Occupational Therapy Assistants vs Physical Therapist Assistants: $72K vs $68K Median Pay

Occupational Therapy Assistants vs Physical Therapist Assistants: what changes?

Consider Occupational Therapy Assistants if you want to assist occupational therapists in providing occupational therapy treatments and procedures. Consider Physical Therapist Assistants if you would rather assist physical therapists in providing physical therapy treatments and procedures. Both list associate's degree; compare training and prior experience separately.

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Occupational Therapy Assistants and Physical Therapist 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 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

Physical Therapist Assistants

National median pay (2025): $68,380
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, motivate, safeguard, and assist patients as they practice exercises or functional activities.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 18,500

Know before you choose

The work routinely happens in close physical proximity to other people; personal space is limited.

See the full Physical Therapist Assistants brief

How the national numbers differ

Physical Therapist Assistants has the edge on annual openings

Physical Therapist Assistants is at 18,500 annual openings, compared with 8,100 annual openings for Occupational Therapy Assistants.

Occupational Therapy Assistants has the edge on median pay

Occupational Therapy Assistants is at $72,300, compared with $68,380 for Physical Therapist Assistants.

Physical Therapist Assistants has the edge on projected growth

Physical Therapist Assistants is at 23% projected growth, compared with 21.5% projected growth for Occupational Therapy Assistants.

69.4/ 100

Occupational Therapy Assistants

73.4/ 100

Physical Therapist 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 Assistants vs Physical Therapist Assistants

Dimension	Occupational Therapy Assistants	Physical Therapist Assistants
Median pay (2025)	$72,300	$68,380
Pay percentile	62.2 percentile	60.2 percentile
Projected growth (2025–2035)	21.5%	23%
Annual openings (2025–2035)	8,100	18,500
2025 employment	52,200	114,100
How you qualify	Associate's degree	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	BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.	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 Assistants brief Read Physical Therapist Assistants brief

Occupational Therapy Assistants vs Physical Therapist Assistants: what changes?

The facts most likely to affect your decision

Occupational Therapy Assistants

Physical Therapist Assistants

How the national numbers differ

Physical Therapist Assistants has the edge on annual openings

Occupational Therapy Assistants has the edge on median pay

Physical Therapist Assistants has the edge on projected growth

Occupational Therapy Assistants vs Physical Therapist Assistants

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