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Occupational Therapist Assistant

Types of Degrees Occupational Therapist Assistant Majors Are Earning

Those studying Occupational Therapist Assistant can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	38
Associate’s Degree	3,087
Bachelor’s Degree	53

What Occupational Therapist Assistant Majors Need to Know

Studies in Occupational Therapist Assistant develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Occupational Therapist Assistant graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Occupational Therapist Assistant emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Education and Training — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 5.5 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Psychology — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Medicine and Dentistry — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set emphasized by a Occupational Therapist Assistant program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Instructing — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Occupational Therapist Assistant careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Occupational Therapist Assistant graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.5 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.4 / 7
Getting Information	4.3 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.3 / 7
Working with Computers	4.3 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.3 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.2 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.2 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.1 / 7
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others	4.1 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Occupational Therapist Assistant professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
SAS	Analytical or scientific software	—
Learning management system LMS	Computer based training software	—
Collaborative editing software	Word processing software	—
Course management system software	Computer based training software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Occupational Therapist Assistant graduates include:

• Psychiatric Aides Teacher
• Infant Care Teacher
• Hospital Aides and Assistants Teacher
• Adjunct Instructor
• Medical Aides Teacher
• Activity Therapy Teacher
• Clinical Laboratory Science Professor
• Obstetrics Teacher
• Dental Assistant Teacher
• Professor
• Speech Therapy Teacher
• Clinical Laboratory Aides Teacher
• Clinical Laboratory Service Teacher
• Psychiatry Teacher
• Surgery Teacher

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Occupational Therapist Assistant graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	31.6%
Master’s degree	24.8%
Doctoral degree	17.2%
Post-doctoral training	13.2%
Bachelor’s degree	9.5%
Postsecondary certificate	2.0%
Some college courses	1.6%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	0.1%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Occupational Therapist Assistant?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 87.6% of Occupational Therapist Assistant degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	2,784	87.6%
Men	394	12.4%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Occupational Therapist Assistant graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	1,917	60.3%
Asian	156	4.9%
Hispanic or Latino	526	16.6%
Black or African American	295	9.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native	29	0.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	7	0.2%
Two or More Races	101	3.2%
Race Unknown	136	4.3%
International Students	11	0.3%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Occupational Therapist Assistant Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Occupational Therapist Assistant graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$27,434
4 years	$29,082
5 years	$32,352

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $32,352 — roughly 18% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Occupational Therapist Assistant Programs

Fully online options are documented by IPEDS for Occupational Therapist Assistant. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	3	10
Bachelor’s	1	1

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Occupational Therapist Assistant Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Occupational Therapist Assistant graduates earn a median of $29,082 four years after completion — about 23% below the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000). On earnings alone, this program does not show an income premium over the baseline; non-financial outcomes (career interests, certification requirements, advancement potential) are typically the stronger argument for fields in this range.

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services	51.08
Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services, Other	51.0899
Anesthesiologist Assistant	51.0809
Chiropractic Technician/Assistant	51.0813
Clinical/Medical Laboratory Assistant	51.0802
Emergency Care Attendant (EMT Ambulance)	51.0810
Lactation Consultant	51.0815
Medical/Clinical Assistant	51.0801
Pathology/Pathologist Assistant	51.0811
Pharmacy Technician/Assistant	51.0805
Physical Therapy Assistant	51.0806
Radiologist Assistant	51.0814

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.