1. University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA • Private
In-State Tuition
$17,653
Enrollment
16,405
What is an Acute Care Occupational Therapy Assistant?
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being an acute care occupational therapy assistant. For example, did you know that they make an average of $25.19 an hour? That's $52,403 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 31% and produce 16,000 job opportunities across the U.S.
What Does an Acute Care Occupational Therapy Assistant Do
There are certain skills that many acute care occupational therapy assistants have in order to accomplish their responsibilities. By taking a look through resumes, we were able to narrow down the most common skills for a person in this position. We discovered that a lot of resumes listed compassion, detail oriented and interpersonal skills.
How To Become an Acute Care Occupational Therapy Assistant
If you're interested in becoming an acute care occupational therapy assistant, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 37.5% of acute care occupational therapy assistants have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 12.5% of acute care occupational therapy assistants have master's degrees. Even though most acute care occupational therapy assistants have a college degree, it's possible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.
Acute Care Occupational Therapy Assistant Career Paths
In addition to switching up your job search, it might prove helpful to look at a career path for your specific job. Now, what's a career path you ask? Well, it's practically a map that shows how you might advance from one job title to another. Our career paths are especially detailed with salary changes. So, for example, if you started out with the role of certified nursing assistant you might progress to a role such as registered nurse eventually. Later on in your career, you could end up with the title nursing director.
Average Salary for an Acute Care Occupational Therapy Assistant
Acute Care Occupational Therapy Assistants in America make an average salary of $52,403 per year or $25 per hour. The top 10 percent makes over $70,000 per year, while the bottom 10 percent under $38,000 per year.
Average Acute Care Occupational Therapy Assistant Salary
$52,403 Yearly$25.19 hourly
What Am I Worth?
Roles and Types of Acute Care Occupational Therapy Assistant
There are several types of acute care occupational therapy assistant, including:
Progressive Care Nurse
Role:
A progressive care nurse is an individual who is skilled at monitoring and assessing acutely ill patients. These patients are often on several types of medications, require careful monitoring and care, and are often at an increased risk for complications. The progressive care nurse monitors vital signs such as blood pressure and heart rate, detects any changes, and initiates life-saving interventions if required. Most progressive care nurses work in hospitals, nursing homes, or special critical care units.
At a minimum, progressive care nurses must have a bachelor's degree in nursing and a license to practice as an RN. Since progressive care nursing requires a special skill set, many employers require that progressive care nurses be certified in progressive care (PCCN) or have comparable skills and education.
If you are thinking of getting into nursing and providing critical patients, a career as a progressive nurse can really make a difference. Most progressive care nurses make up to $63,000 a year, and the field is expected to grow 12% in the next ten years.
At a minimum, progressive care nurses must have a bachelor's degree in nursing and a license to practice as an RN. Since progressive care nursing requires a special skill set, many employers require that progressive care nurses be certified in progressive care (PCCN) or have comparable skills and education.
If you are thinking of getting into nursing and providing critical patients, a career as a progressive nurse can really make a difference. Most progressive care nurses make up to $63,000 a year, and the field is expected to grow 12% in the next ten years.
- Average Salary: $71,768
- Degree: Bachelor's Degree
Occupational Therapy Aide
Role:
Occupational therapy aides typically prepare equipment and assemble materials used during treatment and are responsible for a range of clerical tasks. Their duties include scheduling appointments, restocking supplies, and filling out insurance forms or other paperwork. They are not licensed by profession, so they are not permitted to perform as wide a range of tasks as law occupational therapy assistants.
As an occupational therapy aide, you'll have variable work schedules that may include evening and weekend hours, depending on the facility and shift. Most outpatient therapy offices and health care facilities have evening and weekend hours to help coincide with patients' schedules.
To be one, you typically require a high school degree. However, you usually receive most of your training on the job working from experienced aides or assistants. Additionally, having previous health care experience and CPR and Basic Life Support certifications may help get a position as an occupational therapy aide.
