How Much Do Occupational Therapy Assistants Earn?
Occupational therapy assistants work under the supervision of licensed occupational therapists to improve the quality of life for their clients. They provide habilitative and rehabilitative services to people with physical, mental, emotional and developmental impairments to help them enter or re-enter the workforce or become more independent. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, most occupational therapy assistants are employed in hospitals or in the offices of healthcare practitioners.
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Median and Average Income
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The median wage for assistants working in the United States is $24.16 per hour, or $50,250 per year. The highest earners in this profession make $32.91 or more per hour, while the lowest paid assistants make $16.03 or less an hour. Fifty-percent of all occupational therapist assistants earn an annual salary from $41,200 to $59,890. The average salary is $50,830, or $24.44 an hour.
Industry Information
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The industries with the highest level of employment for assistants are in offices of health practitioners, nursing care facilities, medical and surgical hospitals, elementary and secondary schools, and home healthcare services. Salaries range from $44,430 to $60,980 per year in these jobs. The highest-paying industry is home healthcare services, with an average salary of $60,980. Occupational therapy assistants working in the employment services industry earn a mean annual wage of $54,730. Nursing care is the third-highest paying industry for this profession with an average annual salary of $54,030.
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State Information
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The states with the highest level of employment for this profession are Ohio, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Oklahoma. Average salaries in these states range from $45,770 to $51,820 per year. Texas has the highest average salary at $65,900 and a median wage of $29.93 or just over $61,000 per year. Idaho is the second-highest paying state with an average annual salary of $63,430, followed by New Jersey at $59,940, Florida at $57,750 and California with average annual earnings of $57,230.
Metropolitan Areas
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The top-paying metropolitan area in the United States for this career is El Paso, Texas, where assistants earn an average wage of $36.34 per hour, or $75,580 per year. The median hourly wage for assistants in El Paso is $36.85 per hour. Other high-paying areas include Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, Texas, with an average annual salary of $73,620; Odessa, Texas, at $34.05 per hour or $70,830 a year; and Lynchburg, Virginia, at $32.08 per hour or $66,720 a year. The metropolitan areas that employ the most occupational therapist assistants per 1,000 workers are Gadsden, Alabama; Cumberland, Maryland-West Virginia; Canton-Massillon, Ohio; and Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, Ohio-Pennsylvania. Average annual salaries in these areas range from $40,010 per year in Cumberland to $53,000 in Canton-Massillon.
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References
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook 2010-11 Edition -- Occupational Therapists and Aides
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wages, 2009 -- Occupational Therapist Assistants
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: May 2009 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates, Texas
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: May 2009 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates El Paso, TX
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