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.
National median · BLS
$39,160
▲ +4.79%YoY
H-1B sponsor median
—
Too few H-1B filings
Average salary · BLS
$44,110
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
4,310
Jobs (BLS)
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Pay range for Occupational Therapy Aides
Annual base pay at each percentile. BLS covers all U.S. workers in this occupation.
Percentile
All U.S. workers (BLS)
10th — entry pay
$29,430
25th
$35,920
Median (50th)
$39,160
75th
$46,780
90th — top pay
$70,200
Hourly ⇄ annual pay
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Monthly—
Every 2 weeks—
Weekly—
Daily—
Based on
hrs/week ×
weeks/year
= 2,080 hrs
Projections 2025–2035
Job outlook for Occupational Therapy Aides
BLS projects employment of occupational therapy aides to grow 3.6% from 2025 to 2035, about the same as the 3.5% average for all occupations.
About 600 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.
Jobs 2025 → 2035
4,400 → 4,600
+200 jobs
Projected change
+3.6%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
600
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent
No related experience required
On-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training
Preparation needed (O*NET Job Zone 3)
Medium Preparation Needed. Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
BLS state medians, plus the same figure adjusted for local prices (BEA Regional Price Parities). Tap a state for its full range and H-1B pay.
State
Median
Jobs
Cost-adjusted
Profile
Occupational Therapy Aides salaries by metro area
Search by city, ZIP code or metro name. Tap a metro for its full range.
Metro area
Median
Jobs
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Profile
Skills & tools
Skills needed for Occupational Therapy Aides
How important each skill and knowledge area is for this job, rated by O*NET on a 1–5 scale from surveys of workers and occupational analysts.
Top skills
Service Orientation3.8
Social Perceptiveness3.6
Speaking3.6
Active Listening3.5
Coordination3.4
Critical Thinking3.3
Monitoring3.3
Complex Problem Solving3.1
Reading Comprehension3.1
Writing3.1
Top knowledge areas
Therapy and Counseling4.4
English Language4.2
Customer and Personal Service4.1
Psychology3.8
Computers and Electronics3.7
Education and Training3.6
Medicine and Dentistry3.3
Public Safety and Security3.1
Software and technology used
MEDITECH softwareMicrosoft AccessMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft PowerPointMicrosoft WordBilling softwareElectronic medical record EMR softwareScheduling software
Highlighted = in demand: frequently listed in employer job postings for this occupation (O*NET).
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
About the job
What occupational therapy aides do
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.
Also called
Occupational Therapy Aide (OT Aide)Rehabilitation Aide (Rehab Aide)Rehabilitation Services AideRestorative AideCertified Occupational Rehabilitation Aide (CORA)Direct Service Professional (DSP)Direct Support Professional (DSP)Occupational Rehabilitation AideOccupational Therapist Aide (OT Aide)
Source: O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0). These are general job titles, not H-1B filings; for titles employers actually filed, see “Job titles” above.
Similar jobs and how they pay
Occupations O*NET lists as closely related to Occupational Therapy Aides, with BLS national medians compared with this occupation's $39,160.
