Occupational Therapy Assistants
Occupational Therapy Assistants earn an average annual salary of $83,755, making it one of the higher-paying occupations. The field has seen strong growth, with employment increasing by 19.2% over recent years. Professionals in this field are primarily employed in industries such as Cross-industry and Cross-industry, Private Ownership only.
Key Statistics
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Occupational Therapy Assistants workforce.
Employment Over Time
3,290 Workforce in 2023
The Occupational Therapy Assistants workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Occupational Therapy Assistants.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$83,755 Average Wage
In 2023, Occupational Therapy Assistants earned an average of $83,755.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Occupational Therapy Assistants.
Salary distribution for Occupational Therapy Assistants.
Employment Growth Projections
5.9% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
16,476 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 33.1%
21,927 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 77.1%
This occupation is projected to grow at 5.9% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Occupational Therapy Assistants.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Occupational Therapy Assistants and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Occupational Therapy Assistants employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Occupational Therapy Assistants.
Wage Trends by Industry
-0.5% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Occupational Therapy Assistants.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Occupational Therapy Assistants.
Metropolitan employment on this page is from the California OEWS extract. Area names omit state codes; all listed metros are in California, so the state chart shows California totals (not a multi-state ranking).
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 2,880 employees, $83,480 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Occupational Therapy Assistants.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 1,030 employees, $79,644 avg wage
- Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD: 470 employees, $75,600 avg wage
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: 330 employees, $85,781 avg wage
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA: 270 employees, $86,357 avg wage
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA: 170 employees, $90,872 avg wage
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA: 150 employees, $95,582 avg wage
- San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD: 110 employees, $99,122 avg wage
- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura MSA: 70 employees, $85,391 avg wage
- Fresno MSA: 60 employees, $78,768 avg wage
- Modesto MSA: 50 employees, $98,719 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Occupational Therapy Assistants.
Diversity
Demographic information on Occupational Therapy Assistants in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Occupational Therapy Assistants in 2023 was 3,290 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Occupational Therapy Assistants.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Occupational Therapy Assistants.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Occupational Therapy Assistants.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Occupational Therapy Assistants in 2023 were Occupational Therapy, Health Sciences, Kinesiology.
Common majors for Occupational Therapy Assistants.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Occupational Therapy Assistants workers.
Education level distribution for Occupational Therapy Assistants.
Skills
Occupational Therapy Assistants need many skills, but most especially Speaking, Social Perceptiveness, Service Orientation, Active Listening, Reading Comprehension.
Required skills for Occupational Therapy Assistants.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Occupational Therapy Assistants.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Occupational Therapy Assistants include Customer and Personal Service, Psychology, Education and Training, English Language, Therapy and Counseling.
Knowledge areas required for Occupational Therapy Assistants.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Occupational Therapy Assistants include Oral Expression, Oral Comprehension, Written Expression, Problem Sensitivity, Written Comprehension.
Required abilities for Occupational Therapy Assistants.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Occupational Therapy Assistants.
Daily Activities
Occupational Therapy Assistants spend their time on activities such as Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Documenting/Recording Information, Assisting and Caring for Others, Thinking Creatively, Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships.
Most important work activities for Occupational Therapy Assistants.
About
Occupational Therapy Assistants
The average yearly wage for Occupational Therapy Assistants was $83,755 in 2023.
SOC Code
31-2011 - Occupational Therapy Assistants
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Occupational Therapy Assistants reports an average salary of $83,755.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 3,290 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 5.9%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.