As an occupational therapy aide, you'll have variable work schedules that may include evening and weekend hours, depending on the facility and shift. Most outpatient therapy offices and health care facilities have evening and weekend hours to help coincide with patients' schedules.
To be one, you typically require a high school degree. However, you usually receive most of your training on the job working from experienced aides or assistants. Additionally, having previous health care experience and CPR and Basic Life Support certifications may help get a position as an occupational therapy aide.
- Average Salary: $31,070
- Degree: Bachelor's Degree
States With The Most Acute Care Occupational Therapy Assistant Jobs
Number Of Acute Care Occupational Therapy Assistant Jobs By State
| Rank | State | Number of Jobs | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 3,667 | $56,610 |
| 2 | New York | 2,080 | $58,207 |
| 3 | Illinois | 1,963 | $49,603 |
| 4 | Georgia | 1,478 | $45,303 |
| 5 | North Carolina | 1,351 | $47,965 |
| 6 | Ohio | 1,338 | $54,348 |
| 7 | Michigan | 1,199 | $46,731 |
| 8 | Virginia | 1,158 | $49,638 |
| 9 | Arizona | 1,108 | $48,397 |
| 10 | New Jersey | 1,091 | $49,562 |
| 11 | Missouri | 1,009 | $47,970 |
| 12 | Washington | 982 | $54,942 |
| 13 | Texas | 974 | $49,833 |
| 14 | Tennessee | 888 | $45,602 |
| 15 | Minnesota | 876 | $42,482 |
| 16 | Wisconsin | 864 | $46,937 |
| 17 | Colorado | 753 | $52,700 |
| 18 | Maryland | 738 | $42,920 |
| 19 | Florida | 693 | $61,961 |
| 20 | Iowa | 654 | $44,861 |
| 21 | South Carolina | 626 | $52,736 |
| 22 | Oregon | 576 | $51,119 |
| 23 | Louisiana | 549 | $40,222 |
| 24 | Alabama | 522 | $40,859 |
| 25 | Kansas | 492 | $49,123 |
| 26 | Kentucky | 483 | $53,472 |
| 27 | Oklahoma | 459 | $45,618 |
| 28 | Pennsylvania | 363 | $44,770 |
| 29 | Mississippi | 338 | $47,522 |
| 30 | Indiana | 334 | $45,035 |
| 31 | New Mexico | 325 | $49,869 |
| 32 | Nevada | 323 | $58,426 |
| 33 | West Virginia | 315 | $54,485 |
| 34 | Massachusetts | 314 | $55,543 |
| 35 | New Hampshire | 291 | $54,846 |
| 36 | Nebraska | 278 | $47,653 |
| 37 | Utah | 254 | $47,895 |
| 38 | Maine | 216 | $57,522 |
| 39 | South Dakota | 206 | $39,796 |
| 40 | Idaho | 191 | $48,109 |
| 41 | Montana | 184 | $51,508 |
| 42 | Delaware | 179 | $60,379 |
| 43 | Vermont | 173 | $53,288 |
| 44 | Alaska | 166 | $49,581 |
| 45 | North Dakota | 145 | $46,835 |
| 46 | Hawaii | 133 | $63,164 |
| 47 | Rhode Island | 128 | $62,041 |
| 48 | Connecticut | 121 | $55,954 |
| 49 | Wyoming | 101 | $42,203 |
| 50 | Arkansas | 94 | $48,797 |
Top Colleges for Acute Care Occupational Therapy Assistants
2. Emory University
Atlanta, GA • Private
In-State Tuition
$51,306
Enrollment
6,975
3. Kettering College
Kettering, OH • Private
In-State Tuition
$12,960
Enrollment
610
4. Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, OH • Private
In-State Tuition
$49,042
Enrollment
5,131
5. University of Connecticut
Storrs, CT • Private
In-State Tuition
$15,730
Enrollment
18,830
6. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
7. Maria College of Albany
Albany, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$15,140
Enrollment
876
8. Clarkson College
Omaha, NE • Private
In-State Tuition
$13,392
Enrollment
646
9. Jefferson College of Health Sciences
Roanoke, VA • Private
In-State Tuition
$26,886
Enrollment
774
10. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-State Tuition
$9,992
Enrollment
33,495
Top Skills For an Acute Care Occupational Therapy Assistant
The skills section on your resume can be almost as important as the experience section, so you want it to be an accurate portrayal of what you can do. Luckily, we've found all of the skills you'll need so even if you don't have these skills yet, you know what you need to work on. Out of all the resumes we looked through, 44.7% of acute care occupational therapy assistants listed vital signs on their resume, but soft skills such as compassion and detail oriented are important as well.
