31 Series · SOC 31-2012
Occupational Therapy Aides Salary
National pay, percentile range, growth outlook, and state-by-state detail from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey (May 2025).
- $39,160
- Median / year
- $70,200
- Top 10% earn
- +2.5%
- Growth '23–'33
- 4,310
- US workers
Occupational Therapy Aides earn a median of $39,160 per year.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey, the median annual wage is $39,160, based on the most recent survey of employers. Reported pay ranges from $29,430 (10th percentile) to $70,200 (90th percentile) nationally, across roughly 4,310 US workers. North Carolina pays the most ($66,190), since pay varies by state and metro area.
The pay verdict
Occupational Therapy Aides earn a median of $39,160, putting them among the lower-paid US occupations and higher than 11% of the 825 occupations with a published BLS median. Within Healthcare Support, it ranks #12 of 17 by median pay. Employment is projected to grow 2.5% by 2033.
- $39,160
- Median annual wage
- Top 89%
- of 825 US occupations with published wages
- #12 of 17
- in Healthcare Support
- 2.4×
- 90th-to-10th pay spread
Highest-paying state: North Carolina at $66,190. Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
Occupational Therapy Aides (SOC 31-2012) pays a national median of $39,160 per year according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey released in May 2025. Full-range compensation stretches from $29,430 at the 10th percentile to $70,200 at the 90th, with a mean of $44,110 indicating a right-skew where top earners pull the average above the midpoint. An estimated 4,310 Americans work in this occupation across 27 reporting states and 22 metro areas.
BLS Employment Projections forecast a +2.5% change in employment from 2024 to 2034, which the agency classifies as slower than average relative to the 5% all-occupations baseline. About 600 openings are projected per year, combining new positions with replacement needs from retirements and occupation-switchers. Typical entry-level preparation is High school diploma or equivalent and short-term on-the-job training of on-the-job training. The BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) and Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII) produce a workplace-safety grade of B for this role, with a fatality rate of 0.6 per 100,000 and injury rate of 5.5 per 100.
Geographic variation matters as much as the headline median. North Carolina pays the highest state median at $66,190, which is +69% above the national figure. The top metro is Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA at $68,550 - metro premiums typically reflect higher cost of living, industry concentration, or specialized employer demand. When using this page for negotiation or career planning, pair the national median with the state and metro rows below, remember that BLS wages exclude benefits, bonuses, and overtime, and revisit after each May OEWS release since percentiles shift with cost-of-living cycles and industry demand. See our methodology for exactly how these figures are sourced, computed, and verified.
Median Salary
$39,160
per year
Median Hourly
$18.83/hr
per hour
Mean Salary
$44,110
average
Employment
4,310
jobs nationwide
How does this pay compare nationally?
Where Occupational Therapy Aides pay sits nationally
Median annual wage vs. 825 detailed BLS occupations with a published median
$39,160 Bottom 11% higher than 11% of 825 US occupations
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS · May 2025
Does this job pay well and grow?
Each dot is a 31-series occupation, placed by projected 2024–2034 growth and median pay. The highlighted dot is Occupational Therapy Aides; the upper-right quadrant is the sweet spot (high pay + fast growth).
Among 17 31-series occupations with growth data, Occupational Therapy Aides sits on the slower-growing side at +2.5% growth and $39,160 median pay.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS (wages, May 2025) and Employment Projections (2024–2034).
Job Outlook (2024–2034)
Projected Growth
+2.5%
Slower than average
Annual Openings
600
per year (projected)
Typical Education
High school diploma or equivalent
On-the-Job Training
Short-term on-the-job training
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034
Workplace Safety
All safety ratings →Safe
Safety Grade (BLS 2023)
Fatality Rate
0.6/100K
Injury Rate
5.5/100
Danger Index
22.3/100
Source: BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) & Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII), 2023
Career Intelligence
Skills, knowledge, and tasks most important for Occupational Therapy Aides roles, ranked by importance. Source: O*NET.
Top Skills
Knowledge Areas
Key Tasks
- ▸ Encourage patients and attend to their physical needs to facilitate the attainment of therapeutic goals.
- ▸ Report to supervisors or therapists, verbally or in writing, on patients' progress, attitudes, attendance, and accomplishments.
- ▸ Evaluate the living skills and capacities of clients with physical, developmental, or mental health disabilities.
- ▸ Observe patients' attendance, progress, attitudes, and accomplishments and record and maintain information in client records.
- ▸ Prepare and maintain work area, materials, and equipment and maintain inventory of treatment and educational supplies.
- ▸ Transport patients to and from the occupational therapy work area.
- ▸ Instruct patients and families in work, social, and living skills, the care and use of adaptive equipment, and other skills to facilitate home and work adjustment to disability.
