (LOTA)
How Many Occupational Therapy Assistants Are There?
There are about 542,119 occupational therapy assistants working in the United States today. Employment is projected to grow by +5.6% over the projection horizon.
How Much Do Occupational Therapy Assistants Make?
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $29,426 |
| Hourly median | $14.15 |
| 10th percentile | $20,000 |
| 25th percentile | $23,069 |
| 75th percentile | $35,784 |
| 90th percentile | $42,141 |
Wages vary widely based on experience, location, and industry.
Pay by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| California | $79,420 |
| Texas | $77,910 |
| Arkansas | $77,340 |
| Maryland | $77,330 |
| Nevada | $76,450 |
| Washington | $76,010 |
| Arizona | $75,020 |
| Virginia | $73,870 |
| Oregon | $73,580 |
| South Carolina | $72,970 |
| New Jersey | $72,800 |
| Massachusetts | $72,750 |
| Delaware | $72,550 |
| Florida | $71,800 |
| Connecticut | $71,210 |
| North Carolina | $70,940 |
| New Mexico | $69,850 |
| Idaho | $69,630 |
| Oklahoma | $68,710 |
| Colorado | $68,650 |
| Montana | $67,410 |
| Vermont | $67,160 |
| District of Columbia | $66,750 |
| New Hampshire | $66,560 |
| Georgia | $66,090 |
| Kentucky | $65,980 |
| Louisiana | $65,860 |
| Kansas | $64,880 |
| New York | $64,660 |
| Illinois | $63,710 |
| Rhode Island | $63,590 |
| Hawaii | $63,300 |
| Ohio | $62,960 |
| Missouri | $62,830 |
| Mississippi | $62,160 |
| Tennessee | $62,060 |
| Alabama | $61,990 |
| Iowa | $61,980 |
| Michigan | $61,460 |
| Pennsylvania | $61,430 |
| Indiana | $61,390 |
| West Virginia | $61,320 |
| Utah | $61,280 |
| Nebraska | $60,900 |
| Minnesota | $60,570 |
| North Dakota | $59,410 |
| Maine | $59,370 |
| Wisconsin | $58,400 |
| Wyoming | $57,550 |
| Alaska | $51,840 |
| South Dakota | $51,820 |
Where Occupational Therapy Assistants Earn the Most
Pay for occupational therapy assistants differ across the country. The following regions pay the most:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $77,948 | 9.4% | 0.57 |
| Southwest | $76,369 | 15.9% | 1.28 |
| New England | $70,337 | 6.4% | 1.45 |
| Southeast | $69,097 | 27.2% | 1.13 |
| Rocky Mountains | $66,567 | 2.7% | 0.88 |
| Middle Atlantic | $66,056 | 13.3% | 0.91 |
| Great Lakes | $62,150 | 18.7% | 1.39 |
| Plains States | $62,078 | 6.6% | 1.04 |
Where the Jobs Cluster
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $96,500 | 300 |
| Modesto, CA | CA | $93,440 | 50 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | CA | $92,040 | 170 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $91,300 | 150 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | DC | $83,230 | 390 |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | CA | $83,200 | 30 |
| Jonesboro, AR | AR | $81,010 | 90 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | CA | $80,720 | 270 |
Which Industries Hire Occupational Therapy Assistants
The largest employers of occupational therapy assistants are found across these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 43,050 | $69,650 |
| Educational Services | 3,490 | $59,240 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 550 | $75,500 |
The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.
Software Occupational Therapy Assistants Use
- Medical software: eClinicalWorks EHR software (hot technology)
- Web page creation and editing software: Facebook (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Operating system software: Microsoft Windows (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
What the Workplace Is Like
Daily working conditions for occupational therapy assistants tends to involve the following characteristics:
- Exposed to Disease or Infections
- Contact With Others
- Physical Proximity
- Time Pressure
- Frequency of Decision Making
How to Become Occupational Therapy Assistants
Most occupational therapy assistants positions require an associate’s degree as the typical entry-level education. This occupation sits in Medium Preparation Needed (Job Zone 3), indicating the level of preparation typically expected.
Similar Occupations
Similar Occupations
- Occupational Therapists (Supplemental)
- Physical Therapists (Supplemental)
- Radiation Therapists (Primary-Long)
- Recreational Therapists (Supplemental)
- Respiratory Therapists (Primary-Short)
- Registered Nurses (Supplemental)
- Acute Care Nurses (Primary-Long)
- Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurses (Supplemental)
Where to Study
Future occupational therapy assistants commonly pursue programs in:
Health Professions and Related Programs
1 programs across 1 majors
Sources
Data on this page comes from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 31-2011.00 (Occupational Therapy Assistants).
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