How much do occupational therapy assistants make in 2026?
Occupational therapy assistants earn a national median of $72,300 a year ($34.76 an hour) per BLS OEWS May 2025 (SOC 31-2011). The bottom 10% earn about $51,490 and the top 10% reach $89,780. Entry is an accredited two-year associate degree, the NBCOT certification examination and a state licence, and the assistant delivers intervention under an occupational therapist's plan of care. Skilled nursing facilities are the largest and best-paying employer for this role, home health follows, and school-based and paediatric outpatient work generally sits below the median. Employment is projected to grow 19.2% through 2034 with roughly 7,200 openings a year. → Full occupational therapy assistant career guide, career path, credentials & placement →
Note: $72,300 blends every experience level and every setting in this occupation. For pay by level alone, see Pay by Level below.
- Occupational Therapy Assistants earn a national median $72,300/yr ($34.76/hr) (BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 31-2011); the P10 to P90 range is $51,490 to $89,780.
- Skilled nursing is both the largest and the best-paying employer for occupational therapy assistants, and school-based work generally sits below the $72,300 median.
- The assistant credential is a two-year accredited associate degree plus national certification and state licensure, and it earns about 72% of the occupational therapist median.
- BLS projects 19.2% growth through 2034 with roughly 7,200 openings a year, though the occupation is small, so local demand varies more than the national figure suggests.
US Occupational Therapy Assistant Pay Distribution · BLS OEWS May 2025
Pay by Level · BLS OEWS May 2025
How much do occupational therapy assistants earn at each level?
BLS OEWS publishes one blended wage for the whole occupation and does not break pay out by credential or practice level. The levels below distribute the published percentile range across the credential tiers this role actually hires at.
Level medians are aligned to the BLS OEWS May 2025 percentile distribution for SOC 31-2011; GlobalCybers does not yet publish a verified placement sample for this role, so no verified median is shown.
Methodology & Sources
How the numbers on this page are built
Published (BLS): BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 31-2011, United States national estimate. Public, methodologically rigorous, but sampled on a rolling 3-year basis and published ~10 months after collection — so it reflects wages that are already 1–2 years old by the time you read them.
Level and certification medians: distributed across the published BLS percentile range for this SOC code (P10 through P90) according to the credential tiers this occupation actually hires at. They are modeled reference points, not separately surveyed wages.
State and metro figures: modeled — the BLS national median multiplied by the GlobalCybers state wage index, and for metros by the published metro index for that state. They are estimates of local pay, not BLS state or metropolitan-area observations, and are labelled as modeled in the tables below.
No verified placement sample:GlobalCybers does not yet publish a placement median for this role, so no "verified" figure appears anywhere on this page.
Pay by Career Level
How much does an occupational therapy assistant earn at each career stage?
Occupational therapy assistants hold one credential, so the stages below follow setting and specialty competency. Each median is anchored to the BLS OEWS distribution for SOC 31-2011.
By State
Which states pay occupational therapy assistants the most in 2026?
These are modeled state estimates — the BLS national median scaled by the GlobalCybers state wage index — not BLS state observations. Occupational therapy assistants are regulated in every state, and the occupational therapy compact is being implemented across participating states, which is gradually easing multi-state and travel work.
6 of 51 state guides shown, ranked by median. Bar is relative to California ($83,150), the highest-paying state shown. See all 51 state salary guides →
By Metro
Which cities pay occupational therapy assistants the most?
Modeled metro estimates: the national median scaled by the state wage index and then by the published metro index for that state. They estimate local wage levels and are not BLS metropolitan-area observations.
BLS OEWS MSA estimates, May 2025. Nominal pay — weigh each metro against its cost of living before relocating.
Certification Impact
Which certifications raise an occupational therapy assistant’s pay the most?
Median annual pay before and after each credential, based on GlobalCybers placement data cross-referenced with BLS. License upgrades move the needle most; stackable certs add on top.
Impacts are not additive, the licensing rows share the same career ladder. Browse all 167 certifications →
Trade Comparison
How does occupational therapy assistant pay compare to related roles?
BLS OEWS national median across the closest trades. Occupational Therapy Assistants sit mid-pack on median but carry one of the widest P10–P90 spreads, licensing and specialization drive the upside.
BLS OEWS May 2025. Verify occupational therapy assistant wages on BLS.gov →
Take-Home Pay
What does an occupational therapy assistant actually take home after taxes?
The medians above are gross base wage.
Estimates use 2026 federal brackets, standard deduction, and 7.65% FICA. Actual take-home varies with filing status, deductions, and local tax.
FAQ
Occupational Therapy Assistant Salary, Frequently Asked Questions
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