Occupational Therapy Aides vs Occupational Therapy Assistants: $39K vs $72K Median Pay

Occupational Therapy Aides vs Occupational Therapy Assistants: what changes?

Consider Occupational Therapy Aides if you want to under close supervision of an occupational therapist or occupational therapy assistant, perform only delegated, selected, or routine tasks in specific situations. Consider Occupational Therapy Assistants if you would rather assist occupational therapists in providing occupational therapy treatments and procedures. Entry credentials differ: Occupational Therapy Aides, high school diploma or equivalent; Occupational Therapy Assistants, associate's degree.

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Occupational Therapy Aides and Occupational Therapy Assistants. List the duties, credentials, prior experience, and paid training each employer actually asks for. Try a supervised class or sample project from each field before choosing a program.

BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. National medians are not starting offers. Occupation size is not a count of vacancies. View the BLS data.

Compare the practical differences

Occupational Therapy Aides

National median pay (2025): $39,160
Route into the job: High school diploma or equivalent; One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.
Work to investigate: Encourage patients and attend to their physical needs to facilitate the attainment of therapeutic goals.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 600

Know before you choose

This is a small national occupation (4,400 jobs in 2025), so location and employer concentration can matter more than the national median suggests.

See the full Occupational Therapy Aides brief

Occupational Therapy Assistants

National median pay (2025): $72,300
Route into the job: Associate's degree
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.
Work to investigate: Instruct, or assist in instructing, patients and families in home programs, basic living skills, or the care and use of adaptive equipment.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 8,100

Know before you choose

Exposure to illness or infection is a recurring part of the work context, even when safety procedures are followed.

See the full Occupational Therapy Assistants brief

How the national numbers differ

Occupational Therapy Assistants has the edge on median pay

Occupational Therapy Assistants is at $72,300, compared with $39,160 for Occupational Therapy Aides.

Occupational Therapy Assistants has the edge on annual openings

Occupational Therapy Assistants is at 8,100 annual openings, compared with 600 annual openings for Occupational Therapy Aides.

Occupational Therapy Assistants has the edge on projected growth

Occupational Therapy Assistants is at 21.5% projected growth, compared with 3.6% projected growth for Occupational Therapy Aides.

28/ 100

Occupational Therapy Aides

69.4/ 100

Occupational Therapy Assistants

Each available metric is ranked from 0 to 100 against the careers on ChooseField. The weighted average uses this profile: pay 30%, growth 25%, openings 30%, preparation level 15%. Missing values are not scored as zero; their weights are redistributed across available metrics. Occupation size has zero weight: employment is not accessible vacancies. Preparation categories do not measure admission difficulty or years without earnings. The score summarizes national measures; local opportunities and personal fit still need separate consideration.

Detailed evidence

Occupational Therapy Aides vs Occupational Therapy Assistants

Dimension	Occupational Therapy Aides	Occupational Therapy Assistants
Median pay (2025)	$39,160	$72,300
Pay percentile	10.2 percentile	62.2 percentile
Projected growth (2025–2035)	3.6%	21.5%
Annual openings (2025–2035)	600	8,100
2025 employment	4,400	52,200
How you qualify	High school diploma or equivalent; One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing	Associate's degree
O*NET preparation group	Job Zone 3	Job Zone 3
Related work experience	No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.	No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
On-the-job training	One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.	BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.

The table reports national benchmarks and reviewed work descriptions. It does not rate personal suitability, job security, or physical safety.

Read Occupational Therapy Aides brief Read Occupational Therapy Assistants brief

Occupational Therapy Aides vs Occupational Therapy Assistants: what changes?

The facts most likely to affect your decision

Occupational Therapy Aides

Occupational Therapy Assistants

How the national numbers differ

Occupational Therapy Assistants has the edge on median pay

Occupational Therapy Assistants has the edge on annual openings

Occupational Therapy Assistants has the edge on projected growth

Occupational Therapy Aides vs Occupational Therapy Assistants

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