Occupational Therapy Assistants and Aides

Summary

Occupational therapy aides help transport patients to therapy areas and set up equipment.

Quick Facts: Occupational Therapy Assistants and Aides
2010 Median Pay	$47,490 per year $22.83 per hour
Entry-Level Education	See How to Become One
Work Experience in a Related Occupation	None
On-the-job Training	See How to Become One
Number of Jobs, 2010	36,000
Job Outlook, 2010-20	41% (Much faster than average)
Employment Change, 2010-20	14,800

What Occupational Therapy Assistants and Aides Do

Occupational therapy assistants and aides work under the direction of occupational therapists in treating patients with injuries, illnesses, or disabilities through the therapeutic use of everyday activities. They help these patients develop, recover, and improve the skills needed for daily living and working.

Work Environment

Occupational therapy assistants and aides work in occupational therapists’ offices and in hospitals. Occupational therapy assistants and aides spend much of their time on their feet setting up equipment and, in the case of assistants, working with patients.

How to Become an Occupational Therapy Assistant or Aide

Becoming an occupational therapy assistant requires an associate’s degree from an accredited occupational therapy assistant program. In most states, occupational therapy assistants must be licensed. Occupational therapy aides typically have a high school diploma or equivalent.

Pay

The median annual wage of occupational therapy assistants was $51,010 in May 2010.  The median annual wage of occupational therapy aides was $27,430 in May 2010.

Job Outlook

Employment of occupational therapy assistants is expected to increase 43 percent from 2010 to 2020, much faster than the average for all occupations. Employment of occupational therapy aides is expected to increase 33 percent from 2010 to 2020, much faster than the average for all occupations.

Similar Occupations

Compare the job duties, education, job growth, and pay of occupational therapy assistants and aides with similar occupations.

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Contacts for More Information

Learn more about occupational therapy assistants and aides by contacting these additional resources.

What Occupational Therapy Assistants and Aides Do About this section

Occupational therapy assistants may handle some of the routine work of running an occupational therapy practice, like answering calls from patients.

Occupational therapy assistants and aides work under the direction of occupational therapists in treating patients with injuries, illnesses, or disabilities through the therapeutic use of everyday activities. They help these patients develop, recover, and improve the skills needed for daily living and working. For more information, see the profile on occupational therapists.

Occupational therapy assistants are typically more directly involved in giving therapy. Occupational therapy aides typically do support activities.

Duties

Occupational therapy assistants typically do the following:

• Help patients do therapeutic activities, such as specific stretches and other exercises
• Work with children who have development disabilities, leading them in play activities that promote coordination
• Teach patients how to use special equipment; for example, showing a patient with Parkinson’s disease how to use devices that make eating easier
• Record patients’ progress, report to occupational therapists, and do other administrative tasks

Occupational therapy aides typically do the following:

• Help clients with billing and insurance forms
• Prepare treatment areas, such as setting up therapy equipment
• Do clerical tasks, including scheduling appointments and answering telephones
• Help patients move to and from treatment areas

Occupational therapy assistants collaborate with occupational therapists to develop a treatment plan for each patient. Then, the occupational therapy assistant carries out the plan with the patient. Activities in the plans range from teaching the proper way to move from a bed into a wheelchair to the best way to stretch and limber one’s muscles.

For example, an occupational therapy assistant might work with injured workers to help them get back into the work force by teaching them how to work around lost motor skills. An occupational therapy assistant might work with people with learning disabilities to teach them skills that let them be more independent.

Assistants monitor activities to make sure patients are doing them correctly. They also encourage the patients. They record the patient’s progress so the therapist can change the treatment plan if the patient is not getting the desired results.

Occupational therapy aides typically prepare materials and assemble equipment used during treatment. Aides fill out insurance forms and other paperwork and are responsible for a range of clerical tasks, such as scheduling appointments and answering the telephone. 

Work Environment About this section

Occupational therapy assistants use special equipment as part of caring for patients with disabilities or injuries.

Occupational therapy assistants held about 28,500 jobs in 2010. Occupational therapy aides held about 7,500 jobs in 2010. 

As shown below, only 15 percent of occupational therapy assistants worked in general hospitals in 2010:

As shown below, nearly one out of four occupational therapy aides worked in offices of physical, occupational and speech therapists, and audiologists in 2010:

Occupational therapy assistants and aides work primarily in occupational therapists’ offices and hospitals. They also work in nursing care facilities and for home health agencies.

