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What is a certified occupational therapy assistant and how to become one
Certified occupational therapy assistants work under licensed occupational therapists' direction to help the clients by providing rehabilitative services to those with any form of impairment. They treat the clients by using therapeutic and self-care activities designed to improve function. Certified occupational therapy assistants earn an average sum of $51,000 annually or $25 per hour.
Certified occupational therapy assistants primarily help patients perform daily living activities and perform exercises as specified in a treatment plan. They monitor the patient's activities to ensure that they are performing the exercises correctly while offering encouragement. They also document patient's weekly progress in appropriate records while maintaining the office treatment areas.
Certified occupational therapy assistants typically hold a high school diploma or equivalent and current licensure as occupational therapy assistants in practicing state or nationally certified. It will be best to earn an associate degree, which usually takes two years to complete. Additionally, certified occupational therapy assistants typically combine classroom study with clinical fieldwork.
What general advice would you give to a certified occupational therapy assistant?
Courtney Gohean MS, OTR/L, CLT
Academic Fieldwork Coordinator
Avg. Salary $50,872
Avg. Salary $59,228
Growth rate 25%
Growth rate 0.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.76%
Asian 5.20%
Black or African American 8.87%
Hispanic or Latino 8.56%
Unknown 5.81%
White 70.80%
Genderfemale 84.84%
male 15.16%
Age - 40American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%
Asian 7.00%
Black or African American 14.00%
Hispanic or Latino 19.00%
White 57.00%
Genderfemale 47.00%
male 53.00%
Age - 40Stress level is high
7.1 - high
Complexity level is challenging
7 - challenging
Work life balance is excellent
6.4 - fair
Certified occupational therapy assistant career paths
Key steps to become a certified occupational therapy assistant
Explore certified occupational therapy assistant education requirements
Start to develop specific certified occupational therapy assistant skills
Skills Percentages Patients 24.62% Rehabilitation 20.53% Home Health 13.98% Patient Care 6.53% Occupational Therapy 3.68% Complete relevant certified occupational therapy assistant training and internships
Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New certified occupational therapy assistants learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a certified occupational therapy assistant based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real certified occupational therapy assistant resumes.Obtain the necessary licensing
Becoming a licensed certified occupational therapy assistant usually require a college degree. However, you need to pass an exam to become a licensed certified occupational therapy assistant in most of states. 37 states require certified occupational therapy assistants to have license for their work. You can see the list of states below.State Education Exam License url Alabama - - Licensed Occupational Therapist Assistant Alaska Degree required Third-party exam required Occupational Therapy Assistant Arkansas Specific course required State exam required Occupational Therapist Assistant (OTA) California Degree required Third-party exam required Occupational Therapy Assistant Colorado Degree required Third-party exam required Occupational Therapy Assistant Research certified occupational therapy assistant duties and responsibilities
- Achieve advance clinical competency in UE splinting.
- Rotate between acute care, SNF and rehab services with a variety of diagnosis.
- Test and evaluate patients' physical and mental abilities and analyze medical data to determine realistic rehabilitation goals for patients.
- Assist occupational therapists in implementing and administering therapy programs to restore and enhance performance, using select activities and adaptive equipment.
Prepare your certified occupational therapy assistant resume
When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your certified occupational therapy assistant resume.
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Apply for certified occupational therapy assistant jobs
Now it's time to start searching for a certified occupational therapy assistant job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:
- Browse job boards for relevant postings
- Consult your professional network
- Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
- Watch out for job scams
How did you land your first certified occupational therapy assistant job
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Average certified occupational therapy assistant salary
The average certified occupational therapy assistant salary in the United States is $50,872 per year or $24 per hour. Certified occupational therapy assistant salaries range between $37,000 and $68,000 per year.
What am I worth?
How do certified occupational therapy assistants rate their job?
Certified occupational therapy assistant reviews
The relationship with the pts and seeing progress made for their return home
Cooperate money relations
Lifting patients who couldn’t able by themselves from bed
I absolutely loved working with the elderly and veteran populations in skilled nursing facilities and at the VA hospital. I thoroughly enjoy empowering people to live their best lives and I'm heart broken that I will no longer be able to find employment in this field.
I absolutely loved working as a COTA these past seven years but it has been filled with ups and downs. Working at skilled nursing facilities is difficult due to high productivity demands impacting therapist ability to give patient centered care. Now with the new patient driven payment model change to medicare laws, therapists are being laid off left and right. These therapists, like myself, will have the impossible task of trying to find work in the Seattle area - which has been flooded with newly graduated COTAs due to several OTA schools opening in this area. The jobs in pediatrics and at hospitals that are left will see in increase in competition as the displaces/laid off COTAs rush to those jobs.
Updated January 8, 2025