- ▸ Assist occupational therapists in planning, implementing, and administering therapy programs to restore, reinforce, and enhance performance, using selected activities and special equipment.
- ▸ Demonstrate therapy techniques, such as manual and creative arts and games.
- ▸ Manage intradepartmental infection control and equipment security.
Source: O*NET Online, National Center for O*NET Development. Data represents typical importance ratings for this occupation.
Salary Range
Annual Salary Distribution
Hourly Rate Distribution
10th Percentile
$29,430
25th Percentile
$35,920
Median
$39,160
75th Percentile
$46,780
90th Percentile
$70,200
Salary by State
Highest Paying States
View all 27 states →
| # | State | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Carolina | $66,190 | +69% above national |
| 2 | New York | $46,220 | +18% above national |
| 3 | Washington | $45,890 | +17% above national |
| 4 | Nebraska | $44,980 | +15% above national |
| 5 | Connecticut | $44,840 | +15% above national |
| 6 | New Jersey | $44,470 | +14% above national |
| 7 | California | $43,480 | +11% above national |
| 8 | New Mexico | $43,170 | +10% above national |
| 9 | Massachusetts | $40,160 | +3% above national |
| 10 | Colorado | $40,110 | +2% above national |
| 11 | District of Columbia | $39,620 | +1% above national |
| 12 | Michigan | $39,050 | same as national |
| 13 | Missouri | $38,890 | 1% below national |
| 14 | Indiana | $38,250 | 2% below national |
| 15 | Georgia | $38,090 | 3% below national |
| 16 | Texas | $37,180 | 5% below national |
| 17 | Pennsylvania | $37,100 | 5% below national |
| 18 | Wisconsin | $36,760 | 6% below national |
| 19 | Nevada | $36,440 | 7% below national |
| 20 | Ohio | $36,380 | 7% below national |
| 21 | Oklahoma | $34,670 | 11% below national |
| 22 | Maryland | $33,310 | 15% below national |
| 23 | Idaho | $32,590 | 17% below national |
| 24 | South Carolina | $31,950 | 18% below national |
| 25 | Louisiana | $28,560 | 27% below national |
| 26 | Tennessee | $27,840 | 29% below national |
| 27 | Mississippi | $24,300 | 38% below national |
Salary by Metro Area
Highest Paying Metros
View all 22 metro areas →
| # | Metro Area | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $68,550 | +75% above national |
| 2 | Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | $46,320 | +18% above national |
| 3 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $46,260 | +18% above national |
| 4 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $45,840 | +17% above national |
| 5 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $44,980 | +15% above national |
| 6 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $43,270 | +10% above national |
| 7 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $42,790 | +9% above national |
| 8 | Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $41,400 | +6% above national |
| 9 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $40,200 | +3% above national |
| 10 | Omaha, NE-IA | $39,950 | +2% above national |
| 11 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $39,820 | +2% above national |
| 12 | Cleveland, OH | $38,860 | 1% below national |
| 13 | St. Louis, MO-IL | $38,600 | 1% below national |
| 14 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $38,550 | 2% below national |
| 15 | Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI | $38,430 | 2% below national |
| 16 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $38,090 | 3% below national |
| 17 | Pittsburgh, PA | $37,100 | 5% below national |
| 18 | Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | $36,920 | 6% below national |
| 19 | Bloomington, IN | $36,860 | 6% below national |
| 20 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $35,340 | 10% below national |
| 21 | Oklahoma City, OK | $34,110 | 13% below national |
| 22 | Columbia, MO | $33,480 | 15% below national |
Similar Occupations in the Same Category
Other roles in SOC major group 31 (healthcare support) with comparable pay and career paths.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What to do with this data
How to use Occupational Therapy Aides pay figures in a real decision
- For an experienced offer, anchor on the 75th percentile (about $46,780/year), not the median. The median marks the middle worker; the upper quartile is the realistic target with strong experience. Salary calculator
- Location moves pay significantly: North Carolina leads at $66,190/year for this role. Weigh state pay against local cost of living before relocating or negotiating remote. Pay by state
- Compare this occupation against similar roles before you decide, so you are reading the pay band in context rather than in isolation. Compare jobs
These are BLS survey estimates for the occupation, not a salary offer or a prediction for any individual. Your pay depends on experience, employer, exact role, and location.
Every figure on WageDex is rendered directly from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, no number is typed in by an editor. This occupation's figures are computed directly from the BLS OEWS and Employment Projections datasets, nothing is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 2025.
This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or career advice. Actual pay for a specific role, employer, or offer may differ from these national/state figures, consult a qualified career counselor, recruiter, or financial advisor before making decisions based on this data.