Occupational Therapy Assistants and Aides

Summary

What Occupational Therapy Assistants and Aides Do About this section

Occupational therapy aides may handle some clerical tasks, like answering calls from patients and scheduling appointments.

Occupational therapy assistants help occupational therapists provide treatments and procedures to clients. Occupational therapy aides do select or routine tasks, such as preparing treatment rooms, under the direction of occupational therapists or occupational therapy assistants.

Duties

Occupational therapy assistants typically do the following:

• Guide clients in therapeutic activities, such as exercises to improve motor skills and functional abilities 
• Lead children who have disabilities in play activities that promote coordination, socialization, and meeting developmental milestones
• Teach clients new ways of accomplishing everyday tasks
• Instruct clients in the use of special equipment—for example, showing a client with Parkinson’s disease how to use adaptive devices to simplify meal preparation
• Record clients’ progress, report to occupational therapists, and do other administrative tasks

Occupational therapy aides typically do the following:

• Prepare treatment areas, such as by setting up therapy equipment
• Escort clients to and from treatment areas
• Clean treatment areas and equipment
• Help clients complete paperwork, such as forms for billing and insurance
• Do clerical tasks, including scheduling appointments and answering telephones

Occupational therapy assistants work with occupational therapists to help clients develop, improve, and maintain everyday skills. For example, they may teach clients to move from a bed into a wheelchair or to complete self-care activities, such as bathing and getting dressed.

In addition, an occupational therapy assistant might help injured clients return to the workforce by teaching them to compensate for lost motor skills. Occupational therapy assistants also may work with people who have disabilities, helping them learn socialization, money management, or other skills they need to be successful and independent at school, work, or home.

Occupational therapy assistants are part of an interdisciplinary team that includes occupational therapists and other healthcare specialists. These assistants help to coordinate client care by monitoring activities to make sure that clients do them correctly, recording client progress, and providing feedback. They also collaborate with occupational therapists so that the therapist can modify the client’s plan as needed.

Occupational therapy aides usually prepare materials and assemble equipment used during treatment. They may greet clients and assist clients in moving to and from treatment areas. They may take and record client vital signs prior to a therapy session. They may communicate patient status and symptoms to occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants.

Occupational therapy aides also may assist an occupational therapist or occupational therapy assistant by retrieving or removing therapy equipment. After a therapy session, aides clean the treatment area and equipment, put away equipment, and gather laundry.

Occupational therapy aides may help clients complete insurance forms and other paperwork. They also are responsible for a range of clerical tasks, such as scheduling appointments, answering the telephone, and monitoring inventory.

Work Environment About this section

Occupational therapy assistants may work with children who have developmental disabilities.

Occupational therapy aides held about 3,800 jobs in 2022. The largest employers of occupational therapy aides were as follows:

Occupational therapy assistants held about 45,100 jobs in 2022. The largest employers of occupational therapy assistants were as follows:

Occupational therapy assistants and aides spend much of their time standing while setting up equipment and, in the case of assistants, providing therapy to clients. Constant kneeling and stooping are part of the job, as is the occasional need to lift clients.

Injuries and Illnesses

Occupational therapy aides have one of the highest rates of injuries and illnesses of all occupations. Their work may require physically demanding tasks, which can cause injuries. Aides can limit some of their risks, such as protecting against back injury by using proper body mechanics and lifting techniques when moving clients.

Work Schedules

Most occupational therapy assistants and aides work full time, but part-time work is common. Their schedules may include work in the evenings or on weekends to accommodate clients’ schedules.

How to Become an Occupational Therapy Assistant or Aide About this section

Occupational therapy aides help patients with billing and insurance forms.

Occupational therapy assistants typically need an associate’s degree from an accredited occupational therapy assistant program. Occupational therapy assistants usually need a state-issued license. Occupational therapy aides typically need a high school diploma or equivalent and are trained on the job.

Education and Training

Occupational therapy assistants typically need an associate’s degree from an accredited program, although some bachelor’s degree programs also are available. A list of accredited programs is available from the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education, part of the American Occupational Therapy Association.

Associate’s degree programs generally require 2 years of full-time study and include coursework in subjects such as anatomy, psychology, and kinesiology. In addition to taking coursework, occupational therapy assistants must complete several months of fieldwork to gain hands-on work experience.

