Occupational Therapy Assistants
Assist occupational therapists in providing occupational therapy treatments and procedures. May, in accordance with state laws, assist in development of treatment plans, carry out routine functions, direct activity programs, and document the progress of treatments. Generally requires formal training.
- O*NET-SOC code
31-2011.00 - Preparation Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
Wages
Median annual wage, U.S.$72,300
Employment, U.S.51,290
Median hourly wage$34.76
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $51,490 | $61,710 | $72,300 | $79,160 | $89,780 |
By state (50)
| State | Employment | Median annual | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 750 | $62,250 | 1.07 |
| Alaska | 60 | $53,530 | 0.56 |
| Arizona | 1,120 | $73,490 | 1.04 |
| Arkansas | 730 | $78,940 | 1.69 |
| California | 3,840 | $81,770 | 0.64 |
| Colorado | 710 | $75,340 | 0.75 |
| Connecticut | 820 | $72,780 | 1.46 |
| Delaware | 220 | $78,640 | 1.39 |
| District of Columbia | 60 | $66,390 | 0.27 |
| Florida | 3,910 | $71,630 | 1.19 |
| Georgia | 1,060 | $75,920 | 0.66 |
| Hawaii | 60 | $72,710 | 0.28 |
| Idaho | 210 | $65,330 | 0.76 |
| Illinois | 2,470 | $64,120 | 1.23 |
| Indiana | 1,490 | $66,660 | 1.41 |
| Iowa | 400 | $64,140 | 0.77 |
| Kansas | 660 | $65,010 | 1.39 |
| Kentucky | 500 | $65,230 | 0.76 |
| Louisiana | 760 | $66,090 | 1.18 |
| Maine | 250 | $64,270 | 1.17 |
| Maryland | 710 | $82,010 | 0.78 |
| Massachusetts | 1,410 | $75,040 | 1.18 |
| Michigan | 1,250 | $63,260 | 0.86 |
| Minnesota | 540 | $64,920 | 0.56 |
| Mississippi | 420 | $61,650 | 1.09 |
| Missouri | 1,470 | $66,070 | 1.52 |
| Montana | 60 | $72,800 | 0.33 |
| Nebraska | 210 | $63,180 | 0.61 |
| Nevada | 220 | $79,510 | 0.42 |
| New Hampshire | 150 | $67,790 | 0.66 |
| New Jersey | 1,080 | $74,960 | 0.76 |
| New Mexico | 300 | $77,020 | 1.04 |
| New York | 2,230 | $68,530 | 0.70 |
| North Carolina | 1,590 | $69,390 | 0.97 |
| North Dakota | 130 | $60,970 | 0.94 |
| Ohio | 3,890 | $62,700 | 2.13 |
| Oklahoma | 1,000 | $66,520 | 1.77 |
| Oregon | 250 | $76,850 | 0.38 |
| Pennsylvania | 2,560 | $71,590 | 1.28 |
| Rhode Island | 300 | $66,710 | 1.80 |
| South Carolina | 830 | $73,740 | 1.10 |
| South Dakota | 100 | $56,180 | 0.65 |
| Tennessee | 1,300 | $62,420 | 1.20 |
| Texas | 5,610 | $81,500 | 1.21 |
| Utah | 280 | $66,080 | 0.48 |
| Virginia | 1,130 | $74,960 | 0.84 |
| Washington | 720 | $77,590 | 0.61 |
| West Virginia | 340 | $60,370 | 1.47 |
| Wisconsin | 1,050 | $59,960 | 1.08 |
| Wyoming | 80 | $62,750 | 0.88 |
Similar occupations
Similarity is our measure: the cosine of importance x level over all 120 O*NET skills, knowledge areas and abilities. It is not an O*NET finding. More.
Circles are the 20 most similar occupations, coloured by Job Zone. Lines join pairs where one is among the other's 10 most similar; darker lines are pairs O*NET also lists as related. Drag a circle to move it out of the way; select one to open it.
| # | Occupation | Job Zone | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Occupational Therapy Aides | 3 | 0.976 |
| 2 | Psychiatric Technicians | 3 | 0.975 |
| 3 | Physical Therapist Assistants | 3 | 0.974 |
| 4 | Recreational Therapists | 4 | 0.970 |
| 5 | Physical Therapists | 5 | 0.970 |
| 6 | Athletic Trainers | 5 | 0.968 |
| 7 | Occupational Therapists | 5 | 0.967 |
| 8 | Registered Nurses | 4 | 0.964 |
| 9 | Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses | 3 | 0.963 |
| 10 | Physical Therapist Aides | 1-2 | 0.962 |
One skill away
Among the 50 occupations most similar to Occupational Therapy Assistants, those at the same Job Zone or lower, where exactly one skill rated at least 3 in importance needs a level more than 0.75 points higher (on O*NET's 0-7 level scale). Our definition. Change the thresholds.
