Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2021

31-2012 Occupational Therapy Aides

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 estimates for Occupational Therapy Aides
Industry profile for Occupational Therapy Aides
Geographic profile for Occupational Therapy Aides

National estimates for Occupational Therapy Aides:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Occupational Therapy Aides:

Employment (1)	Employment RSE (3)	Mean hourly wage	Mean annual wage (2)	Wage RSE (3)
3,370	7.8 %	$ 18.86	$ 39,230	3.4 %

Percentile wage estimates for Occupational Therapy Aides:

Percentile	10%	25%	50% (Median)	75%	90%
Hourly Wage	$ 11.47	$ 13.63	$ 16.14	$ 22.57	$ 29.79
Annual Wage (2)	$ 23,860	$ 28,350	$ 33,560	$ 46,950	$ 61,960

Industry profile for Occupational Therapy Aides:

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Occupational Therapy Aides are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in Occupational Therapy Aides, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in Occupational Therapy Aides:

Industry	Employment (1)	Percent of industry employment	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Offices of Other Health Practitioners	1,010	0.10	$ 16.17	$ 33,640
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals	800	0.01	$ 18.81	$ 39,120
Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals	420	0.16	$ 17.31	$ 35,990
Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities)	390	0.03	$ 22.46	$ 46,710
Offices of Physicians	210	0.01	$ 18.21	$ 37,890

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Occupational Therapy Aides:

Industry	Employment (1)	Percent of industry employment	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals	420	0.16	$ 17.31	$ 35,990
Offices of Other Health Practitioners	1,010	0.10	$ 16.17	$ 33,640
Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities)	390	0.03	$ 22.46	$ 46,710
Home Health Care Services	150	0.01	$ 25.40	$ 52,830
Offices of Physicians	210	0.01	$ 18.21	$ 37,890

Top paying industries for Occupational Therapy Aides:

Industry	Employment (1)	Percent of industry employment	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Individual and Family Services	(8)	(8)	$ 29.17	$ 60,680
Home Health Care Services	150	0.01	$ 25.40	$ 52,830
Continuing Care Retirement Communities and Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly	40	(7)	$ 24.64	$ 51,240
Elementary and Secondary Schools	80	(7)	$ 22.62	$ 47,050
Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities)	390	0.03	$ 22.46	$ 46,710

Geographic profile for Occupational Therapy Aides:

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Occupational Therapy Aides are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in Occupational Therapy Aides, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Map of employment of occupational therapy aides by state, May 2021

States with the highest employment level in Occupational Therapy Aides:

State	Employment (1)	Employment per thousand jobs	Location quotient (9)	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Texas	570	0.05	1.95	$ 14.16	$ 29,450
California	400	0.02	1.02	$ 24.16	$ 50,250
Pennsylvania	320	0.06	2.38	$ 18.78	$ 39,060
Virginia	180	0.05	2.05	$ 17.45	$ 36,290
Louisiana	180	0.10	4.27	$ 12.20	$ 25,380

Map of location quotient of occupational therapy aides by state, May 2021

States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Occupational Therapy Aides:

State	Employment (1)	Employment per thousand jobs	Location quotient (9)	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Louisiana	180	0.10	4.27	$ 12.20	$ 25,380
Nebraska	60	0.07	2.75	$ 16.08	$ 33,450
Maine	40	0.06	2.52	$ 22.09	$ 45,960
Pennsylvania	320	0.06	2.38	$ 18.78	$ 39,060
Utah	80	0.05	2.14	$ 23.73	$ 49,350

Map of annual mean wages of occupational therapy aides by state, May 2021

Top paying states for Occupational Therapy Aides:

State	Employment (1)	Employment per thousand jobs	Location quotient (9)	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
New York	70	0.01	0.36	$ 30.31	$ 63,040
Florida	110	0.01	0.51	$ 24.34	$ 50,630
Oklahoma	40	0.03	1.21	$ 24.33	$ 50,600
Tennessee	60	0.02	0.78	$ 24.18	$ 50,290
California	400	0.02	1.02	$ 24.16	$ 50,250

Map of employment of occupational therapy aides by area, May 2021

Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Occupational Therapy Aides:

Metropolitan area	Employment (1)	Employment per thousand jobs	Location quotient (9)	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX	190	0.05	2.26	$ 14.60	$ 30,360
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD	160	0.06	2.54	$ 20.89	$ 43,450
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	130	0.02	0.94	$ 24.97	$ 51,950
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX	100	0.04	1.48	$ 15.05	$ 31,300
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA	70	0.03	1.08	$ 13.43	$ 27,940
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH	70	0.03	1.07	$ 19.99	$ 41,570
Pittsburgh, PA	60	0.06	2.38	$ 16.86	$ 35,070
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV	60	0.02	0.81	$ 19.68	$ 40,930
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA	60	0.02	1.03	$ 30.33	$ 63,090
Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN	50	0.08	3.55	$ 14.47	$ 30,100

Map of location quotient of occupational therapy aides by area, May 2021

Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Occupational Therapy Aides:

Metropolitan area	Employment (1)	Employment per thousand jobs	Location quotient (9)	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX	30	0.12	4.87	$ 11.50	$ 23,920
Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN	50	0.08	3.55	$ 14.47	$ 30,100
New Orleans-Metairie, LA	40	0.07	3.09	$ 13.04	$ 27,110
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD	160	0.06	2.54	$ 20.89	$ 43,450
Pittsburgh, PA	60	0.06	2.38	$ 16.86	$ 35,070
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX	190	0.05	2.26	$ 14.60	$ 30,360
Richmond, VA	30	0.05	2.07	$ 18.31	$ 38,080
Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC	30	0.05	1.98	$ 16.68	$ 34,690
Salt Lake City, UT	30	0.04	1.71	$ 26.04	$ 54,170
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX	100	0.04	1.48	$ 15.05	$ 31,300

Map of annual mean wages of occupational therapy aides by area, May 2021

Top paying metropolitan areas for Occupational Therapy Aides:

Metropolitan area	Employment (1)	Employment per thousand jobs	Location quotient (9)	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA	50	0.01	0.24	$ 32.93	$ 68,500
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA	60	0.02	1.03	$ 30.33	$ 63,090
Salt Lake City, UT	30	0.04	1.71	$ 26.04	$ 54,170
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	130	0.02	0.94	$ 24.97	$ 51,950
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL	50	0.02	0.87	$ 21.92	$ 45,590
St. Louis, MO-IL	30	0.02	1.02	$ 20.97	$ 43,620
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD	160	0.06	2.54	$ 20.89	$ 43,450
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH	70	0.03	1.07	$ 19.99	$ 41,570
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV	60	0.02	0.81	$ 19.68	$ 40,930
Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO	(8)	(8)	(8)	$ 19.60	$ 40,770

About May 2021 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate—50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.

(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(7) The value is less than .005 percent of industry employment.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.

Other OEWS estimates and related information:

May 2021 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2021 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2021 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2021 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2021 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

Last Modified Date: March 31, 2022