Choose From 10+ Customizable Acute Care Occupational Therapy Assistant Resume templates
Zippia allows you to choose from different easy-to-use Acute Care Occupational Therapy Assistant templates, and provides you with expert advice. Using the templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your Acute Care Occupational Therapy Assistant resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.
Acute Care Occupational Therapy Assistant Demographics
Acute Care Occupational Therapy Assistant Gender Distribution
Female
71%
Male
29%
After extensive research and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
- Among acute care occupational therapy assistants, 70.8% of them are women, while 29.2% are men.
- The most common race/ethnicity among acute care occupational therapy assistants is White, which makes up 70.8% of all acute care occupational therapy assistants.
- The most common foreign language among acute care occupational therapy assistants is Spanish at 100.0%.
Online Courses For Acute Care Occupational Therapy Assistant That You May Like
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1. Essentials of Palliative Care
This course starts you on your journey of integrating primary palliative care into your daily lives. You will learn what palliative care is, how to communicate with patients, show empathy, and practice difficult conversations. You will learn how to screen for distress and provide psychosocial support. You will learn about goals of care and advance care planning and how to improve your success with having these conversations with patients. Finally, you will explore important cultural...
See More on Coursera2. Trauma Emergencies and Care
Welcome to Trauma Emergencies and Care. In this course, you will learn about some of the mechanics and physics of trauma on the human body, and how this can cause injury. You will continue to expand your new vocabulary with medical terminology, and learn how to describe the different injuries you may see. You will also learn about the trauma system itself- and when it is important to transport patients to a trauma center. Then we will dive into specific injuries based on what part of the body...
See More on Coursera3. Acute and Chronic Rhinosinusitis: A Comprehensive Review
Welcome to Acute and Chronic Rhinosinusitis: A Comprehensive Review This course, offered by the Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, is designed to inform primary care physicians and general otolaryngologists, as well as nurses, physician assistants and medical assistants, about the differences between acute and chronic rhinosinusitis and how to distinguish and treat them. It is also applicable to individuals who wish to broaden...
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How Do Acute Care Occupational Therapy Assistant Rate Their Jobs?
Top Acute Care Occupational Therapy Assistant Employers
Most Common Employers For Acute Care Occupational Therapy Assistant
| Rank | Company | Average Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bridgeport Hospital | $65,652 | $31.56 | 1 |
| 2 | Barnes-Jewish West County Hospital | $65,197 | $31.34 | 2 |
| 3 | Intermountain Healthcare | $64,457 | $30.99 | 1 |
| 4 | Sidney Regional Medical Center | $62,969 | $30.27 | 1 |
| 5 | Bronson Battle Creek Hospital | $62,139 | $29.87 | 2 |
| 6 | New Hanover Regional Medical Center | $60,400 | $29.04 | 1 |
| 7 | Buffalo Hospital Supply | $55,737 | $26.80 | 1 |
| 8 | Good Samaritan | $55,487 | $26.68 | 1 |
| 9 | Marshall County Hospital | $55,268 | $26.57 | 2 |
| 10 | Gratiot-Isabella RESD | $53,421 | $25.68 | 1 |