Career
Occupational therapy aides
Prepare equipment and support occupational therapy sessions.
$39,160
Median pay
+3.6%
Job growth, 2025–35
600
Openings a year
High school diploma or equivalent
Typical education
None required
Typical time after high school
Here's what you actually need to know.
The work
What people in this job do
- Encourage patients and attend to their physical needs to facilitate the attainment of therapeutic goals.
- Report to supervisors or therapists, verbally or in writing, on patients' progress, attitudes, attendance, and accomplishments.
- Observe patients' attendance, progress, attitudes, and accomplishments and record and maintain information in client records.
- Prepare and maintain work area, materials, and equipment and maintain inventory of treatment and educational supplies.
- Transport patients to and from the occupational therapy work area.
The outlook
How the forecast changed this year
The deeper question
What kind of person does this path ask you to become?
What this work centers on
O*NET interest profile, scored 1–7.
The work
Do you want most of your days spent on people & care, then objects & tools?
Responsibility
Are you willing to be the one responsible for this?
“Encourage patients and attend to their physical needs to facilitate the attainment of therapeutic goals.”
Development
What would you need to build over the next 5–10 years?
Service Orientation, Speaking, Social Perceptiveness, Active Listening.
Trade-offs
What does it ask of you in exchange?
No degree beyond high school, though short-term on-the-job training is typical, for a median of $39,160 a year and 600 openings nationally each year.
Paths in
Degrees that lead here
- Rehabilitation AideCIP 51.2604
Paths across
Careers that use similar skills
- Physical Therapist Aides$35,240 · +4.0%
- Occupational Therapy Assistants$72,300 · +21.5%
- Physical Therapist Assistants$68,380 · +23.0%
- Psychiatric Technicians$45,130 · +22.3%
- Rehabilitation Counselors$46,850 · +2.2%
Ask anything about this career.
“Would this make sense if I don't want to sit at a desk all day?” Answers will come from the sources on this page, with citations. Coming soon.
Not sure this fits who you are? Start with Vocational Finder →
Sources
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- BLS Employment Projections, 2024–34 (archived), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), National Center for O*NET Development / U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk, NCES and BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-01.