Summary. We reviewed real candidate profiles to learn the best path to become an occupational therapist assistants. We'll guide you through the education, experiences, and skills hiring managers look for in an occupational therapist assistants.
Most companies require a occupational therapist assistants to have a associate degree degree in a related field, such as occupational therapy or psychology.
It's important to have relevant work experience, with typical job requirements ranging from 6-12 months in related fields.
The Occupational Therapy Assistant license requirements vary by state. 37 states require barbers to have licensure for their work.
Common job titles before becoming an occupational therapist assistants include occupational therapist, certified nursing assistant, and occupational therapy assistant.
Hiring managers expect an occupational therapist assistants to have soft skills such as detail oriented, physical strength, and compassion.
Once you have all the required skills and experience, it takes an average of less than 1 month of job training to become an occupational therapist assistants.
Getting a certification as a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA) will help you to earn more as an occupational therapist assistants.
We've found that 38.8% of occupational therapist assistants have earned a bachelor's degree. Furthermore, 6.3% earned their master's degrees before becoming an occupational therapist assistants. While it's true that some occupational therapist assistants have a college degree, it's generally possible to become one with only a high school degree. In fact, one out of every five occupational therapist assistants did not spend the extra money to attend college.
The occupational therapist assistants who went onto college to earn a more in-depth education generally studied occupational therapy and psychology, while a small population of occupational therapist assistants studied medical assisting services and business.
If you're interested in becoming an occupational therapist assistants, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 38.8% of occupational therapist assistants have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 6.3% of occupational therapist assistants have master's degrees. Even though some occupational therapist assistants have a college degree, it's possible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.
Choosing the right major is always an important step when researching how to become an occupational therapist assistants. When we researched the most common majors for an occupational therapist assistants, we found that they most commonly have occupational therapy, psychology and medical assisting services.
Occupational Therapist Assistants Major | Percentages |
---|---|
Occupational Therapy | 36.60% |
Psychology | 12.70% |
Medical Assisting Services | 6.60% |
Business | 4.80% |
Other Degrees | 39.20% |
It'll be a good idea to develop occupational therapist assistants skills before applying for a job. Here are some skills commonly requested in occupational therapist assistants job descriptions:
Skills | Percentages |
---|---|
Patients | 23.84% |
Rehabilitation | 13.59% |
Home Health | 12.92% |
Patient Care | 9.25% |
Adaptive | 5.23% |
Occupational therapist assistants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. During this time, new occupational therapist assistants learn the skills and techniques required for their specific job and employer. The chart below shows how much time it takes to gain competency as an occupational therapist assistants based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real occupational therapist assistants resumes.
Becoming an licensed occupational therapist assistants usually require a college degree. However, you need to pass an exam to become a licensed occupational therapist assistants in most of states. 37 states require occupational therapist 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 |
When you decide to become an occupational therapist assistants, It's important to know what duties and responsibilities are required for this position. Some common responsibilities are a part of most occupational therapist assistants jobs. Here is a list of the main duties that define the role:
Finally, when you already have checked the skills and responsibilities for this role, you can start creating your resume. Everything that goes into creating a perfect resume can take hours, days, or even weeks. No worries, we created a resume builder to make this process as easy as possible with tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and a summary.