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Job outlook for certified occupational therapist assistants in the United States
Certified occupational therapist assistant job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected certified occupational therapist assistant job growth rate is 25% from 2018-2028.
About 11,500 new jobs for certified occupational therapist assistants are projected over the next decade.
Certified occupational therapist assistant salaries have increased 7% for certified occupational therapist assistants in the last 5 years.
There are over 119,657 certified occupational therapist assistants currently employed in the United States.
There are 105,405 active certified occupational therapist assistant job openings in the US.
The average certified occupational therapist assistant salary is $53,296.
Are certified occupational therapist assistant jobs in demand?
Certified occupational therapist assistant job and salary trends over time
Certified occupational therapist assistant jobs over time
Certified occupational therapist assistant job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 119,657 | 0.04% |
| 2020 | 119,465 | 0.04% |
| 2019 | 125,943 | 0.04% |
| 2018 | 119,587 | 0.04% |
| 2017 | 118,197 | 0.04% |
Average certified occupational therapist assistant salary over time
Certified occupational therapist assistant salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $53,296 | $25.62 | +2.3% |
| 2024 | $52,085 | $25.04 | +2.1% |
| 2023 | $50,993 | $24.52 | +1.5% |
| 2022 | $50,222 | $24.15 | +0.5% |
| 2021 | $49,968 | $24.02 | +2.0% |
Certified occupational therapist assistant jobs by state
Most common states for certified occupational therapist assistants
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 600 | 45% |
| 2 | Vermont | 623,657 | 245 | 39% |
| 3 | Indiana | 6,666,818 | 2,223 | 33% |
| 4 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 2,526 | 30% |
| 5 | Missouri | 6,113,532 | 1,783 | 29% |
| 6 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 1,162 | 28% |
| 7 | Alaska | 739,795 | 203 | 27% |
| 8 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 924 | 26% |
| 9 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 195 | 26% |
| 10 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 3,223 | 25% |
| 11 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 2,217 | 25% |
| 12 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 172 | 25% |
| 13 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 146 | 25% |
| 14 | Kentucky | 4,454,189 | 1,075 | 24% |
| 15 | Oklahoma | 3,930,864 | 924 | 24% |
| 16 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 455 | 24% |
| 17 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 1,406 | 23% |
| 18 | Arizona | 7,016,270 | 1,409 | 20% |
| 19 | Louisiana | 4,684,333 | 935 | 20% |
| 20 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 176 | 20% |
Most common cities for certified occupational therapist assistants
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Peabody | 2 | 4% | $54,141 |
| 2 | Plymouth | 2 | 4% | $54,714 |
| 3 | Lowell | 2 | 2% | $54,069 |
| 4 | Attleboro | 1 | 2% | $54,658 |
| 5 | Buckeye | 1 | 2% | $51,277 |
| 6 | Coeur dAlene | 1 | 2% | $50,986 |
| 7 | Fresno | 3 | 1% | $61,993 |
| 8 | Alameda | 1 | 1% | $63,169 |
| 9 | Boca Raton | 1 | 1% | $62,234 |
| 10 | Camarillo | 1 | 1% | $61,941 |
| 11 | Albuquerque | 1 | 0% | $51,660 |
| 12 | Baltimore | 1 | 0% | $42,142 |
| 13 | Boston | 1 | 0% | $54,336 |
Certified Occupational Therapist Assistant job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of certified occupational therapist assistant experts
University of Alabama in Huntsville
Eastern Kentucky University
American Massage Therapy Association
The University of Texas
Dr. Nathan Tenhundfeld Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Human FactorsUniversity of Alabama in Huntsville
Psychology Department
What skills stand out on Certified Occupational Therapist Assistant resumes?
Dr. Nathan Tenhundfeld Ph.D.: Strong analytical skills are a must. This includes both logic and reasoning skills, but also data analysis skills. For many jobs, the ability to collect and scientifically evaluate data will be vital, if not an absolute necessity. Similarly, a strong understanding of experimental methods can put a candidate in a great position to be able to help a company evaluate existing programs and chart a path forward for new ones. Finally, I would say that a strong ability to write is critical. Those graduates who are able to effectively and persuasively communicate in writing are setting themselves up for success at any company and allowing the company to leverage them for increasingly important tasks.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Certified Occupational Therapist Assistants?
Dr. Nathan Tenhundfeld Ph.D.: Technical skills like the ability to perform statistical analyses are critically important for most Psychology-related jobs. This allows a candidate to collect and analyze data but also to interpret and understand other existing data. A strong statistical background can also help set a candidate apart from their peers in the application process. This includes understanding when and how to use various parametric and nonparametric statistics to be able to answer questions regardless of the data one is working with.
Camille Skubik-Peplaski Ph.D.
Professor and Occupational TherapistEastern Kentucky University
Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy
How do you envision technology impacting Certified Occupational Therapist Assistants in the next 5 years?
Camille Skubik-Peplaski Ph.D.: I think wearable technology used by fitness and health care professionals to observe, monitor, and encourage behavior change among clients will become a more everyday practice. Learn how to use the data provided by wearable technology to teach about personal behavioral patterns and opportunities to improve health and quality of life.
What general advice would you give to a Certified Occupational Therapist Assistant?
Ron Precht: Generally, metropolitan areas have had more openings for massage therapists. This is a report from the end of 2019 that has the most recent data we have available. Report
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Certified Occupational Therapist Assistants to find work opportunities?
Dr. Eva Moya Ph.D.: Absolutely. Social Workers are well-positioned to work in multiple sectors at the local, state, national, and international levels. From health care, gerontology, safety net, mental health and substance abuse, child and family, education, immigration, and criminal justice sectors.
Employment is usually based on the market, economics, needs, and value of social work. The place does matter.
Social workers are in schools, courts, hospitals, community-based organizations, federally qualified health centers, mental health clinics, shelters, transitional living facilities, detention facilities, academic settings, prisons, industry, political arena, palliative care, hospice, research, international organizations, immigrant and migrant centers, elderly care facilities, protective services, the child welfare system, counseling centers, health and human service organizations, environmental and public health venues.