| Occupation | Skill to build | Level gap | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psychiatric Technicians | Monitoring | 0.88 | 0.975 |
| Physical Therapist Assistants | Monitoring | 0.76 | 0.974 |
Software to learn next
Software used by at least 3 of the 20 occupations most similar to Occupational Therapy Assistants, excluding software Occupational Therapy Assistants already lists and any you named. Ranked by how many of them use it, weighted by how much more common it is among them than across all occupations (lift). Our ranking.
| Software | Similar jobs using it | Lift |
|---|---|---|
| MEDITECH software | 10 of 20 | 6.0x |
| PointClickCare healthcare software | 4 of 20 | 36.9x |
| Rehab Documentation Company ReDoc Suite | 3 of 20 | 46.2x |
| Epic Systems | 6 of 20 | 4.4x |
| Medical condition coding software | 5 of 20 | 5.8x |
| Medical procedure coding software | 5 of 20 | 5.1x |
| Electronic medical record EMR software | 4 of 20 | 5.8x |
| GE Healthcare Centricity EMR | 3 of 20 | 6.3x |
| FaceTime | 3 of 20 | 6.0x |
| Google Drive | 3 of 20 | 2.2x |
Skills
From O*NET data. Importance is rated 1 to 5 and level 0 to 7.
| Skill | Type | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active Listening | Essential skill | 3.88 | 3.88 |
| Social Perceptiveness | Transferable skill | 3.88 | 3.88 |
| Speaking | Essential skill | 3.88 | 3.50 |
| Service Orientation | Transferable skill | 3.88 | 3.25 |
| Reading Comprehension | Essential skill | 3.62 | 3.88 |
| Time Management | Transferable skill | 3.50 | 2.88 |
| Critical Thinking | Essential skill | 3.38 | 3.38 |
| Monitoring | Essential skill | 3.38 | 3.12 |
| Writing | Essential skill | 3.25 | 3.38 |
| Active Learning | Essential skill | 3.25 | 3.25 |
| Instructing | Transferable skill | 3.25 | 3.25 |
| Learning Strategies | Essential skill | 3.25 | 3.25 |
| Coordination | Transferable skill | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | Transferable skill | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Complex Problem Solving | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Systems Analysis | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Negotiation | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 3.00 |
| Persuasion | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 3.00 |
| Systems Evaluation | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Management of Personnel Resources | Transferable skill | 2.62 | 2.62 |
| Operations Monitoring | Transferable skill | 2.38 | 2.25 |
| Mathematics | Essential skill | 2.12 | 2.12 |
| Troubleshooting | Transferable skill | 2.00 | 1.88 |
| Management of Material Resources | Transferable skill | 2.00 | 1.50 |
| Operation and Control | Transferable skill | 1.88 | 1.75 |
| Quality Control Analysis | Transferable skill | 1.88 | 1.50 |
| Science | Essential skill | 1.88 | 1.25 |
| Technology Design | Transferable skill | 1.75 | 0.88 |
| Management of Financial Resources | Transferable skill | 1.75 | 0.75 |
| Operations Analysis | Transferable skill | 1.62 | 0.75 |
| Equipment Maintenance | Transferable skill | 1.62 | 0.62 |
| Equipment Selection | Transferable skill | 1.38 | 0.38 |
| Programming | Transferable skill | 1.38 | 0.38 |
| Repairing | Transferable skill | 1.25 | not rated |
| Installation | Transferable skill | 1.12 | not rated |
Knowledge (33) and abilities (52)
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Customer and Personal Service | 4.68 | 5.60 |
| Psychology | 4.30 | 5.39 |
| Education and Training | 3.89 | 4.48 |
| English Language | 3.74 | 3.47 |
| Therapy and Counseling | 3.72 | 4.62 |
| Public Safety and Security | 3.44 | 2.73 |
| Sociology and Anthropology | 3.14 | 3.13 |
| Administrative | 3.13 | 3.62 |
| Medicine and Dentistry | 3.04 | 2.61 |
| Computers and Electronics | 3.01 | 3.25 |
| Administration and Management | 2.94 | 2.10 |
| Law and Government | 2.74 | 1.72 |
| Philosophy and Theology | 2.51 | 2.40 |
| Personnel and Human Resources | 2.46 | 1.93 |
| Biology | 2.38 | 2.08 |
| Foreign Language | 2.32 | 1.71 |
| Engineering and Technology | 2.27 | 1.83 |
| Mathematics | 2.17 | 1.62 |
| Communications and Media | 2.11 | 1.90 |
| Mechanical | 2.03 | 1.65 |
| Transportation | 1.93 | 0.97 |
| Telecommunications | 1.90 | 0.98 |
| Physics | 1.68 | 1.10 |
| Chemistry | 1.58 | 0.87 |
