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What is an occupational therapy assistant and how to become one
An occupational therapy assistant works under the supervision of an occupational therapist to help patients recover from injuries, illnesses, or disabilities. They assist with the development and implementation of treatment plans, as well as the evaluation of patient progress. Occupational therapy assistants help patients improve their daily living skills, such as dressing, grooming, and eating, in addition to social skills and work-related abilities. They may work in hospitals, schools, rehabilitation centers, or other healthcare settings.
What general advice would you give to an occupational therapy assistant?
Nicole Scheiman DrOT, MHS, OTR/L, CLT-LANA, CES, CKTP, CEES-Advanced, CSST, CDCS, CORE
Department Chair/Program Director/ Professor, Huntington University
Avg. Salary $50,653
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 82.76%
male 17.24%
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
What are the pros and cons of being an occupational therapy assistant?
Pros
Growing job market with good career advancement opportunities
Ability to work closely with patients and make a significant impact on their lives
Flexible scheduling options, including part-time and per diem positions
Continuing education opportunities to stay up-to-date on the latest techniques and treatments
Collaborative work environment with other healthcare professionals
Cons
Emotionally challenging work dealing with patients who may be struggling with serious health conditions or disabilities
Requires significant training and education, including an associate's degree and certification exam
Job can be repetitive at times, performing similar tasks with different patients
May require working evenings, weekends, or holidays to accommodate patient schedules
Potential for burnout due to the emotional and physical demands of the job
Occupational therapy assistant career paths
Key steps to become an occupational therapy assistant
Explore occupational therapy assistant education requirements
Start to develop specific occupational therapy assistant skills
Skills Percentages Patients 27.38% Rehabilitation 22.35% Home Health 10.92% Patient Care 9.86% Therapy Programs 4.31% Complete relevant occupational therapy assistant training and internships
Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New 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 an occupational therapy assistant based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real occupational therapy assistant resumes.Obtain the necessary licensing
Becoming an licensed occupational therapy assistant usually require a college degree. However, you need to pass an exam to become a licensed occupational therapy assistant in most of states. 37 states require 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 occupational therapy assistant duties and responsibilities
- Order patient equipment as well as developing and fabricating inexpensive adaptive equipment for patients to use.
- Educate patients and family members on the importance of using adaptive equipment and following proper safety precautions.
- Provide all occupational therapy services to facility patients, including charting their progress, developing and maintaining treatment plans.
- Assist in rebuilding the therapy department in an inner city SNF.
Prepare your occupational therapy assistant resume
When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your occupational therapy assistant resume.
You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an occupational therapy assistant resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.
Choose from 10+ customizable occupational therapy assistant resume templates
Build a professional occupational therapy assistant resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your occupational therapy assistant resume.
Apply for occupational therapy assistant jobs
Now it's time to start searching for an 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 occupational therapy assistant job
Are you an occupational therapy assistant?
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Average occupational therapy assistant salary
The average occupational therapy assistant salary in the United States is $50,653 per year or $24 per hour. Occupational therapy assistant salaries range between $37,000 and $68,000 per year.
What am I worth?
How do occupational therapy assistants rate their job?
Occupational therapy assistant reviews
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.
Geriatric population and working towards functional goal.
Clients don’t think they need to participate to get better.
Updated January 8, 2025
