Occupational Therapy Assistants and Aides

What Occupational Therapy Assistants and Aides Do

Occupational therapy assistants and aides help patients develop, recover, improve, as well as maintain the skills needed for daily living and working.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqG5tRleeow

Work Environment

Occupational therapy assistants and aides work primarily in occupational therapists’ offices, in hospitals, and in nursing care facilities. Occupational therapy assistants and aides spend much of their time on their feet while setting up equipment and, in the case of assistants, providing therapy to patients.

How to Become an Occupational Therapy Assistant or Aide

Occupational therapy assistants need an associate’s degree from an accredited occupational therapy assistant program. All states regulate the practice of occupational therapy assistants. Occupational therapy aides typically need a high school diploma or equivalent and receive training on the job.

Pay

The median annual wage for occupational therapy aides was $29,230 in May 2019.

The median annual wage for occupational therapy assistants was $61,510 in May 2019.

Job Outlook

Overall employment of occupational therapy assistants and aides is projected to grow 32 percent from 2019 to 2029, much faster than the average for all occupations. Occupational therapy will continue to be an important part of treatment for people with various illnesses and disabilities.

Occupational therapy assistants and aides help patients develop, recover, improve, as well as maintain the skills needed for daily living and working. Occupational therapy assistants are directly involved in providing therapy to patients; occupational therapy aides typically perform support activities. Both assistants and aides work under the direction of occupational therapists.

Duties

Occupational therapy assistants typically do the following:

• Help patients do therapeutic activities, such as stretches and other exercises
• Lead children who have developmental disabilities in play activities that promote coordination and socialization
• Encourage patients to complete activities and tasks
• Teach patients how to use special equipment—for example, showing a patient with Parkinson’s disease how to use devices that make eating easier
• Record patients’ progress, report to occupational therapists, and do other administrative tasks

Occupational therapy aides typically do the following:

• Prepare treatment areas, such as setting up therapy equipment
• Transport patients
• Clean treatment areas and equipment
• Help patients with billing and insurance forms
• Perform clerical tasks, including scheduling appointments and answering telephones

Occupational therapy assistants collaborate with occupational therapists to develop and carry out a treatment plan for each patient. Plans include diverse activities such as teaching the proper way for patients to move from a bed into a wheelchair and advising patients on the best way to stretch their muscles. For example, an occupational therapy assistant might work with injured workers to help them get back into the workforce by teaching them how to work around lost motor skills. Occupational therapy assistants also may work with people who have learning disabilities, teaching them skills that allow them to be more independent.

Assistants monitor activities to make sure that patients are doing them correctly. They record the patient’s progress and provide feedback to the occupational therapist so that the therapist can change the treatment plan if the patient is not getting the desired results.

Occupational therapy aides typically prepare materials and assemble equipment used during treatment. They may assist patients with moving to and from treatment areas. After a therapy session, aides clean the treatment area, put away equipment, and gather laundry.

Occupational therapy aides fill out insurance forms and other paperwork and are responsible for a range of clerical tasks, such as scheduling appointments, answering the telephone, and monitoring inventory levels.

Occupational therapy aides held about 8,000 jobs in 2019. The largest employers of occupational therapy aides were as follows:

Offices of physical, occupational and speech therapists, and audiologists	47%
Hospitals; state, local, and private	23
Nursing care facilities (skilled nursing facilities)	12
Social assistance	1

Occupational therapy assistants held about 47,100 jobs in 2019. The largest employers of occupational therapy assistants were as follows:

Offices of physical, occupational and speech therapists, and audiologists	47%
Nursing care facilities (skilled nursing facilities)	16
Hospitals; state, local, and private	15
Home healthcare services	6
Educational services; state, local, and private	4

Occupational therapy assistants and aides spend much of their time on their feet while setting up equipment and, in the case of assistants, providing therapy to patients. Constant kneeling and stooping are part of the job, as is the occasional need to lift patients.

Injuries and Illnesses

Occupational therapy aides have one of the highest rates of injuries and illnesses of all occupations. Their work may require physically demanding tasks, such as lifting patients, which can cause injuries.

Work Schedules

Most occupational therapy assistants and aides work full time. Occupational therapy assistants and aides may work during evenings or on weekends to accommodate patients’ schedules.

This table shows a list of occupations with job duties that are similar to those of occupational therapy assistants and aides.

	Occupation	Job Duties	Entry-Level Education	Median Annual Pay, May 2019
	Dental Assistants	Dental assistants provide patient care, take x rays, keep records, and schedule appointments.	Postsecondary nondegree award	$40,080
	Medical Assistants	Medical assistants complete administrative and clinical tasks in hospitals, offices of physicians, and other healthcare facilities.	Postsecondary nondegree award	$34,800
	Occupational Therapists	Occupational therapists treat patients who have injuries, illnesses, or disabilities through the therapeutic use of everyday activities.	Master’s degree	$84,950
	Pharmacy Technicians	Pharmacy technicians help pharmacists dispense prescription medication to customers or health professionals.	High school diploma or equivalent	$33,950
	Physical Therapist Assistants and Aides	Physical therapist assistants and aides are supervised by physical therapists to help patients regain movement and manage pain after injuries and illnesses.	See How to Become One	$48,990
	Psychiatric Technicians and Aides	Psychiatric technicians and aides care for people who have mental illness and developmental disabilities.	See How to Become One	$32,020

For more information about occupational therapy assistants or aides, visit

American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc.

For more information about certification for occupational therapy assistants, visit

National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy

O*NET

Occupational Therapy Aides

Occupational Therapy Assistants