How much money does an occupational therapist assistant make on the job? What are the education requirements to become an occupational therapist assistant? What does an occupational therapist assistant actually do? Those are all great questions!
Occupational therapy assistants help patients develop, recover, and improve the skills needed for daily living and working. They are directly involved in providing therapy to patients, and they typically work under the direction of occupational therapists.
There is a positive job outlook for this profession. Employment of occupational therapy assistants is projected to grow 43 percent from 2012 to 2022, much faster than the average for all occupations.
What Does an Occupational Therapy Assistant Do?
Occupational therapy assistants help patients in many ways. Here are some of the tasks they perform:
- Help patients do therapeutic activities, such as stretches and other exercises
- Lead children who have developmental disabilities in play activities that promote coordination and socialization
- Teach patients how to use special equipment; for example, showing a patient with Parkinson’s disease how to use devices that make eating easier
- Record patients’ progress, report to occupational therapists, and do other administrative tasks
Education Requirements to become an Occupational Therapy Assistant
Occupational therapy assistants typically need an associate’s degree from an accredited program. Occupational therapy assistant programs are commonly found in community colleges and technical schools. In March 2013, there were 162 occupational therapy assistant programs accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education, a branch of the American Occupational Therapy Association. These programs generally require 2 years of full-time study.
They include classroom instruction in subjects such as psychology, biology, and pediatric health. Occupational therapy assistants also must complete at least 16 weeks of fieldwork as part of their education to gain hands-on work experience.
People interested in becoming an occupational therapy assistant should take high school courses in biology and health. They can also increase their chances of getting into a community college or technical school program by doing volunteer work in a healthcare setting, such as a nursing care facility, an occupational therapist’s office, or a physical therapist’s office.
Occupational Therapy Assistant Salary Statistics
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average hourly wage for an occupational therapy assistant (as of 2014) was $27.53, and the average salary was $57,260. More salary information can be found below.
Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:
| Percentile | 10% | 25% | 50% (Median) | 75% | 90% |
| Hourly Wage | $17.51 | $22.20 | $27.38 | $32.91 | $36.92 |
| Annual Wage | $36,420 | $46,170 | $56,950 | $68,450 | $76,790 |
Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:
| Industry | Employment | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage |
| Offices of Other Health Practitioners | 13,340 | 1.72 | $28.36 | $59,000 |
| Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities) | 5,970 | 0.36 | $29.23 | $60,790 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals | 4,070 | 0.08 | $24.50 | $50,970 |
| Home Health Care Services | 1,930 | 0.15 | $32.30 | $67,180 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools | 1,610 | 0.02 | $22.50 | $46,800 |
Top paying industries for this occupation:
| Industry | Employment | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage |
| Home Health Care Services | 1,930 | 0.15 | $32.30 | $67,180 |
| Other Ambulatory Health Care Services | 110 | 0.04 | $30.65 | $63,760 |
| Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities) | 5,970 | 0.36 | $29.23 | $60,790 |
| Continuing Care Retirement Communities and Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly | 570 | 0.07 | $28.52 | $59,330 |
| Offices of Other Health Practitioners | 13,340 | 1.72 | $28.36 | $59,000 |
Top paying states for this occupation:
| State | Employment | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage |
| Nevada | 210 | 0.18 | 0.74 | $48.20 | $100,260 |
| Texas | 3,230 | 0.29 | 1.21 | $33.95 | $70,610 |
| California | 1,810 | 0.12 | 0.50 | $32.01 | $66,580 |
| Maryland | 540 | 0.21 | 0.88 | $31.42 | $65,350 |
| New Jersey | 320 | 0.08 | 0.35 | $30.79 | $64,040 |
Lowest paying states include the following:
| South Dakota | 17.63 | 36,670 | 36,070 |
| Arizona | 21.09 | 43,860 | 41,330 |
| Michigan | 21.05 | 43,790 | 43,570 |
Occupational Therapy Assistant Salary by State
| Area name | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage | Annual median wage |
| Alabama | 26.89 | 55,930 | 56,900 |
| Arizona | 21.09 | 43,860 | 41,330 |
| Arkansas | 29.90 | 62,190 | 63,660 |
| California | 32.01 | 66,580 | 68,950 |
| Colorado | 24.12 | 50,170 | 50,260 |
| Connecticut | 28.75 | 59,800 | 60,950 |
| Delaware | 26.44 | 54,990 | 53,360 |
| District of Columbia | 28.06 | 58,370 | 57,070 |
| Florida | 29.61 | 61,580 | 62,120 |
| Georgia | 27.64 | 57,490 | 57,800 |
| Hawaii | 23.26 | 48,370 | 47,130 |
| Idaho | 28.27 | 58,800 | 56,470 |
| Illinois | 27.45 | 57,100 | 58,780 |
| Indiana | 26.75 | 55,640 | 54,750 |
| Iowa | 25.25 | 52,510 | 53,020 |
| Kansas | 28.77 | 59,850 | 59,090 |
| Kentucky | 27.23 | 56,640 | 56,690 |
| Louisiana | 25.06 | 52,130 | 53,190 |
| Maine | 22.84 | 47,510 | 46,550 |
| Maryland | 31.42 | 65,350 | 65,610 |
| Massachusetts | 26.53 | 55,190 | 56,080 |
| Michigan | 21.05 | 43,790 | 43,570 |
| Minnesota | 22.45 | 46,710 | 45,930 |
| Mississippi | 25.92 | 53,920 | 55,070 |
| Missouri | 26.78 | 55,710 | 56,560 |
| Montana | 23.52 | 48,920 | 48,980 |
| Nebraska | 24.16 | 50,260 | 52,720 |
| Nevada | 48.20 | 100,260 | 72,450 |
| New Hampshire | 25.00 | 52,010 | 51,510 |
| New Jersey | 30.79 | 64,040 | 65,440 |
| New Mexico | 27.16 | 56,480 | 58,270 |
| New York | 25.55 | 53,150 | 53,970 |
| North Carolina | 26.70 | 55,530 | 57,520 |
| North Dakota | 21.41 | 44,520 | 43,210 |
| Ohio | 27.52 | 57,240 | 56,420 |
| Oklahoma | 27.72 | 57,660 | 57,960 |
| Oregon | 25.51 | 53,050 | 53,910 |
| Pennsylvania | 23.38 | 48,640 | 47,500 |
| Rhode Island | 24.25 | 50,430 | 50,120 |
| South Carolina | 27.48 | 57,150 | 56,200 |
| South Dakota | 17.63 | 36,670 | 36,070 |
| Tennessee | 28.12 | 58,490 | 58,790 |
| Texas | 33.95 | 70,610 | 70,950 |
| Utah | 26.26 | 54,620 | 55,180 |
| Vermont | 23.64 | 49,170 | 53,180 |
| Virginia | 28.99 | 60,300 | 63,730 |
| Washington | 29.29 | 60,920 | 60,880 |
| West Virginia | 27.38 | 56,940 | 56,830 |
| Wisconsin | 22.45 | 46,700 | 45,710 |
| Wyoming | 23.85 | 49,610 | 47,620 |
References:
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2014-15 Edition, Occupational Therapy Assistants, on the Internet at bls.gov.