Occupational therapy program director vs occupational therapy assistant

The differences between occupational therapy program directors and occupational therapy assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become an occupational therapy program director, becoming an occupational therapy assistant takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, an occupational therapy program director has an average salary of $89,847, which is higher than the $50,653 average annual salary of an occupational therapy assistant.

The top three skills for an occupational therapy program director include therapy programs, clinical practice and curriculum development. The most important skills for an occupational therapy assistant are patients, rehabilitation, and home health.

Occupational therapy program director vs occupational therapy assistant overview

	Occupational Therapy Program Director	Occupational Therapy Assistant
Yearly salary	$89,847	$50,653
Hourly rate	$43.20	$24.35
Growth rate	8%	25%
Number of jobs	94,928	39,881
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 52%	Associate Degree, 69%
Average age	40	41
Years of experience	6	12

Occupational therapy program director vs occupational therapy assistant salary

Occupational therapy program directors and occupational therapy assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Occupational Therapy Program Director	Occupational Therapy Assistant
Average salary	$89,847	$50,653
Salary range	Between $38,000 And $210,000	Between $37,000 And $68,000
Highest paying City	-	Urban Honolulu, HI
Highest paying state	-	Hawaii
Best paying company	-	PeaceHealth
Best paying industry	-	Education

Differences between occupational therapy program director and occupational therapy assistant education

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

	Occupational Therapy Program Director	Occupational Therapy Assistant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 52%	Associate Degree, 69%
Most common major	Occupational Therapy	Occupational Therapy
Most common college	University of Southern California	Northwestern University

Occupational therapy program director vs occupational therapy assistant demographics

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

	Occupational Therapy Program Director	Occupational Therapy Assistant
Average age	40	41
Gender ratio	Male, 18.8% Female, 81.3%	Male, 17.2% Female, 82.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 5.7% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 10.7% Asian, 5.3% White, 72.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%	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%
LGBT Percentage	14%	8%

Differences between occupational therapy program director and occupational therapy assistant duties and responsibilities

Occupational therapy program director example responsibilities.

Manage day-to-day oversight and management involving planning, programming, execution, distribution, and analysis for assign organizations budgets.
Tackle strategic challenge to bolster state chapters wrought with leadership inconstancy and often, first-time delegates, unprepare for national-level participation.
Maintain all residential group homes to the safety and standards by HUD, to ensure livable and safe living environment.

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.

Occupational therapy program director vs occupational therapy assistant skills

Common occupational therapy program director skills

Therapy Programs, 31%
Clinical Practice, 30%
Curriculum Development, 14%
Program Development, 8%
Academic Programs, 5%
Acute Care, 5%

Common occupational therapy assistant skills

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

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Occupational Therapy Program Director
Occupational Therapy Program Director vs Occupational Therapy Assistant

Updated January 8, 2025

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