Occupational Therapy Assistants
Health ScienceO*NET 31-2011.00United States
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.
- Median annual earnings
- $72,012
- Projected change
- +21.1%
- Typical education
- Associate degree
- Employment
- 53.53K jobs
50th percentile, United States
2025 to 2035
91.7% of the workforce
Growing to 64.82K by 2035
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ASU learning related to this career
These courses and certificates are connected through catalog career relationships and Lightcast skill tags.
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The work
What occupational therapy assistants do
Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.
- Maintain and promote a positive attitude toward clients and their treatment programs.
- Instruct, or assist in instructing, patients and families in home programs, basic living skills, or the care and use of adaptive equipment.
- Monitor patients' performance in therapy activities, providing encouragement.
- Implement, or assist occupational therapists with implementing, treatment plans designed to help clients function independently.
- Report to supervisors, verbally or in writing, on patients' progress, attitudes, and behavior.
- 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.
- Aid patients in dressing and grooming themselves.
- Evaluate the daily living skills or capacities of clients with physical, developmental, or mental health disabilities.
- Communicate and collaborate with other healthcare professionals involved with the care of a patient.
- Work under the direction of occupational therapists to plan, implement, or administer educational, vocational, or recreational programs that restore or enhance performance in individuals with functional impairments.
- Alter treatment programs to obtain better results if treatment is not having the intended effect.
- Assemble, clean, or maintain equipment or materials for patient use.
- Design, fabricate, or repair assistive devices or make adaptive changes to equipment or environments.
- Transport patients to and from the occupational therapy work area.
- Attend care plan meetings to review patient progress and update care plans.
- Teach patients how to deal constructively with their emotions.
- Demonstrate therapy techniques, such as manual or creative arts or games.
- Order any needed educational or treatment supplies.
- Perform clerical duties, such as scheduling appointments, collecting data, or documenting health insurance billings.
Pay and outlook
What the job pays and where it is heading
Annual earnings range
Reported earnings by percentile, United States
- 10th percentile
- $51,002
- 25th percentile
- $61,323
- 50th percentile
- $72,012
- 75th percentile
- $79,114
- 90th percentile
- $90,013
The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $72,012 and half earn less.
Employment outlook
2025 to 2035 projection
+21.1%much faster than average
202553,529 jobs
2035 projected64,820 jobs
11,291 more positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.
Preparation
Education levels
What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.
- Associate degree
- 91.7%
- Some college
- 5.1%
- Bachelor's degree
- 3.2%
Skills
Skills employers ask for
Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.
How the work gets done
Core competencies
Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.
- Active Listening
- Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Social Perceptiveness
- Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Speaking
- Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Service Orientation
- Actively looking for ways to help people.
- Reading Comprehension
- Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Time Management
- Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Critical Thinking
- Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Monitoring
- Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Writing
- Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Learning Strategies
- Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
- Active Learning
- Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Instructing
- Teaching others how to do something.
- Coordination
- Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Complex Problem Solving
- Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Systems Analysis
- Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
- Persuasion
- Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
- Negotiation
- Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
- Systems Evaluation
- Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
- Management of Personnel Resources
- Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
In the market
Job titles and employers
Recent job postings in United StatesCommon job titles
- 01Certified Occupational Therapy Assistants15,903 postings
- 02Occupational Therapy Assistants8,801 postings
- 03Skilled Nursing Facility Certified Occupational Therapy Assistants896 postings
- 04Travel Certified Occupational Therapy Assistants790 postings
- 05Home Health Certified Occupational Therapy Assistants539 postings
- 06Rehabilitation Certified Occupational Therapy Assistants503 postings
- 07School Certified Occupational Therapy Assistants475 postings
- 08Home Health Occupational Therapists405 postings
- 09Travel Occupational Therapists404 postings
- 10Home Health Occupational Therapy Assistants337 postings
- 11Therapists/Certified Occupational Therapy Assistants335 postings
- 12Pediatric Occupational Therapists280 postings
- 13Occupational Therapists278 postings
- 14Lot Assistants249 postings
- 15School Occupational Therapists199 postings
- 16Outpatient Occupational Therapists110 postings
- 17Therapy Coordinators81 postings
- 18Directors of Occupational Therapy70 postings
- 19Rehabilitation Occupational Therapy Assistants64 postings
- 20Skilled Nursing Facility Travel Occupational Therapists46 postings
Top employers
- 01Genesis HealthCare1,064 postings
- 02Reliant Rehabilitation1,062 postings
- 03AMN Healthcare814 postings
- 04Soliant Health724 postings
- 05Encompass Health617 postings
- 06HealthPRO Heritage407 postings
- 07Renewal Rehab353 postings
- 08Triage Staffing322 postings
- 09Ardor Health Solutions319 postings
- 10Ensign Group303 postings
- 11Evolve Therapy Services LTD297 postings
- 12Broad River Rehabilitation290 postings
- 13MAS Medical272 postings
- 14UnitedHealth Group271 postings
- 15Enhabit Home Health & Hospice256 postings
- 16Jackson Therapy Partners256 postings
- 17MedPro Healthcare Staffing248 postings
- 18Continuum Therapy Partners237 postings
- 19Aegis Therapies229 postings
- 20Step Up Rehab LTD229 postings
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