Occupational therapist vs physician assistant

The differences between occupational therapists and physician assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a physician assistant has an average salary of $118,812, which is higher than the $75,707 average annual salary of an occupational therapist.

The top three skills for an occupational therapist include patients, rehabilitation and home health. The most important skills for a physician assistant are patients, diagnostic tests, and surgery.

Occupational therapist vs physician assistant overview

	Occupational Therapist	Physician Assistant
Yearly salary	$75,707	$118,812
Hourly rate	$36.40	$57.12
Growth rate	14%	28%
Number of jobs	78,315	39,752
Job satisfaction	4	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 55%	Bachelor's Degree, 46%
Average age	40	39
Years of experience	12	-

What does an occupational therapist do?

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.

What does a physician assistant do?

The physician assistant, also known as "PA," is now considered a key player to any healthcare team. Physician assistants are health care professionals who practice medicine under the supervision of licensed physicians. They work on several areas of medicine, from primary care to emergency service and even psychiatry. Neither they are a doctor nor a physician, but their job profile showcases many of these responsibilities. More than as assistants to the doctors, they are also equipped to examine, diagnose, and develop treatment strategies for patients.

Occupational therapist vs physician assistant salary

Occupational therapists and physician assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Occupational Therapist	Physician Assistant
Average salary	$75,707	$118,812
Salary range	Between $58,000 And $97,000	Between $70,000 And $201,000
Highest paying City	Salinas, CA	Boston, MA
Highest paying state	California	Vermont
Best paying company	Waters	Marshall University
Best paying industry	Professional	Education

Differences between occupational therapist and physician assistant education

There are a few differences between an occupational therapist and a physician assistant in terms of educational background:

	Occupational Therapist	Physician Assistant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 55%	Bachelor's Degree, 46%
Most common major	Occupational Therapy	Physician Assistant
Most common college	Duke University	Duke University

Occupational therapist vs physician assistant demographics

Here are the differences between occupational therapists' and physician assistants' demographics:

	Occupational Therapist	Physician Assistant
Average age	40	39
Gender ratio	Male, 16.8% Female, 83.2%	Male, 33.6% Female, 66.4%
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, 5.4% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 11.8% Asian, 11.2% White, 67.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	14%	12%

Differences between occupational therapist and physician assistant duties and responsibilities

Occupational therapist example responsibilities.

Achieve advance clinical competency in UE splinting.
Manage outpatient occupational therapy rehabilitation program.
Provide home assessment and recommend adaptive equipment and/or home modification needs to maximize safety of patients in their own environment.
General debility, CVA, joint replacement, upper extremity weakness, ADL 's
Founder of TLC program to educate patients, staff and family about CVA.
Complete evaluations and IEP's for home school children and perform on-going therapy for the kids.

Physician assistant example responsibilities.

Manage a variety of acute and chronic conditions especially asthma, allergies, injuries, and infectious diseases.
Manage chronic conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, ASCVD, chronic back and joint pains, depression, and anxiety.
Manage patient surgical care throughout the continuum of care from pre-op, to discharge planning, including ambulatory and hospital in-patients.
Attain pertinent history & physicals for obstetrics and gynecological acute and preventative visits.
Work closely with patients to manage their depression and anxiety beginning with initial diagnosis to med-initiation and follow-up care.
Aid in the acute management of trauma patients including obtaining appropriate studies, suturing, and CPR.

Occupational therapist vs physician assistant skills

Common occupational therapist skills

Patients, 23%
Rehabilitation, 12%
Home Health, 12%
Patient Care, 9%
COTA, 7%
Occupational Therapy, 4%

Common physician assistant skills

Patients, 29%
Diagnostic Tests, 6%
Surgery, 5%
Primary Care, 5%
Urgent Care, 4%
CPR, 3%

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Occupational Therapist
Occupational Therapist vs Physician Assistant

Updated January 8, 2025

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