What Do Occupational Therapy Aide Do?
Occupation Description Under close supervision of an occupational therapist or occupational therapy assistant, perform only delegated, selected, or routine tasks in specific situations. These duties include preparing patient and treatment room.
Life As an Occupational Therapy Aide: What Do They Do?
- Evaluate the living skills and capacities of physically, developmentally, or emotionally disabled clients.
- Demonstrate therapy techniques, such as manual and creative arts and games.
- Accompany patients on outings, providing transportation when necessary.
- Manage intradepartmental infection control and equipment security.
- Prepare and maintain work area, materials, and equipment and maintain inventory of treatment and educational supplies.
- Report to supervisors or therapists, verbally or in writing, on patients’ progress, attitudes, attendance, and accomplishments.
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Things an Occupational Therapy Aide Should Know How to Do
Occupational Therapy Aides state the following job skills are important in their day-to-day work.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people.
Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Other Occupational Therapy Aide Job Titles
- Occupational Therapy Aide (OT Aide)
- Program Trainer
- Rehabilitation Tech
- Direct Support Professional
- Rehabilitation Services Aide
Are There Job Opportunities for Occupational Therapy Aides?
There were about 7,500 jobs for Occupational Therapy Aide in 2016 (in the United States). New jobs are being produced at a rate of 24% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 1,800 new jobs for Occupational Therapy Aide by 2026. Due to new job openings and attrition, there will be an average of 1,200 job openings in this field each year.

The states with the most job growth for Occupational Therapy Aide are Delaware, Arizona, and Colorado. Watch out if you plan on working in Wyoming, Oregon, or Maine. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Occupational Therapy Aide Salary
Occupational Therapy Aides make between $18,260 and $58,660 a year.

Occupational Therapy Aides who work in Washington, New York, or Arizona, make the highest salaries.
How much do Occupational Therapy Aides make in each U.S. state?
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
Arizona | $38,760 |
California | $35,240 |
Colorado | $33,060 |
Connecticut | $33,740 |
Delaware | $34,220 |
Florida | $26,770 |
Georgia | $27,490 |
Illinois | $28,820 |
Indiana | $30,360 |
Iowa | $30,900 |
Louisiana | $40,940 |
Maryland | $34,300 |
Massachusetts | $36,190 |
Michigan | $35,120 |
Minnesota | $33,020 |
Missouri | $29,890 |
Nebraska | $27,700 |
New Hampshire | $35,880 |
New Jersey | $29,330 |
New York | $46,600 |
North Carolina | $29,480 |
North Dakota | $35,900 |
Ohio | $32,140 |
Oklahoma | $31,340 |
Pennsylvania | $32,080 |
South Carolina | $29,330 |
Tennessee | $30,540 |
Texas | $31,390 |
Utah | $23,930 |
Virginia | $38,360 |
Washington | $51,360 |
West Virginia | $29,120 |
Wisconsin | $28,970 |
What Tools do Occupational Therapy Aides Use?
Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Occupational Therapy Aides may use on a daily basis:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Access
- Data entry software
- MEDITECH software
- Scheduling software
- Electronic medical record EMR software
- Billing software
How do I Become an Occupational Therapy Aide?
What education is needed to be an Occupational Therapy Aide?

How Long Does it Take to Become an Occupational Therapy Aide?

Who Employs Occupational Therapy Aides?

The table below shows the approximate number of Occupational Therapy Aides employed by various industries.

Other Jobs You May be Interested In
Those interested in being an Occupational Therapy Aide may also be interested in:
References:
Image Credit: Sgt. Courtney Richardson, 4th Fighter Wing Public Affairs via Public domain
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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