Occupational therapy assistant vs nurse

The differences between occupational therapy assistants and nurses 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 therapy assistant, becoming a nurse takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a nurse has an average salary of $57,564, which is higher than the $50,653 average annual salary of an occupational therapy assistant.

The top three skills for an occupational therapy assistant include patients, rehabilitation and home health. The most important skills for a nurse are patients, home health, and CPR.

Occupational therapy assistant vs nurse overview

	Occupational Therapy Assistant	Nurse
Yearly salary	$50,653	$57,564
Hourly rate	$24.35	$27.68
Growth rate	25%	6%
Number of jobs	39,881	696,124
Job satisfaction	-	4
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 69%	Bachelor's Degree, 43%
Average age	41	44
Years of experience	12	2

What does an occupational therapy assistant do?

An occupational therapy assistant is primarily responsible for assisting an occupational therapist when handling patients at a clinic or similar setting. Their duties revolve around gathering patient information and medical history, treating patients using the therapist's care plan, monitoring a patient's progress, and maintaining an accurate and extensive record. There are also instances when an assistant must discuss the conditions and extent of treatment to patients and families, as well as monitor supplies and inventory.

What does a nurse do?

Nurses are medical professionals assigned to a specific department in the hospital and provide their trusted department services. Nurses are in charge of taking patients' medical histories, getting vital signs, preparing patients for checkups or procedures, explaining upcoming practices, answering any questions, and communicating any concerns to the assigned doctor. Nurses should ensure that patients follow the medical advice given to them. They also assist patients in completing administrative requirements, such as filling out forms, validating details, and endorsing payments.

Occupational therapy assistant vs nurse salary

Occupational therapy assistants and nurses have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Occupational Therapy Assistant	Nurse
Average salary	$50,653	$57,564
Salary range	Between $37,000 And $68,000	Between $38,000 And $86,000
Highest paying City	Urban Honolulu, HI	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Hawaii	California
Best paying company	PeaceHealth	Conviva
Best paying industry	Education	Government

Differences between occupational therapy assistant and nurse education

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

	Occupational Therapy Assistant	Nurse
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 69%	Bachelor's Degree, 43%
Most common major	Occupational Therapy	Nursing
Most common college	Northwestern University	Duke University

Occupational therapy assistant vs nurse demographics

Here are the differences between occupational therapy assistants' and nurses' demographics:

	Occupational Therapy Assistant	Nurse
Average age	41	44
Gender ratio	Male, 17.2% Female, 82.8%	Male, 14.0% Female, 86.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.9% Unknown, 5.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.6% Asian, 5.2% White, 70.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%	Black or African American, 11.5% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 9.6% Asian, 8.9% White, 65.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	8%	9%

Differences between occupational therapy assistant and nurse duties and responsibilities

Occupational therapy assistant example 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.
Perform therapy to patients with hip replacements, knee replacements, CVA, and multiple disorders.
Help patients adapt to the use of wheelchairs, braces, canes, crutches and prosthetic/orthotic devices.

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Nurse example responsibilities.

Monitor patients' status during surgery (circulate in operating room) and manage patients in PACU.
Manage high-acuity cardiac/pulmonary and psychiatric patients
Monitor patients for cardiac rhythm changes and implement medication according to ACLS guidelines.
Educate patients and families on diseases processes, medications, wind care, and iv infusion.
Provide care for patients on medical/surgical, transplant, cardiac, orthopedic, postpartum, neonatal ICU, and psychiatric units
Demonstrate competence in CPR and other medical emergency situations.

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Occupational therapy assistant vs nurse skills

Common occupational therapy assistant skills

Patients, 27%
Rehabilitation, 22%
Home Health, 11%
Patient Care, 10%
Therapy Programs, 4%
Acute Care, 3%

Common nurse skills

Patients, 21%
Home Health, 7%
CPR, 6%
BLS, 6%
Acute Care, 5%
Acls, 4%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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