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The differences between occupational therapists and assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become an occupational therapist, becoming an assistant takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, an occupational therapist has an average salary of $75,707, which is higher than the $37,363 average annual salary of an assistant.
The top three skills for an occupational therapist include patients, rehabilitation and home health. The most important skills for an assistant are patients, customer service, and patient care.
| Occupational Therapist | Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $75,707 | $37,363 |
| Hourly rate | $36.40 | $17.96 |
| Growth rate | 14% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 78,315 | 557,900 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Average age | 40 | 50 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 2 |
An occupational therapist specializes in treating patients who are recovering from illnesses or disabilities to help them adapt and overcome the physical and mental difficulties they face in their daily lives. The responsibilities of an occupational therapist revolve around examining a patient's medical history and conducting different kinds of assessments to determine what type of treatment a patient should receive. Furthermore, an occupational therapist must build rapport with a patient to make them feel at ease and coordinate with their guardian or family to discuss the recommended ways to help the patient adjust and recuperate.
An assistant intern is responsible for facilitating administrative and clerical tasks as assigned by the management. Assistant interns' duties include keeping records of meetings, receiving calls and handling customer inquiries, assisting on writing reports and data entry processing, cooperating and providing support for business events, and adhering to company policies and regulatory procedures. Successful assistant interns must have excellent time-management, multi-tasking, and communication skills. They must be a team player and fast-learner to handle various tasks in the corporate industry.
Occupational therapists and assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Occupational Therapist | Assistant | |
| Average salary | $75,707 | $37,363 |
| Salary range | Between $58,000 And $97,000 | Between $16,000 And $82,000 |
| Highest paying City | Salinas, CA | Boston, MA |
| Highest paying state | California | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Waters | Latham & Watkins |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Education |
There are a few differences between an occupational therapist and an assistant in terms of educational background:
| Occupational Therapist | Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Most common major | Occupational Therapy | Business |
| Most common college | Duke University | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between occupational therapists' and assistants' demographics:
| Occupational Therapist | Assistant | |
| Average age | 40 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 16.8% Female, 83.2% | Male, 40.7% Female, 59.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.8% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 6.2% Asian, 9.6% White, 75.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 9.4% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 3.8% White, 65.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 14% | 6% |