| Geography | 1.56 | 0.95 |
| Economics and Accounting | 1.55 | 0.79 |
| Design | 1.51 | 1.08 |
| Building and Construction | 1.46 | not rated |
| Sales and Marketing | 1.46 | 0.90 |
| Production and Processing | 1.40 | not rated |
| Fine Arts | 1.29 | not rated |
| Food Production | 1.26 | not rated |
| History and Archeology | 1.26 | not rated |
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Oral Comprehension | 4.00 | 4.12 |
| Oral Expression | 4.00 | 4.12 |
| Problem Sensitivity | 3.75 | 4.00 |
| Written Expression | 3.75 | 3.75 |
| Written Comprehension | 3.62 | 3.88 |
| Near Vision | 3.50 | 3.25 |
| Deductive Reasoning | 3.38 | 3.62 |
| Information Ordering | 3.38 | 3.25 |
| Speech Clarity | 3.38 | 3.00 |
| Inductive Reasoning | 3.25 | 3.12 |
| Speech Recognition | 3.25 | 3.12 |
| Fluency of Ideas | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Static Strength | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Category Flexibility | 3.00 | 3.12 |
| Finger Dexterity | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Selective Attention | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Arm-Hand Steadiness | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Manual Dexterity | 3.00 | 2.75 |
| Trunk Strength | 3.00 | 2.62 |
| Originality | 2.88 | 3.12 |
| Time Sharing | 2.88 | 2.75 |
| Far Vision | 2.75 | 2.88 |
| Perceptual Speed | 2.75 | 2.88 |
| Extent Flexibility | 2.75 | 2.62 |
| Multilimb Coordination | 2.75 | 2.62 |
| Visualization | 2.62 | 2.62 |
| Flexibility of Closure | 2.50 | 2.62 |
| Memorization | 2.38 | 2.50 |
| Gross Body Coordination | 2.38 | 2.00 |
| Control Precision | 2.25 | 2.50 |
| Stamina | 2.25 | 2.25 |
| Auditory Attention | 2.25 | 2.12 |
| Dynamic Strength | 2.25 | 2.12 |
| Speed of Closure | 2.25 | 2.12 |
| Response Orientation | 2.12 | 1.50 |
| Wrist-Finger Speed | 2.12 | 1.38 |
| Number Facility | 2.00 | 2.12 |
| Gross Body Equilibrium | 2.00 | 2.00 |
| Mathematical Reasoning | 2.00 | 2.00 |
| Depth Perception | 2.00 | 1.75 |
| Visual Color Discrimination | 2.00 | 1.75 |
| Reaction Time | 2.00 | 1.50 |
| Speed of Limb Movement | 2.00 | 1.12 |
| Hearing Sensitivity | 1.88 | 1.75 |
| Rate Control | 1.88 | 0.88 |
| Explosive Strength | 1.50 | 0.75 |
| Spatial Orientation | 1.50 | 0.62 |
| Sound Localization | 1.12 | not rated |
| Dynamic Flexibility | 1.00 | not rated |
| Glare Sensitivity | 1.00 | not rated |
| Night Vision | 1.00 | not rated |
| Peripheral Vision | 1.00 | not rated |
Software used
Examples from O*NET data. "Hot" and "in demand" are O*NET flags for technologies often listed in job postings.
- Facebook hot
- Microsoft Access hot
- Microsoft Excel hot
- Microsoft Office software hot
- Microsoft Outlook hot
- Microsoft PowerPoint hot
- Microsoft Windows hot
- Microsoft Word hot
- eClinicalWorks EHR software hot
- Billing software
- Bookkeeping software
- BrainTrain Captain's Log
- BrainTrain IVA+Plus
- BrainTrain SmartDriver
- Client caseload management software
- Database software
- Email software
- Fifth Walk BillingTracker
- FileMaker Pro
- Financial record software
- Graphics software
- Laboratory information system LIS
- Language arts educational software
- Math educational software
- Patient documentation software
- Scheduling software
- Screen reader software
- SpectraSoft DocuPRO
- Text scanning software
- TheraClin Systems iMAPR
All 33
- Visual Health Information VHI PC-Kits
- Web browser software
- dBASE
Where it concentrates
Metro areas ranked by BLS location quotient: the occupation's share of the area's jobs divided by its share of all US jobs. Above 1 means more concentrated than the nation. Metros employing fewer than 100 are left out.
| Metro area | Employment | Location quotient | Median annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canton-Massillon, OH | 210 | 3.91 | $64,250 |
| Youngstown-Warren, OH | 180 | 3.43 | $59,160 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | 1,190 | 2.79 | $81,500 |
| Evansville, IN | 120 | 2.64 | $66,200 |
| Akron, OH | 280 | 2.62 | $62,380 |
| Port St. Lucie, FL | 150 | 2.60 | $73,890 |
| Toledo, OH | 250 | 2.57 | $63,710 |
| Chattanooga, TN-GA | 210 | 2.32 | $61,360 |
| Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH | 270 | 2.22 | $70,020 |
| Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR | 260 | 2.18 | $78,720 |