Occupational therapy aides typically need a high school diploma or equivalent. They are trained on the job under the supervision of experienced assistants or aides. Training may last several days or a few weeks and covers a number of topics, including therapy equipment setup and infection control procedures.

Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations

Occupational therapy assistants usually need a state-issued license. Licensure requires completing an accredited occupational therapy assistant education program, fieldwork, and passing the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) exam. Some states have additional requirements, such as a background check.

Occupational therapy assistants must pass the NBCOT exam to use the title “Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant” (COTA). They also need continuing education to maintain their certification.

Other credentials for occupational therapy assistants are available, such as those offered by the American Occupational Therapy Association. Optional certifications may demonstrate that an assistant has particular knowledge, skills, or abilities in a specialized area of practice, such as low vision.

Occupational therapy aides typically are not regulated by state law.

Both occupational therapy assistants and aides may need certifications in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and basic life support (BLS).

Advancement

With additional education and licensure, occupational therapy aides may advance to become occupational therapy assistants or occupational therapists. Occupational therapy assistants may advance by gaining additional education and becoming occupational therapists.

Important Qualities

Adaptability. Occupational therapy assistants must be flexible when treating clients. Because not every type of therapy helps clients achieve their goals, assistants may need to work creatively with occupational therapists in their approach.

Compassion. Occupational therapy assistants and aides frequently help clients who feel frustrated by their challenges. Assistants and aides should be encouraging and empathetic in working with these clients.

Detail oriented. Occupational therapy assistants and aides must be precise in following the occupational therapist’s instructions, both written and spoken. They also must be attentive in recording client progress or completing paperwork.

Interpersonal skills. Occupational therapy assistants and aides should be friendly and courteous in their interactions with clients. They also must be professional and able to work collaboratively as part of an interdisciplinary team.

Physical stamina. Occupational assistants and aides spend long periods of time standing. Frequent kneeling and stooping also are part of the job.

Physical strength. Occupational assistants and aides must be moderately strong to do tasks requiring physical exertion, such as lifting and moving clients.

Pay About this section

The median annual wage for occupational therapy aides was $36,970 in May 2023. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $25,150, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $68,720.

The median annual wage for occupational therapy assistants was $67,010 in May 2023. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $48,670, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $89,230.

In May 2023, the median annual wages for occupational therapy aides in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:

In May 2023, the median annual wages for occupational therapy assistants in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:

Most occupational therapy assistants and aides work full time, but part-time work is common. Their schedules may include work in the evenings or on weekends to accommodate clients’ schedules.

Job Outlook About this section

Overall employment of occupational therapy assistants and aides is projected to grow 23 percent from 2022 to 2032, much faster than the average for all occupations.

About 8,600 openings for occupational therapy assistants and aides are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.

Employment

Demand for occupational therapy is likely to grow over the decade in response to the healthcare needs of an aging population.

Older adults are more prone than young people to conditions and ailments, such as arthritis and strokes, that may affect the ability to do everyday activities. Occupational therapy assistants and aides will be needed to help occupational therapists in caring for these patients. Occupational therapy also will continue to be used in treating children and young adults with developmental disorders, such as autism.

Healthcare providers, especially those specializing in long-term care, will continue to employ occupational therapy assistants to reduce the cost of occupational therapy services. However, restrictions in insurance reimbursement for services provided by occupational therapy aides may constrain demand for this occupation.

State & Area Data About this section

Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)

The Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program produces employment and wage estimates annually for over 800 occupations. These estimates are available for the nation as a whole, for individual states, and for metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas. The link(s) below go to OEWS data maps for employment and wages by state and area.

• Occupational therapy aides
• Occupational therapy assistants

Projections Central

Occupational employment projections are developed for all states by Labor Market Information (LMI) or individual state Employment Projections offices. All state projections data are available at www.projectionscentral.org. Information on this site allows projected employment growth for an occupation to be compared among states or to be compared within one state. In addition, states may produce projections for areas; there are links to each state’s websites where these data may be retrieved.

CareerOneStop

CareerOneStop includes hundreds of occupational profiles with data available by state and metro area. There are links in the left-hand side menu to compare occupational employment by state and occupational wages by local area or metro area. There is also a salary info tool to search for wages by zip code.

Contacts for More Information About this section

For more information about occupational therapy assistants or aides, visit

American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc.

For more information about accredited occupational therapy programs, visit

Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE)

For more information about certification for occupational therapy assistants, visit

National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy

O*NET

Occupational Therapy Aides

Occupational Therapy Assistants