Occupational Therapy Assistants
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. Generally requires formal training.
- Median pay
- $72,300
- Doing it now
- 52,200
- By 2035
- Up 21.5%
- Usually needs
- Associate's degree
a year
across the country
8,100 openings a year
to get in
What the work involves
- Observe and record patients' progress, attitudes, and behavior and maintain this information in client records.
- Maintain and promote a positive attitude toward clients and their treatment programs.
- Monitor patients' performance in therapy activities, providing encouragement.
- Select therapy activities to fit patients' needs and capabilities.
- Instruct, or assist in instructing, patients and families in home programs, basic living skills, or the care and use of adaptive equipment.
- Evaluate the daily living skills or capacities of clients with physical, developmental, or mental health disabilities.
- Aid patients in dressing and grooming themselves.
What to study
The fields of study the Department of Education links to this occupation, most widely taught first.
- Allied Health and Medical Assisting ServicesSee 57 colleges that teach it
Who it suits
O*NET scores every occupation on six interest dimensions. This one leans hardest on these three.
Helping and teaching
Organised and precise
Hands-on and practical
Careers like this one
Where this comes from: the description and the task list are O*NET, which the Department of Labor maintains. Pay, workforce size, outlook and the education normally needed are the Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections programme, 2025 wages and 2025 to 2035 projections. Half of them earn more than $72,300 a year, which means half earn less, and what you would earn depends on where you work and how long you have been doing it. The fields of study come from the National Center for Education Statistics crosswalk.