Occupational Therapist Assistant Salary – How Much the Job Offers?

The occupational therapist assistants work under the occupational therapists to help people with some kind of impairments. These workers can help the physically and mentally impaired patients to take diet, maintain personal hygiene, perform exercises and in other routine activities. So, what are the rewards that occupational therapist assistants earn from their job?

Annual Salary Range

The average annual salary of the occupational therapist assistants can vary in the range of $31,000-$45,000. As obvious, the workers in this field with less work experience earn less that those having few years of experience. So, the less experienced occupational therapist assistants earn less than $30.000, while those who are highly experienced can earn more than $50,000 per year. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average annual salary of occupational therapist assistants was $48,440 in 2008.

Factors Deciding the Salary Range

Apart from the working experience, here are some other important factors that can help in deciding the salary range of workers on the post of occupational therapist assistants:

Certification: Certification in one of the occupational therapist assistant programs can help you expect more salary from the job. You can find more than 130 accredited certification programs available in this direction.

Location: The types of facility or organization where an occupational therapist assistant works can also help decide the salary for this job profile. In addition, each city and state has its own norms for paying salaries to these workers.

Nature of Job: Some occupational therapist assistants are required to perform administrative functions, in addition to their regular duties. So, the nature of job can also contribute towards the salary range of these workers and you must go through the job descriptions before applying.



The occupational therapist assistant salary is an important and contributing factor to learn about the career outlook of this medical field. In addition, you can learn about working conditions and growth options before choosing it as the career field.