Occupational Therapy Aides: Career Overview
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.
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What Do Occupational Therapy Aides Do?
Typical responsibilities of occupational therapy aides include:
- 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.
Skills and Knowledge
Top occupational therapy aides rely on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Top Skills
These are the skills that matter most in this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Related Job Titles
Common job titles for this role include:
- 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)
Employment and Demand
The U.S. employs around 1,216,837 occupational therapy aides working in the United States today. Employment is projected to grow by +8.6% over the projection horizon.
How Much Do Occupational Therapy Aides Make?
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $25,085 |
| Hourly median | $12.06 |
| 10th percentile | $20,000 |
| 25th percentile | $22,000 |
| 75th percentile | $30,409 |
| 90th percentile | $35,734 |
Compensation varies based on experience, location, and industry.
Pay by State
| 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 |
| Massachusetts | $38,690 |
| California | $38,400 |
| Missouri | $38,380 |
| District of Columbia | $38,220 |
| Georgia | $37,550 |
| Michigan | $37,320 |
| Texas | $37,160 |
| Oregon | $36,920 |
| Indiana | $36,530 |
| Ohio | $36,280 |
| Pennsylvania | $36,140 |
| South Carolina | $34,080 |
| Oklahoma | $33,110 |
| Louisiana | $30,040 |
| Mississippi | $27,230 |
| Tennessee | $27,110 |
| Idaho | $24,660 |
Where Occupational Therapy Aides Earn the Most
Compensation for occupational therapy aides shift depending on where you work. Top regions by median wage:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southeast | $43,123 | 25.3% | 1.67 |
| Southwest | $41,133 | 13.1% | 1.08 |
| Plains States | $39,584 | 5.0% | 1.47 |
| New England | $38,690 | 7.2% | 2.22 |
| Far Western US | $38,278 | 16.9% | 0.95 |
| Middle Atlantic | $38,162 | 18.9% | 1.78 |
| Great Lakes | $37,606 | 10.3% | 1.05 |
| Rocky Mountains | $30,705 | 3.3% | 2.55 |
Highest-Paying Metro Areas for Occupational Therapy Aides
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albuquerque, NM | NM | $67,890 | 30 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | CA | $66,030 | 40 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | NC | $65,820 | 30 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | NV | $61,950 | |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | TX | $46,330 | 60 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $44,190 | |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | NY | $42,630 | 30 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | IL | $41,550 | 100 |
Which Industries Hire Occupational Therapy Aides
Most occupational therapy aides work in these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 4,800 | $37,050 |
Below are examples of industries where occupational therapy aides work:
Tech Stack
- Medical software: MEDITECH software (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)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
Work Environment
The on-the-job environment of occupational therapy aides tends to involve the following characteristics:
- Contact With Others
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
- Physical Proximity
How to Become Occupational Therapy Aides
Entry-level occupational therapy aides positions require a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. This career aligns with Medium Preparation Needed (Job Zone 3), indicating the level of preparation typically expected.
Related Careers
Similar Occupations
- Rehabilitation Counselors (Primary-Short)
- Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers (Supplemental)
- Occupational Therapists (Supplemental)
- Physical Therapists (Supplemental)
- Recreational Therapists (Supplemental)
- Respiratory Therapists (Primary-Long)
- Registered Nurses (Supplemental)
- Acute Care Nurses (Supplemental)
Where to Study
Students preparing for occupational therapy aides typically earn programs in:
Health Professions and Related Programs
1 programs across 1 majors
References
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: 31-2012.00 (Occupational Therapy Aides).
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