Occupational Therapy Aides

Overview

Occupational Therapy Aides has a national median salary of $39,160 per year, with +3.6% projected job growth from 2025–2035. The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical education needed to enter this 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.

Work Values

• Relationships
• Support
• Achievement

Work Styles

Responsibilities

Tasks

• 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.
• Evaluate the living skills and capacities of clients with physical, developmental, or mental health disabilities.
• 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.

Work Activities

• Assisting and Caring for Others
• Performing for or Working Directly with the Public
• Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
• Performing General Physical Activities
• Getting Information
• Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
• Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
• Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
• Training and Teaching Others
• Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others

Detailed Work Activities

• Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
• Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
• Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
• Performing general physical activities includes doing activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling materials.
• Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
• Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
• Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
• Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
• Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others.
• Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.

T-A-S-K

Technology, Abilities, Skills & Knowledge

Education

Education Levels of Current Workers

The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical education needed to enter this occupation. The chart below shows the highest level of education held by people already working in this field, ages 25 and older. It includes workers who earned more education than the job requires and workers who entered the field under earlier requirements, so the largest bar is not the entry requirement. For example, if someone finished an associate's degree and then started working in this field, they are counted under “Associate's degree” here, but the job itself typically asks for a high school diploma or equivalent.

Certificates

Certifications applicable to Occupational Therapy Aides:

Video Resources