Occupational therapy assistants and aides spend much of their time on their feet setting up equipment and, in the case of assistants, working with patients. Constant kneeling and stooping are part of the job, as is the need to sometimes lift patients.

Work Schedules

Most occupational therapy assistants and aides work full time. Occupational therapy assistants and aides may work during evenings or on weekends to match patients' schedules. 

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

Occupational therapy aides help patients with billing and insurance forms.

An associate’s degree is required to become an occupational therapy assistant. They must also be licensed in most states. Occupational therapy aides typically have a high school diploma or equivalent.

Education

People interested in becoming an occupational therapy assistant should take high school courses in biology and health. They can also increase their chances of getting into a community college or technical school program by doing volunteer work in a healthcare setting, such as a nursing care facility, an occupational therapist's office, or a physical therapist's office.

Occupational therapy assistants generally have an associate’s degree. Occupational therapy assistant programs are commonly found in community colleges and technical schools. These programs generally require two years of full-time study. They include classroom instruction in subjects such as psychology, biology, and pediatric health. Occupational therapy assistants also complete clinical fieldwork as part of their education to gain hands-on work experience.   

To be licensed, occupational therapy assistants must graduate from an accredited program. In 2010, there were about 300 programs for occupational therapy assistants that the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) had accredited.

Occupational therapy aides typically have a high school diploma or equivalent. They are trained on the job. This training can last from several weeks to a few months and includes classroom and practical training where the aide works under the direct supervision of more experienced assistants or aides.

Important Qualities

Compassion. Occupational therapy assistants and aides frequently work with patients who struggle with many of life’s basic activities. As a result, they should be compassionate and caring and have the ability to encourage others.

Detail oriented. Occupational therapy assistants and aides must be able to quickly and accurately follow the instructions, both written and spoken, of an occupational therapist. 

Interpersonal skills. Assistants and aides spend much of their time interacting with patients. They should be friendly and courteous, and they should be able to communicate with patients to the extent of their ability and training.

Physical strength. Assistants and aides need to have a moderate degree of strength because of the physical exertion required to assist patients. Constant kneeling, stooping, and standing for long periods also are part of the job.

Licenses

Most states require occupational therapy assistants to be licensed. Licensure usually requires completing an accredited occupational therapy assistant education program and passing an exam. Some states have additional requirements, such as continuing education.

Occupational therapy aides are not required to be licensed.

Certification

Occupational therapy assistants who have completed an accredited program can become certified by passing an exam offered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy. Certification is voluntary and allows assistants to use the title "Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant" (COTA).

Advancement

Some occupational therapy assistants and aides advance by taking additional education to become occupational therapists. A small number of occupational therapist "bridge" education programs are designed for qualifying occupational therapy assistants to advance to therapists. 

Pay About this section

The median annual wage of occupational therapy assistants was $51,010 in May 2010. 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 $33,110 and the top 10 percent earned more than $70,790.

The median annual wage of occupational therapy aides was $27,430 in May 2010. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $17,440, and the top 10 percent earned more than $52,750.

Median annual wages in the industries employing the largest numbers of occupational therapy assistants in May 2010 were as follows:

Median annual wages in the industries employing the largest numbers of occupational therapy aides in May 2010 were as follows:

Most occupational therapy assistants and aides work full time. Occupational therapy assistants and aides may work during evenings or on weekends to match patients' schedules.

Job Outlook About this section

Employment of occupational therapy assistants is expected to increase 43 percent from 2010 to 2020, much faster than the average for all occupations. Employment of occupational therapy aides is expected to increase 33 percent from 2010 to 2020, much faster than the average for all occupations.

Demand for occupational therapy is expected to rise significantly over the coming decade in response to the health needs of the aging baby-boom generation and a growing elderly population. Older adults are especially prone to conditions such as arthritis that affect their everyday activities. Occupational therapy assistants and aides will be needed to assist occupational therapists in caring for these people. Occupational therapy will also continue to be used for treating children and young adults with developmental disabilities like autism.

Demand for occupational therapy assistants is also expected to come from occupational therapists employing more assistants to reduce the cost of occupational therapy services. After the therapist has evaluated a patient and designed a treatment plan, the occupational therapy assistant can provide many aspects of the treatment that the therapist prescribed.

Job Prospects

Occupational therapy assistants and aides with experience working in an occupational therapy office or other healthcare setting should have the best job opportunities. In addition to overall employment growth, job openings will also result from the need to replace occupational therapy assistants and aides who leave the occupation.

Contacts for More Information About this section

For more information about occupational therapy assistants or aides, visit

American Occupational Therapy Association

National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy