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Occupational Therapy Aide

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What Do Occupational Therapy Aide Do?

Occupational Therapy Aide Job 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?

  • Manage intradepartmental infection control and equipment security.
  • Report to supervisors or therapists, verbally or in writing, on patients’ progress, attitudes, attendance, and accomplishments.
  • Evaluate the living skills and capacities of physically, developmentally, or emotionally disabled clients.
  • Observe patients’ attendance, progress, attitudes, and accomplishments and record and maintain information in client records.
  • Assist occupational therapists in planning, implementing, and administering therapy programs to restore, reinforce, and enhance performance, using selected activities and special equipment.
  • Assist educational specialists or clinical psychologists in administering situational or diagnostic tests to measure client’s abilities or progress.

Occupational Therapy Aide Required Skills

When polled, Occupational Therapy Aides say the following skills are most frequently used in their jobs:

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.

  • Program Trainer
  • Occupational Therapy Technician (OT Tech)
  • Direct Support Professional
  • Certified Occupational Rehabilitation Aide (CORA)
  • Therapy Tech

Is There Going to be Demand for Occupational Therapy Aides?

In the United States, there were 7,500 jobs for Occupational Therapy Aide in 2016. 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.

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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.

Do Occupational Therapy Aides Make A Lot Of Money?

The salary for Occupational Therapy Aides ranges between about $18,260 and $58,660 a year.

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Occupational Therapy Aides who work in Washington, New York, or Arizona, make the highest salaries.

Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Occupational Therapy Aides in different U.S. states.

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 & Technology 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 kind of Occupational Therapy Aide requirements are there?

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

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Where Occupational Therapy Aides Work

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

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You May Also Be Interested In…

Those thinking about becoming an Occupational Therapy Aide might also be interested in the following careers:

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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